SEMH Teaching Assistant | Sport & Mentoring | South Shields

Location: South Shields
Job Type: Full Time, Term Time Only
Start Date: September 2026
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, school hours
Pay: £98–£120 per day, depending on experience

Sport can be the key to building a relationship — could you use it to change a young person's experience of education?

Protocol Education are recruiting for a Sport & Mentoring Teaching Assistant to work with young people with SEMH and behavioural needs in a specialist setting in South Shields.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys working with young people and has a genuine passion for sport.

You could be an experienced Teaching Assistant, but you could equally be a football coach, personal trainer, sports graduate, boxing coach, youth worker or someone who has spent years involved in competitive sport.

Your role will be about much more than simply supporting lessons. You'll help pupils develop the confidence, resilience and emotional skills they need to succeed.

What you'll be doing:

• Acting as a positive and consistent role model
• Building trusting relationships with pupils
• Using sport as a way to engage and motivate young people
• Supporting pupils with SEMH needs
• Providing mentoring and encouragement
• Supporting positive behaviour
• Helping pupils manage frustration and emotions
• Encouraging teamwork and communication
• Supporting pupils during lessons
• Assisting with PE and extracurricular activities
• Working 1:1 and with small groups
• Encouraging pupils to make positive choices
• Helping pupils recognise their strengths and achievements

The successful candidate will understand that every young person is different and will be willing to adapt their approach depending on the individual pupil.

You could have experience in:

• Football coaching
• Rugby
• Boxing or martial arts
• Fitness
• Athletics
• PE
• Youth work
• Mentoring
• Residential support
• Education or SEND

A teaching qualification is not required for this role.

DBS

An Enhanced DBS on the Update Service would be ideal, but candidates without a current DBS can still apply. You must be willing and able to apply for a new Enhanced DBS check.

What Protocol Education offers:

• Competitive daily rate
• Weekly PAYE pay
• FREE CPD and online training
• Dedicated consultant
• Long-term and permanent opportunities
• £50 Refer a Friend bonus

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.