Complex Needs Teaching Assistant in High Barnet
Posted by Destination Education
High Barnet | Full-Time | Immediate Start
Are you an experienced Complex Needs TA, SEN TA, Behaviour Support Assistant or Support Worker looking for a rewarding 1:1 role where you can make a genuine difference to a young person's education and wellbeing?
We are recruiting for a dedicated 1:1 Teaching Assistant to support a 15-year-old boy with complex needs within a highly specialist autism school in High Barnet.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is calm, patient, emotionally intelligent and confident supporting a young person who may require a highly individualised approach.
👦 THE ROLEYou will work closely with the young person on a 1:1 basis, helping him to:
- Access learning and classroom activities
- Develop communication and independence
- Regulate emotions and manage sensory needs
- Build confidence and positive relationships
- Participate safely in school routines and activities
- Develop life skills and greater independence
- Engage with a personalised programme of learning
- Work alongside teachers and specialist professionals
⭐ WHO WE ARE LOOKING FORWe would particularly like to hear from candidates with experience of:
- Complex needs
- Ability to use Widgets / knowledge of PDA
- Autism / ASC
- 1:1 SEN support
- Challenging behaviour or emotional regulation
- Sensory needs
- Communication difficulties
- Personalised learning programmes
- Working with teenagers with additional needs
- Supporting young people who require a calm, low-arousal approach
You will need to be patient, reliable, nurturing and resilient, with the ability to remain calm and consistent even when situations become challenging.
🏫 WHY WORK HERE? This isn't a generic SEN setting.
You'll be joining a specialist autism school specifically designed for young people whose autism significantly affects their ability to access mainstream or generic special-school environments.
The school offers:
✅ A brand-new permanent specialist school building in High Barnet
✅ A specialist autism-informed curriculum
✅ A calm, structured and sensory-aware environment
✅ A strong focus on celebrating neurodiversity
✅ Personalised support based around each young person's individual strengths and needs
✅ The SCERTS framework, focusing on Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support
✅ Access to multidisciplinary professionals, including Occupational Therapy and Speech & Language Therapy
✅ Specialist training and CPD to develop your understanding of autism and complex additional needs
✅ Opportunities to work alongside experienced specialist teachers and therapists
✅ A strong emphasis on communication, independence and emotional regulation
✅ Enrichment opportunities including music, art, coding, animation and animal-assisted therapy
✅ A genuinely personalised approach rather than a one-size-fits-all SEN model
✅ A supportive environment where building meaningful relationships with pupils is central to the work
🚆 EXCELLENT TRANSPORT LINKS – NO TRAIN CHANGES
The school is in High Barnet, close to High Barnet Underground Station.
Candidates can travel directly on the Northern Line with no changes from locations including:
High Barnet → Totteridge & Whetstone → Woodside Park → West Finchley → Finchley Central → East Finchley → Highgate → Archway → Tufnell Park → Kentish Town → Camden Town → Euston → Warren Street → Goodge Street → Tottenham Court Road → Charing Cross
There are also direct Northern Line services southbound towards Morden and Battersea Power Station, meaning the role is accessible without changing trains from a large number of North and Central London locations.
💙 THIS COULD BE THE ROLE FOR YOU IF...You want more than simply working as another TA in a classroom.
You want to become an important person in a young person's school life, develop a genuine relationship with them and help them make progress that might otherwise be difficult to achieve.
If you have the patience, commitment and specialist SEN experience to provide outstanding 1:1 support, we want to hear from you.
Immediate interviews available.
📩 Send your CV today to apply or arrange an informal conversation.
Enhanced DBS / DBS Update Service and relevant SEN experience required.
Application opens at the source listing. Free for jobseekers.