Senior Learning Support Mentor Shaftesbury School

Salary:      Grade 7, Point 8-14: Actual salary £20,267 - £22,319 based on working 32.5 hours and scale point  

Contract:     Permanent, Part-Time or Full-Time hours considered, 39 weeks a year (term time plus inset days)

We are seeking a dedicated and proactive Senior Learning Support Mentor to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) who may find the demands of school life challenging. Working closely with the SENDCo, you will play a key role in managing and developing our Learning Support Hub. You will support pupils to re-engage with learning, promote independence, and ensure that every student feels included in all aspects of school life.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day running of the Learning Support Hub.
• Develop and deliver tailored programmes for pupils with SEMH and C&L needs.
• Act as a key adult and role model for pupils attached to the Hub.
• Support the identification of pupils for alternative learning pathways.
• Provide expert SEN guidance to teachers and colleagues.
• Liaise with parents and professional agencies to support pupils' needs.
• Promote a calm, purposeful, and supportive learning environment.
• Mentor, support, and help train Learning Support staff.

We are looking for someone with high expectations, who is able to motivate and organise. We are looking for someone who will go the extra mile and can make substantial and sustained contribution to the school team and beyond.   In return, you will join a school and a trust that is full of activity, opportunity and optimism. You will join a school that has a centralised behaviour management system, supporting staff workload. The school has an Alternative Provision on site for students who struggle with the mainstream lesson setting and these are fully staffed. Shaftesbury is a school which has a thriving 6th Form and fantastic facilities, including a staff gym, an industrial hospitality facility for our Catering courses, five ICT suites, a 6th Form and Staff Café, a fully resourced Library, staff refreshments every day, a multi-faceted Steps to Support programme for our young people, a staff well-being charter and staff counselling.

For more information about our school, please click here.

To find out more about the benefits of working for SAST, click here

Should you wish to arrange a visit to view the School, please do not hesitate to contact Channon Bruton, Office Manager on [email protected] and she will be happy to arrange this for you.

SAST will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. In line with KCSIE guidance, this will be part of safer recruitment checks, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.

Safeguarding responsibilities associated with this role may include engagement in regulatory activity, such as administering first aid or supporting an upset child.  It will have contact with young people on a day-to-day basis.  SAST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification and the post is subject to safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check and Children's Barred List check.  The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

SAST recognises the benefit of having a diverse workforce and is committed to building a workforce which reflects diversity from the communities it serves. SAST values the contributions from all staff from a wide range of different backgrounds and actively seeks to promote an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment and at the same time supports fair promotion and cultural acceptance. Under the provision of the Equality Act 2010 SAST welcomes applications from everyone and operates a recruitment process which is fair and does not discriminate against or disadvantage anyone because of their age, disability, gender reassignment status, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

This role is UK- based and your right to work will need to be established as part of the appointment process