Teaching Assistant - SEMH
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Are you a confident, empathetic graduate who is considering a career in education?
Perhaps you are an experienced educator who has experience supporting students with behaviour needs?
Do you have the patience and resilience to be able to support students with their behaviour and emotional needs, to ensure they are receiving the best possible education?
If so this is the perfect long term opportunity for you! This role is perfect for a resilient, dedicated and passionate individual who wants to remove barriers to learning for students.
Please send your CV to Holly at Aspire People today or call the Manchester office to find out more information.
Graduate Teaching Assistant - the role - September Start
* Based in Manchester (other provisions in other local boroughs available)
* Support pupils with Social, emotional and mental health needs
* Work closely with parents, teachers and senior leaders
* Patience, empathy and resilience is key to this role
* Build excellent relationships with students
* Be a vital role model
* Track and monitor data such as attendance, progress and more
* Receive excellent support from the school and Aspire People
* Long term position - Paid £95-£115 per day
* Work Monday - Friday school hours, term time only
* DBS check required, safeguarding training provided
Graduate Teaching Assistant - Requirements
* Degree 2:2 or above, ideally psychology but any subject considered.
* Confident and empathetic
* Firm but fair approach with pupils
* Ability to build strong relationships with students
Please send your CV to Holly at Aspire today, if you are shortlisted we will be in contact as soon as possible to discuss the role in further detail.
#hollyaspirepeople
Aspire People Limited provides services as an Education Agency and an Education Employment Business. Aspire People is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and expects every candidate to share this commitment. Placements are subject, to appropriate Child Protection screening, including checks with former employers and the Disclosure and Barring Checks.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight any SEMH or SEN experience prominently in your personal statement, as the advert explicitly names Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs as the core focus of the role.
📊 Quantify your impact where possible: e.g. 'Supported 8 students with SEMH needs across 3 year groups, contributing to a 15% improvement in attendance over one term.'
🎯 If your degree is in Psychology, name it clearly in your CV header and skills section — the advert specifically calls this out as the ideal subject.
🤝 Include a bullet point on any experience working with parents, teachers, or senior leaders, as the advert lists this collaboration as a key responsibility.
🛡️ Confirm your DBS status (enhanced, on the update service if applicable) and any safeguarding training on your CV, as these are mandatory requirements for the role.
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:
- •Supported 6 secondary school students with SEMH needs across Years 9–11, contributing to a 20% reduction in behaviour incidents over one academic term through consistent relationship-building and de-escalation strategies.
- •Tracked weekly attendance and progress data for a caseload of 10 pupils, producing fortnightly reports shared with the SENCO and form tutors to inform intervention planning.
- •Collaborated with 3 class teachers and 5 parents to implement individual behaviour support plans, resulting in 4 out of 6 students achieving improved engagement scores within 8 weeks.
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
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Letter preview — tailored to Aspire People Limited
Dear Hiring Manager,
Aspire People's Graduate Teaching Assistant role supporting students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs at a Manchester secondary school is precisely the direction I want my career in education to take. The emphasis on SEMH behaviour support and building genuine relationships with disengaged young people aligns directly with my experience and values.
My background in working with young people in structured environments has equipped me with the patience, resilience, and firm-but-fair approach this role demands. I understand the importance of safeguarding and child protection, hold an enhanced DBS certificate, and have experience tracking pupil progress and attendance data to support teachers and senior leaders in making informed decisions.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How would you track and monitor a pupil's attendance and progress data, and what tools or systems have you used to do this?
- ›What strategies would you use to de-escalate a student displaying challenging behaviour in a secondary school setting?
- ›How do you adapt your communication style when working with students who have varying SEMH needs?
- ›What does safeguarding mean to you in a school context, and what would you do if you had a concern about a pupil's welfare?
- ›How would you support a student who is refusing to engage with classroom activities due to emotional dysregulation?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you built a strong relationship with a young person who was initially resistant or disengaged.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to remain patient and resilient in a challenging environment. What did you do?
- ›Give an example of when you worked closely with a teacher or parent to support a child's needs. What was your role?
- ›Tell me about a time you acted as a role model for someone younger than you. What impact did it have?
- ›Describe a moment when you had to take a firm but fair approach with someone. How did you handle it and what was the outcome?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you built a strong relationship with a young person who was initially resistant or disengaged.
Describe a situation where you had to remain patient and resilient in a challenging environment. What did you do?