Learning Support Mentor

We are seeking to appoint an outstanding, empathetic individual, with experience of working with children in an educational setting. As a Learning Support Mentor, you will be required to act as a positive role model to our students. You will be supporting students in a variety of ways access to learning using appropriate strategies and resources and providing feedback on their progress as required. You will be working in the school’s Inclusion base and will be involved in supporting young people who have neuro-diversities. If you are confident, relate well to young people and are a committed person, we welcome your application.  

The successful candidate will:

• Have effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills
• Have a background knowledge of the Foundation and National Curriculum
• Have the ability to empathise with students
• Have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues and external stakeholders
• Have the ability to be a team player who will go the extra mile to support students and who will enjoy the challenges of this role

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. Shaftesbury is a school which has a thriving 6th Form and fantastic facilities, including a free staff gym, 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. 

Should you wish to arrange a visit to view the School, please do not hesitate to contact Channon Bruton, Office Manager on channon.bruton@shaftesburyschool.co.uk who will be happy to arrange this.

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.