Education Support Assistant - Career Change from Care & Residential Work

Location: Crawley and surrounding areas, West Sussex
Salary: £90-£120 per day depending on experience
Contract: Full-time, long-term and temp-to-perm opportunities
Start: September 2026 / ASAP

Are you working in care, residential support, healthcare, youth work or a similar role and considering a career in education?

NextGen Teachers are working with schools across Crawley and the surrounding areas who are looking for caring, patient and reliable people to support children and young people with additional needs.

You do not need previous school experience. Your experience supporting people in care or residential settings can be highly transferable, and full support will be provided to help you move into education.

The Role

As an Education Support Assistant, Teaching Assistant or Learning Support Assistant, you could be supporting pupils with:

• SEND, SEN and additional learning needs
• Autism, ADHD and communication difficulties
• SEMH, emotional regulation and challenging behaviour
• Complex needs and personal care requirements
• Social, emotional and life skills
• Access to learning and classroom activities

Depending on the school, you may work 1:1, in small groups or as part of a wider classroom team.

You will build positive relationships with pupils, encourage their confidence and independence, support behaviour and emotional regulation, and work closely with teachers and other professionals.

Your Experience Could Include

We are particularly interested in people with backgrounds such as:

• Care Assistant or Healthcare Assistant
• Residential Support Worker
• Children's Support Worker
• Youth Worker or Youth Mentor
• Mental Health Support Worker
• Community Support Worker
• Nursery or Childcare Practitioner
• Behaviour Support Worker
• Pastoral or Family Support
• Psychology, Education or Childhood Studies graduate
• Experience supporting vulnerable children, young people or adults

Your job title does not need to say Teaching Assistant for your experience to be relevant. If you are used to building relationships, managing challenging situations, providing emotional support and helping people develop their independence, you could have excellent transferable skills for education.

What We're Looking For

• A caring, patient and supportive approach
• Confidence working with children or young people
• Resilience and the ability to remain calm in challenging situations
• Good communication and teamwork skills
• A genuine interest in developing a career in education
• A willingness to learn and complete relevant training
• Previous experience in care, residential, support work or a similar environment is desirable

Why Apply?

• Great opportunity to move from care or residential work into education
• No previous school experience required for suitable candidates
• Full training and ongoing support
• Long-term and temp-to-perm opportunities
• Full-time, part-time and flexible options
• Gain valuable SEND and education experience
• Competitive daily rates
• Dedicated local consultant throughout your placement
• Opportunities to progress into Teaching Assistant, SEN TA, LSA and other education roles

If you're ready for a change from care or residential work and want to build a long-term career working with children and young people, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today with your CV and a member of the NextGen Teachers team will be in touch to discuss the opportunities available across Crawley and the surrounding areas.

Huntress does not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, gender, disability, creed or sexual orientation and complies with all relevant UK legislation. PLEASE NOTE! You should make yourself aware of how immigration laws apply to your situation before applying for any jobs. We are acting as a Recruitment Business in relation to this role.