Academic & Engagement Tutor

Teaching Vacancies; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Teaching Vacancies is seeking an Academic & Engagement Tutor – Extended Learning to support students across Poole, Bovington, Wareham, Dorchester, Blandford and Weymouth. Sessions are 1:1, in homes or community settings, with flexible planning to meet students where they are.

You’ll plan, prepare and deliver personalised learning that balances academics with emotional engagement, helping students rebuild confidence and engagement with education.

Qualifications

• QTS or strong tutoring/teaching experience.
• Experience supporting young people with SEND, SEMH or additional needs.
• A full UK driving licence with business use insurance and access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare and deliver personalised 1:1 sessions balancing academic learning and emotional engagement.
• Work closely with families of students and adapt strategies to barriers to engagement.
• Monitor progress and keep clear, accurate records; prioritise safeguarding and student wellbeing.

Skills

Patient

Adaptable

Independent working

Relationship building

Education

QTS or strong tutoring/teaching experience

Job description

What skills and experience we're looking for

Academic & Engagement Tutor – Extended Learning

Community-based across Poole, Bovington, Wareham, Dorchester, Blandford and Weymouth. Area assigned depending on where you live and the needs of the service. Regular travel is required.

Full driving licence with business insurance and access to a vehicle essential

Not a typical teaching role. A different kind of impact.

When school isn’t an option, you become the starting point.

At Extended Learning we work with young people who are currently unable to access education in the traditional way. For many, school feels overwhelming, out of reach, or no longer safe.This is where you come in.

As an Academic & Engagement Tutor, you’ll meet students where they are, at home or in the community and help them take their first steps back towards learning, confidence, and self-belief.

Let’s be honest

This isn’t a traditional tutoring or classroom-based teaching role.

You won’t always be delivering structured lessons. You won’t always see immediate academic progress. Some sessions won’t look like “teaching” at all.

Some days you’ll be:

• Sitting in a living room building trust
• Taking a short walk just to get a student out of the house
• Adapting your entire plan in the moment
• Encouraging engagement when motivation is low

Because before learning can happen, connection has to come first. Progress can be slow. Trust can take time. But when it comes - it matters…

A student engages. A conversation opens up. Learning becomes possible again. Those moments are everything.

The role

You’ll plan, prepare and deliver personalised 1:1 sessions that balance academic learning and emotional engagement, supporting students to:

• Reconnect with education at their own pace
• Build confidence and self-esteem
• Cement their knowledge, understanding and interests to gain AQA Awards
• Make progress in English and Maths (Functional Skills/GCSE)
• Develop routines, resilience, and positive learning habits
• Transition back into school, college, or next steps

You’ll also:

• Work closely with families of students
• Adapt strategies to overcome barriers to engagement
• Monitor progress and keep clear, accurate records
• Prioritise safeguarding and student wellbeing at all times

Who this role suits

You’ll thrive in this role if you are:

• Patient, flexible and emotionally resilient
• Comfortable working independently in community settings
• Able to build trust with young people who may be disengaged or anxious
• Creative and adaptive in your approach to teaching and engagement
• Motivated by small steps and long‑term impact rather than quick wins

You’ll need:

• QTS or strong tutoring/teaching experience
• Experience supporting young people with SEND, SEMH or additional needs
• A full UK driving licence with business use insurance and access to a vehicle
• If you don’t have QTS but feel you’re the right fit, we still want to hear from you.

What the school offers its staff

About us

Extended Learning is part of Southern Education Trust. We design personalised programmes for young people who cannot currently access school, combining academic support with emotional development.

Our vision is simple: making lives better

We believe:

• Progress looks different for every student
• With the right support, every young person can re‑engage and thrive

What we offer

• A role where you make a genuine, visible difference
• A supportive, experienced team who understand the realities of the work
• Comprehensive induction and ongoing training
• Professional development and career progression
• A flexible, varied role where no two days are the same
• The opportunity to be part of a growing, values‑driven Trust

Further details about the role

The truth

This role requires patience, adaptability and resilience.

It will involve regular travel across your region. Not every session will go to plan. Progress won’t always be immediate.

But if you stay consistent, if you build trust, you will help young people reconnect with learning and believe in themselves again.

If you want a role where relationships come first and impact lasts, we’d love to hear from you.

Interview date: 11th November 2026

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, this role involves directly working with children and significant contact with children, and therefore we expect all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Please ensure a full work history is completed in your application form including any gaps of employment. Applicants will be required to complete satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for this post prior to commencement. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The Trust is an equal opportunities employer.

If successfully shortlisted the HR Department will also be conducting an individual online search of your ‘name, education and employment’, to demonstrate due diligence following ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance. The search will not form part of the actual shortlisting process and any concerns arising from the search will be discussed directly with you.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.