Psychology Graduate - Trainee SEND Support Assistant (Primary School) in Newcastle upon Tyne

Are you a Psychology graduate looking to build hands‑on experience in education, SEND, or child mental health?

A welcoming and inclusive primary school in Wallsend is looking for a Psychology Graduate Trainee SEND Support Assistant to join their team and support pupils with additional needs across KS1 and KS2. This is an ideal opportunity if you’re considering a future career in Educational Psychology, CAMHS, Speech & Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Work or Teaching.

This role is all about supporting pupils who may struggle with attention, behaviour, emotional regulation, communication or learning, and helping them feel safe, settled and ready to learn.

About the School

This primary school is known for its warm staff team, strong leadership and inclusive approach to supporting children with additional needs. Staff work closely with the SENCO and pastoral team to ensure pupils receive consistent, structured support. The school has a calm, nurturing culture and values graduates who are eager to learn, take initiative and build positive relationships with pupils.

The school is well located in Wallsend with good public transport links and nearby parking.

Your Role as a Trainee SEND Support Assistant

You will work closely with class teachers and the SENCO to support pupils with SEND needs, including autism, ADHD, SEMH, speech and language needs and learning difficulties.

Your day‑to‑day responsibilities may include:

• Supporting pupils 1:1 or in small groups
• Helping children manage behaviour and emotional regulation
• Using strategies such as visual prompts, calm routines and reward systems
• Supporting literacy and numeracy tasks at an appropriate level
• Encouraging social skills and confidence during lessons and breaktimes
• Assisting with structured interventions and tailored learning activities
• Helping pupils stay focused and engaged throughout the school day

This is a practical, hands‑on role where you will gain real experience working with children who need extra support.

Who This Role Suits

This role would suit someone who is:

• A Psychology graduate (or similar degree)
• Interested in SEND, behaviour, mental health or child development
• Calm, patient and resilient
• Confident building relationships and setting boundaries
• Willing to learn and take feedback
• Comfortable working with pupils who may display challenging behaviour
• Experience is helpful, but not essential. The school is happy to support someone who is committed and eager to learn.

Safeguarding

Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All applicants will be subject to enhanced DBS checks and satisfactory references, in line with DfE guidance.

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.