Jobs, fresher vacancy - Teaching Assistant (Pastoral & SEMH Support) • Lancashire

Company: Teaching Personnel Ltd

Lancashire

Teaching Assistant (Pastoral & SEMH Support) – January 2026 StartLocation: Preston Contract: Fixed Term (initially) Hours: 8:45am – 3:30pm (occasional extended hours for meetings) Salary: £350–£450 per week (dependent on experience)Are you looking to use your experience and passion for supporting children’s wellbeing within a mainstream Primary School setting?A reputable Primary School in Preston is seeking to appoint a Teaching Assistant with strong pastoral experience, ideally holding a degree in Psychology, to support children across the school who require additional SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) support. Senior Leaders are deeply committed to promoting positive mental health and ensuring every pupil receives the right level of care and have therefore created this new role to strengthen their pastoral and inclusion provision.The school is particularly keen to secure a candidate with knowledge of child development, mental health needs, or experience supporting children or vulnerable individuals. A Psychology graduate is especially encouraged to apply, as this background will add valuable insight and expertise to the pastoral team.This is a rewarding and varied role where no two days are the same. Duties will include: Providing 1:1 and small-group SEMH supportLiaising closely with class teachers and the SENCO regarding individual needsSupporting wellbeing interventions both in classrooms and dedicated intervention spacesWorking alongside outside agencies where appropriateContributing ideas and strategies to enhance the school’s pastoral provision The successful candidate will report directly to the SENCO and join a school where the Headteacher maintains an “open-door policy”, encouraging staff to share new ideas and contribute to whole-school improvement.Strong relationship-building skills with both children and families are essential. Applicants must be open-minded, committed to inclusion, and able to demonstrate a clear understanding of individual needs. Resilience, flexibility, and confidence working with colleagues across all levels of the school are key to success in this role.Requirements: Degree-level qualification (Psychology preferred)Experience supporting children or vulnerable individuals, ideally with SEMH needsA commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and pupil wellbeing This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference to children’s lives while gaining valuable school-based experience in a supportive environment.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.