Learning Mentor

Shaw Education Trust; Derby; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in education is seeking a compassionate and creative Learning Mentor to support young people with additional needs. The successful candidate will engage students through outdoor learning and work collaboratively with families and school staff to promote emotional wellbeing and positive behaviours. This role is essential in shaping successful futures for students in a specialist secondary school setting.

Benefits

Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous holiday entitlement from day one

Electric Car Scheme

Medicash Health & Wellbeing Plan

Free Eye Tests

Cycle to work scheme

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience supporting young people with SEMH needs, ideally in a special school.
• Knowledge of outdoor learning methods such as Forest School.
• Calm and proactive approach to challenging behaviour.

Responsibilities

• Support students' emotional wellbeing and engagement both in and out of the classroom.
• Deliver targeted interventions and mentoring sessions.
• Collaborate with teachers and families to create holistic support plans.

Skills

Compassionate

Creative

Empathetic

Team player

Resilience

Education

Training in outdoor learning approaches

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Are you a compassionate and creative individual with a passion for supporting young people with additional needs? Do you believe in the power of nature and positive relationships to help students thrive? St Martins School are seeking a Learning Mentor with experience in outdoor learning and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) support to join our dedicated team at a specialist secondary school. They will work dynamically and collaboratively with the school's senior leadership team, class teams and families as we work together to Shape Successful Futures.

The Role:

As a Learning Mentor, you will play a key role in supporting students' emotional wellbeing, engagement, and progress both in and out of the classroom. You will:

• Work closely with individual students, small groups and class groups to promote positive behaviour, emotional regulation, and resilience.
• Use outdoor learning and nature-based activities to engage students who may struggle in traditional classroom settings.
• Deliver targeted interventions and mentoring sessions tailored to students' social and emotional needs.
• Be a consistent and trusted adult presence for pupils who need strong, stable relationships to succeed.
• Collaborate with teachers, SENCOs, therapists, and families to create holistic support plans.
• At times, used to cover lessons where needed.

What We're Looking For:

• Experience supporting young people with SEMH needs, ideally in a special school or alternative provision setting.
• A strong belief in inclusive education and trauma-informed practice.
• Knowledge or training in outdoor learning approaches (e.g. Forest School, bushcraft, gardening, therapeutic play).
• A calm, empathetic and proactive approach to supporting challenging behaviour.
• A team player who is flexible, reflective and committed to making a difference.

The hours of work for this post are: Monday and Thursday - 8:15am-4:00pm, Tuesday and Wednesday - 8:15am-4:45pm, Friday - 8:15am-2:45pm.

We encourage visits to the school prior to application. To arrange a visit, or if you have any questions regarding the role, please contact Victoria Theobald - (Contact details can be found om advert attachment) . We look forward to meeting you.

St Martins School and Horizons 6th Form is an 11-19 Special School in Derby, with a mixed student profile of children and young people with a range of learning difficulties and additional complex needs. St Martins shares a site with Noel-Baker Academy in Alvaston, whilst Horizons 6th Form is based in Derby city centre. We received our fourth consecutive 'Outstanding' OFSTED in October 2024 and we continue to aspire to the highest standards for students and our staff teams.

Shaw Education Trust are a thriving mix of diverse and growing schools including Primary, Secondary and Special Schools all working together to improve the lives of young people in our communities. We are sponsored by Shaw Trust a charity organisation that focuses on transforming lives. We're a growing group of dynamically awesome academies providing education to children of all ages and abilities. Staff across our team of schools are dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to be successful, whatever their starting point in life.

Our Special settings cater for children and young people with a wide range of Special Educational Needs from children with profound medical needs and life limiting conditions, those with severe, moderate and sensory needs through to young people with social emotional and mental health needs that require support and understanding to help them to navigate their world.

Whether you are a teacher, a teaching assistant, a healthcare professional or work in facilities, admin or operations all our Special Schools offer you the opportunity to work within an establishment that has a 'family' feel that puts the children, young people and their families at the heart of what they do.

All the pupils within our Special Schools have an individualised education and are educated in small classes and groups with enhanced support to ensure that all their needs are met. There is nothing more rewarding than being part of a team that supports a child or young person with Special Educational Needs to reach their goals. You truly will make a difference to the life of a young person and their family.

Our schools span from Birmingham to Bury, meaning that we can support students from all walks of life, no matter their background or socioeconomic status. In doing this, we can help ensure all children are able to access a high standard of education, with all being treated equally.

Shaw Education Trust offer the following employee benefits with your Teaching or Support Staff employment:

• An excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (Support Staff) / Teachers Pension (Teaching Staff)
• Support Staff only based on working full time, all year - Generous holiday entitlement from your first day of employment (37 days holiday rising to 39 days after 5 years' service including Bank Holidays)
• Electric Car Scheme: Environmentally friendly vehicles with our electric car scheme.
• Access to Medicash Health & Wellbeing Plan: Enjoy health services designed to support your well-being.
• Free DiscountForTeachers Scheme for all staff (Support and Teaching), Exclusive discounts to save money with a wide selection of discounts and exclusive offers from hundreds of the biggest brands.
• Free Eye Tests
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to our Institute of Education and fantastic opportunities to help you grow, contribute and flourish in your role and in the Trust.

We know our people are the key to our success and so we're committed to ensuring the employment experience at Shaw Education Trust is a rewarding one.

Colleagues within the Trust benefit from: Access to a full range of courses both in-house and professionally accredited. These courses include all of the National Professional Qualifications - NPQH, NPQSL, NPQEYL, NPQLL, NPQLT, NPQLTD, NPQLBC are all delivered by the Shaw Education Trust as a delivery partner for Ambition Institute. In addition, we provide access to the NPQEL for Executive Leaders.

• Experienced leadership and subject-specific support.
• Guidance from former HMIs and serving Ofsted Inspectors within the Trust.
• Access to the Trust's Institute of Education and SCITT.
• Opportunities to work with different schools within the Trust as a Professional Advocate.
• Participating in peer reviews.
• Access to a suite of online courses.
• Placement projects within our family of schools.

Actual Salary: Actual Salary - £28,462.56-£32,281.36

Working hours: 37 hours per week, 38 term time weeks + 5 INSET Days (39 weeks total)