School Support Staff jobs in Nottingham

Therapeutic Teaching and Learning Assistant

Silver Linings Therapeutic School

Salary: £23,220 – £24,480 pro rata
Full-Time Equivalent: £26,832 – £28,600
Contract: Permanent, Term Time Only
Start Date: September 2026

About the Role

Due to the growth of school and the opening of a new class in January, we are delighted to be recruiting two Therapeutic Teaching and Learning Assistants to join our growing team.

At Silver Linings Therapeutic School, we believe that children thrive when they feel safe, understood and connected. We are looking for compassionate, reflective and relational practitioners who share our commitment to seeing beyond behaviour and understand that learning cannot happen without emotional safety.

As a Therapeutic Teaching and Learning Assistant, you will work closely with teachers, therapists and the wider multidisciplinary team to create a safe, nurturing and engaging learning environment for pupils with complex social, emotional and mental health needs, experiences of developmental trauma and neurodiverse profiles.

You will play an important role in helping children feel regulated, connected and ready to learn. This is much more than a traditional classroom support role. You will build meaningful relationships, support emotional regulation, help children access learning and contribute to the therapeutic culture that runs through every part of our school day.

You will:

• Build safe, trusting and attuned relationships with pupils
• Support children through therapeutic, trauma-informed and relational approaches
• Work alongside the class teacher to support engaging, creative and personalised learning experiences
• Help pupils develop emotional regulation, resilience, confidence and independence
• Support children to access learning at the pace they need
• Implement individual educational, therapeutic and regulation strategies
• Recognise behaviour as communication and respond with curiosity, empathy and reflection
• Support the development and implementation of personalised learning and support plans
• Work collaboratively with teachers, therapists, families and external professionals
• Observe, recognise and celebrate progress across academic, social and emotional domains
• Contribute to creating a safe, nurturing and well-organised classroom environment
• Support pupils during periods of dysregulation while remaining calm and emotionally available
• Participate in reflective practice and contribute positively to our team culture
• Champion our ethos of connection before correction in every aspect of your work

Our classrooms operate at the pace our children need, not the pace a curriculum dictates. We understand that regulation comes before learning and relationships come before outcomes.

Through DDP-informed practice and the PACE approach — Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy — we create environments where children feel safe enough to engage, build trust, take risks and succeed.

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

Therapeutic and Relational

• Understands, or is keen to develop their understanding of, the impact of trauma, attachment difficulties and neurodiversity on learning and behaviour
• Values connection over compliance and understands that behaviour is communication
• Understands the principles of DDP and PACE, or is excited to develop these approaches
• Is comfortable working at the child's pace and recognises that progress is rarely linear
• Builds trusting relationships with children who may have experienced significant challenges
• Can balance high aspirations with compassion, curiosity and flexibility
• Sees the child behind the behaviour

Compassionate and Reflective

• Remains calm, curious and emotionally regulated during times of challenge
• Is emotionally attuned and responsive to children's needs
• Reflects on their own practice and is open to learning and feedback
• Demonstrates empathy while maintaining clear, appropriate and consistent boundaries
• Understands the importance of co-regulation and emotionally available adults
• Is committed to ongoing professional growth

Creative and Flexible

• Can adapt their approach to meet individual needs
• Thinks creatively about engagement, learning and relationship-building
• Is willing to try different approaches when something is not working
• Sees strengths and potential where others may see barriers
• Understands that success may look different for every child

Collaborative

• Thrives as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Values partnership working with teachers, therapists, families and other professionals
• Communicates positively and effectively with colleagues
• Contributes to a reflective, supportive and solution-focused team culture
• Recognises that supporting children well requires adults to work together

Experience

We particularly welcome applications from individuals with experience in:

• SEMH settings
• Specialist education
• Alternative provision
• Youth work
• Social care
• Psychology
• Therapeutic or trauma-informed practice
• Supporting neurodivergent children and young people

However, experience alone is not what matters most.

We are equally interested in hearing from people who share our values, are curious about children's experiences and are committed to developing their therapeutic practice.

If you can remain calm when things are difficult, look beyond behaviour to understand what a child may be communicating, reflect on your own responses and build genuine relationships with children, we would love to hear from you.

About Us

Silver Linings Therapeutic School is a specialist primary school supporting children aged 5–11 with complex social, emotional and mental health needs, experiences of developmental trauma and neurodiverse profiles.

Our therapeutic approach is grounded in Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) and the principles of PACE — Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy.

We believe that meaningful change happens through relationships and that therapy is not something that takes place separately from education. It is woven throughout every interaction, every lesson and every relationship.

We don't believe in rushing children through learning or expecting them to fit into traditional educational models. We recognise that every child arrives with their own story, and our role is to meet them where they are.

Progress is measured not only academically, but in trust, confidence, emotional regulation, independence and relationships.

Our guiding principle is simple:

Connection before correction.

We are a school where relationships matter, where reflective practice is valued, and where every adult plays a vital role in helping children heal, grow and learn.

Why Join Us?

We offer:

• The opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of children who need it most
• Very small class sizes and high staffing ratios that allow meaningful relationships to develop
• A genuinely therapeutic and trauma-informed culture
• Protected time for reflective practice
• Opportunities to learn alongside a dedicated therapeutic and wellbeing team
• A leadership team that understands staff wellbeing is fundamental to children's wellbeing
• Training and ongoing professional development in DDP-informed and trauma-informed practice
• Opportunities to contribute to and help shape our growing provision
• A strong commitment to staff wellbeing, including an annual wellbeing day
• Staff lunch provided each day
• On-site parking
• Opportunities for career progression as our provision expands
• Dedicated team reflection and planning time
• A supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary team
• Staff health and wellbeing support
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free flu jabs
• Sick pay

Safeguarding

Silver Linings Therapeutic School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

All applicants will be subject to safer recruitment procedures, including enhanced DBS checks and satisfactory references.

Visits to School

We warmly encourage prospective applicants to visit the school and experience our therapeutic approach firsthand.

To arrange a visit with our Headteacher, Daisy, please contact the school directly.

This vacancy may close before the advertised closing date if sufficient suitable applications are received. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

If you're someone who believes relationships can transform lives, who values curiosity over judgement, and who wants to be part of a genuinely therapeutic school where every adult makes a difference every day, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Type: Permanent

Pay: £26,832.00-£28,660.00 per year

Benefits:

• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Free flu jabs
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Work Location: In person