Learning Support Assistant – SEND | Dartford

Location: Dartford, Kent
Role: Learning Support Assistant – SEND
Contract: Flexible, temporary and longer-term opportunities
Start: Immediate and upcoming starts

Learning Support Assistant Opportunities in Dartford

Do you have experience supporting children with additional needs and enjoy helping pupils build confidence, independence and engagement in school?

Forward Teaching is looking to connect with Learning Support Assistants and Teaching Assistants in and around Dartford for current and upcoming opportunities within mainstream and specialist education settings.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from people who have experience supporting pupils with SEND, autism, communication needs, learning difficulties or social and emotional needs.

Opportunities may include 1:1 support, small-group intervention and wider classroom support.

The Role

The exact responsibilities will depend on the individual school and pupil needs, but assignments could include:

• Supporting pupils with SEND to access classroom learning
• Providing 1:1 and small-group support
• Breaking learning into clear, manageable steps
• Supporting communication and interaction
• Encouraging confidence and independence
• Helping pupils manage classroom routines and transitions
• Supporting positive behaviour and emotional regulation
• Using visual or communication strategies where appropriate
• Working closely with class teachers and SENCOs
• Supporting pupils during intervention activities
• Following individual support plans and school procedures
• Recording relevant observations and progress

The strongest support isn’t always about doing more for a child. Often, it’s about understanding what they need in order to do more for themselves.

The Ideal Candidate

We’d particularly like to hear from candidates who:

• Have experience working with children or young people
• Have previous SEND experience
• Are patient, calm and consistent
• Can build positive relationships with pupils
• Communicate confidently with teaching and support staff
• Are able to adapt their approach to individual needs
• Understand the importance of promoting independence
• Are reliable and professional
• Have a strong understanding of safeguarding

Experience supporting pupils with autism or communication needs would be particularly useful for some opportunities.

Relevant experience may have been gained within schools, specialist provisions, nurseries, youth services or other child-focused settings.

Why Work with Forward Teaching?

Forward Teaching aims to match candidates with opportunities that genuinely suit their experience, availability and preferences.

Working with us could give you access to:

• SEND opportunities across Dartford
• Flexible working patterns
• Day-to-day and short-term assignments
• Longer-term Learning Support Assistant roles
• Mainstream and specialist education settings
• 1:1 and classroom-based opportunities
• Roles matched to your experience and availability
• Support throughout the registration and placement process

Tell us the days you can work, the areas you can travel to and the type of support role you’re looking for.

We’ll use that information to focus on suitable opportunities rather than simply sending you everything that becomes available.

Looking for Your Next SEND Support Role?

Whether you’re already working in education or have relevant SEND experience and want to develop your career within schools, we’d like to hear from you.

Apply today or contact Charlotte at Forward Teaching to discuss current and upcoming Learning Support Assistant opportunities in Dartford.

Forward Teaching is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Appropriate safeguarding, referencing and compliance checks will apply to placements.