Aspiring Occupational Therapist - Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead

AMA Admin; Thatcham; On-site; GBP 17,235 - 22,616; Full time

Job summary

Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant in Maidenhead is a paid trainee role starting September 2026. Hours are Mon-Fri 8:30am-3:45pm during term time, with a daily rate of £108.0. Trial/observation days are available to help you learn the ropes in a specialist SEMH setting.

Join a team that focuses on re-engaging vulnerable students, developing regulation, motor skills, and confidence while building frontline OT experience in mental health and paediatric rehabilitation.

Responsibilities

• Support students to re-engage and achieve academically.
• Assist with sensory regulation and motor skills activities.
• Help students develop daily living skills and self-regulation.
• Provide insight into how environment affects focus and behaviour.

Job description

Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant

Location: Maidenhead
Start Date: September 2026
Hours: Monday‑Friday, 8:30am‑3:45pm (term time only)
Pay: £108.0 per day
Trial/observation days available

Gain frontline experience supporting vulnerable young people while reinforcing the value of education as a pathway to positive outcomes.

Are you an aspiring Occupational Therapist looking to build a career in mental health, sensory integration, or paediatric rehabilitation?

This specialist provision in Maidenhead supports vulnerable students who are academically capable but require additional support due to Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, sensory processing difficulties, and motor skill challenges. Many pupils have experienced disruption in their education, and the school's core focus is re‑engaging them with learning and helping them recognise the long‑term value of their education.

They are seeking an Aspiring Occupational Therapist to work as a Learning Support Assistant, supporting students to re‑engage, achieve academically, and rebuild functional skills, regulation, and confidence in their ability.

In this setting, education is not just about attainment — it is about changing life trajectories.

Why this role is unique

Unlike mainstream settings, this provision focuses on students who have the ability to succeed academically but need targeted support to overcome barriers such as:

• SEMH needs (anxiety, trauma, behavioural challenges)
• Sensory processing difficulties affecting focus and regulation
• Fine and gross motor delays impacting handwriting, coordination, and independence
• Previous disengagement from education
• Interrupted school journeys
• Low confidence despite strong academic potential

Your role will centre on unlocking that potential and reinforcing the importance of education in shaping future opportunities.

How this role develops your OT experience

• Sensory regulation: Understand how environmental and sensory inputs affect behaviour, focus, and emotional state
• Motor skills support: Assist students with fine and gross motor activities to improve handwriting, coordination, and classroom participation
• Functional independence: Support students in developing daily living skills and self‑regulation strategies
• Behavioural insight: Gain understanding of the sensory and psychological drivers behind disease