SEMH Teaching Assistant

Location: LeedsPay: £90–£1159per dayJob Type: Full-time | Long-termStart Date: Immediate / September 2025

Not every win in education comes with applause.

Sometimes, it looks like a pupil walking into class without anxiety.Sometimes, it’s a full morning without disruption.Sometimes, it’s eye contact, trust, or the first genuine smile in weeks.

If those wins matter to you, keep reading.

Protocol Education is recruiting for an SEMH Teaching Assistant to support pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs in specialist schools and alternative provisions across Leeds.

This role isn’t always easy. SEMH support comes with brilliant highs and tough days too.

There will be moments where progress feels slow. Days where emotions run high. Times when patience gets tested.

But then come the breakthroughs.

The small wins that become big milestones.

The moments that remind you exactly why this work matters.

As an SEMH Teaching Assistant, you’ll support children and young people with a range of additional needs, including:

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• SEMH
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• Autism
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• ADHD
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• Behavioural needs
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• Trauma-related challenges
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You’ll help pupils feel safe, supported, and ready to learn by:

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• Providing 1:1 and small group support
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• Building trust and positive relationships
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• Supporting emotional regulation
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• Using positive behaviour strategies and de-escalation techniques
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• Creating a calm and consistent environment
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• Working closely with teachers, SENCOs, and pastoral teams
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We’re searching for people who bring empathy, patience, and consistency.

You might have experience as a:

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• Teaching Assistant
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• Behaviour Mentor
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• Youth Worker
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• Learning Support Assistant
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• Support Worker
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• Learning Mentor
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Experience in SEMH schools, PRUs, alternative provisions, SEND settings, or mainstream schools is highly desirable.

What matters most?

You stay calm under pressure.You build trust.You genuinely care.

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• Weekly PAYE pay
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• No umbrella company deductions
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• FREE access to CPD and training
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• Dedicated consultant support
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• Roles across Leeds in specialist and mainstream settings
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• Flexible short and long-term opportunities
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At Protocol Education, we understand SEMH work because we see the impact every day.

This role is about more than behaviour support.It’s about helping young people feel safe enough to succeed.

And sometimes success starts with something small.

A good morning.A settled lesson.A better day than yesterday.

Those small wins? They matter more than you think.

If you’re ready to make a real difference as an SEMH Teaching Assistant in Leeds, apply today.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see Protocol Education’s website for full safeguarding and DBS requirements.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further 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.Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the 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 FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.