Educational Support Assistant
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Educational Support Assistant – LRB Setting
Location: Newport, South Wales
Teaching Personnel is seeking caring, resilient, and committed Educational Support Assistants to work within specialist Learning Resource Bases (LRBs) and alternative learning settings across the Newport area. These provisions support pupils across Key Stages 1–2 who may present with a range of behavioural, emotional, social, and additional learning needs.
This role would suit individuals who understand the importance of consistency, positive relationships, and a nurturing yet structured approach to supporting young people who may face barriers to learning.
The Role
You will support pupils throughout the school day, helping them to access learning, manage emotions and behaviour, and develop confidence, resilience, and independence. Pupils may present with varying levels of behavioural challenge and emotional need, requiring patience, empathy, and a calm, consistent approach.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
• Provide 1:1 and small-group support to pupils across KS1–KS2.
• Support pupils to engage with learning activities at an appropriate level.
• Assist teachers with lesson delivery and classroom organisation.
• Help pupils regulate emotions and behaviour using positive and restorative strategies.
• Manage and de-escalate challenging behaviour safely and effectively.
• Support pupils during transitions, break times, and unstructured periods.
• Build strong, trusting relationships and act as a positive role model.
• Encourage social skills, emotional development, and positive behaviour choices.
• Contribute to individual behaviour plans and support strategies.
• Work collaboratively with teaching staff, support teams, and external professionals.
• Maintain safeguarding standards and follow all policies and procedures.
The Ideal Candidate
• Has experience working with children or young people with behavioural and/or emotional needs.
• Is calm, patient, and resilient in challenging situations.
• Understands the importance of routines, boundaries, and consistency.
• Has a genuine interest in engaging pupils through activities such as sport, gaming, creative arts, or other positive interests.
• Is flexible, reliable, and committed to supporting pupils effectively.
• Works well as part of a team and communicates positively with staff and pupils.
Qualifications and Experience (Desirable)
• Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning, Childcare, Youth Work, or a related field.
• Experience within Learning Resource Bases (LRBs), alternative provision, Additional Learning Needs (ALN), SEN, or similar specialist settings.
• Behaviour management or de-escalation training (e.g. Team Teach).
• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths.
Why Work with Teaching Personnel?
• Competitive weekly pay.
• Flexible full-time and part-time opportunities available.
• Access to free and discounted CPD courses through the Teaching Personnel Academy.
• Ongoing support from a dedicated local consultant.
• Opportunities for long-term and permanent positions across Newport and the surrounding areas.
• Chance to make a meaningful difference to pupils who require additional support to succeed.
This is a rewarding opportunity for someone passionate about helping children and young people overcome barriers to learning and achieve positive outcomes within a specialist educational setting. If you are looking to build a career supporting pupils with additional behavioural and emotional needs, we would love to hear from you.
Apply today through Teaching Personnel to begin making a difference in schools and specialist provisions across Newport.
All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.
Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.
For details of our privacy policy, please visit the Teaching Personnel website.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Open your Personal Statement with direct reference to LRB or alternative provision experience, as the advert explicitly targets specialist settings across Newport.
📊 Quantify your impact: e.g. 'Supported 6 KS2 pupils with SEMH needs, reducing classroom incidents by 30% over one term through consistent behaviour plans.'
🎯 Name any behaviour management training you hold (e.g. Team Teach, MAPA) prominently in your Skills section — the advert lists this as a desirable qualifier.
🌐 Highlight your Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning or Childcare clearly under Education, as these are the stated desirable credentials.
🤝 Include a bullet under each role demonstrating collaboration with external professionals (SENCO, educational psychologists, social workers), as the advert stresses multi-agency working.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Delivered daily 1:1 and small-group behaviour support to 8 KS1–KS2 pupils with SEMH needs within an LRB setting, contributing to a 25% reduction in classroom incidents over one term.
- •Implemented individual behaviour plans using restorative and positive strategies for 5 pupils with ALN, collaborating with the SENCO and an educational psychologist to review targets fortnightly.
- •Applied Team Teach de-escalation techniques during 3 high-risk incidents per week on average, maintaining a safe learning environment and ensuring zero physical interventions exceeded recorded thresholds.
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
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Letter preview — tailored to Teaching Personnel
Dear Hiring Manager,
Teaching Personnel's focus on specialist Learning Resource Base provision across Newport is exactly the environment in which I want to develop my career. Having worked directly with pupils presenting with behavioural, emotional, and social needs, I am confident in delivering 1:1 and small-group support, implementing behaviour plans, and applying de-escalation strategies to help young people access learning safely and consistently.
My background in supporting children within SEN and alternative provision settings has equipped me with a grounded understanding of how routines, boundaries, and positive relationships underpin progress for pupils at KS1–KS2. I hold a Level 3 qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning and have completed behaviour management training, which I apply daily when working alongside teaching staff and external professionals to meet each pupil's individual needs.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you implement a pupil's individual behaviour support plan during a lesson?
- ›What de-escalation techniques have you used with pupils presenting with emotional and behavioural difficulties?
- ›How do you adapt learning activities to meet the needs of pupils at different stages within KS1–KS2?
- ›Can you describe your understanding of safeguarding responsibilities in a school setting?
- ›How would you support a pupil through an unstructured period such as break time when they find transitions difficult?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you successfully de-escalated a challenging situation with a young person.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to remain calm and consistent despite significant behavioural challenge — what did you do?
- ›Give an example of how you built a trusting relationship with a pupil who was initially resistant to support.
- ›Tell me about a time you worked as part of a multi-disciplinary team to support a child with additional needs.
- ›Describe a moment when a pupil made meaningful progress — what strategies did you use and how did you measure success?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you successfully de-escalated a challenging situation with a young person.
Give an example of how you built a trusting relationship with a pupil who was initially resistant to support.