Learning Mentor

ESPO Trading Limited; Glenfield; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Part time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is seeking a dedicated practitioner for Oakfield Short Stay School, focusing on pupils with diverse needs and attendance challenges. The role integrates trauma-informed approaches to raise engagement and achieve strong attendance outcomes.

You will collaborate with Behaviour, Attendance, Pastoral and Belonging leads to support pupils inside and outside school, with a emphasis on reintegration and communication with families and staff.

Qualifications

• BTEC National/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent or NVQ Level 2 or equivalent.
• Experience with pupils with special educational needs in a school, PRU or special school.
• Experience supporting pupils with low attendance or delivering interventions removing barriers to education.
• Experience of working with external agencies.
• Competence in using ICT for routine purposes.

Responsibilities

• Teach and inspire: assist planning, delivery and evaluation of pupil interventions.
• Support reintegration: run programmes to develop pupil knowledge and confidence.
• Collaborate with agencies: liaise with staff, set and monitor reintegration targets, inform parents.

Skills

Communication

ICT competence

Empathy

Interpersonal skills

Education

BTEC National/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent

NVQ Level 2 or equivalent

Job description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: Oakfield HBEP (Glenfield), Glenfield Annexe, Station Road, LE3 8BQ

Salary: £29,550 - £32,055 per annum (pro rata for part-time)

Working Hours: 37 hours per week (39 weeks term time only)

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 25th October 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

Oakfield Short Stay School is Leicestershire’s provision for primary and secondary school aged children who are at risk, or who have been permanently excluded from school. You will be part of a vital team in an exciting period of development, working with us to meet the needs of children and young people in the Secondary phase who struggle to manage in mainstream and need a different offer of education to secure their successful next steps.

About the Role

In co-operation with the Behaviour, Attendance, Pastoral and Belonging Lead, to provide a complementary service to that given by existing teachers and pastoral staff in School in addressing the needs of pupils/students who need help to overcome barriers to learning both inside and outside the school, in order to achieve their full potential. Our students have a variety of learning needs and learn in small groups. We are looking for a person who is creative, flexible, holistic, and has trauma-informed approach, to raise engagement and inspire our children to achieve remarkable outcomes. You will be at the heart of our mission, supporting us to engage our pupils and achieve high rates of attendance. The role would suit someone with excellent communication and interpersonal skills who can inspire others. Many of our young people present with challenging behaviour, and we are looking for someone who can demonstrate strong empathy and ability to intrinsically connect with pupils.

Key Responsibilities:

• Teach and Inspire: To assist with the planning, delivery and evaluation of pupil interventions, including identifying how the pupils can best be supported.
• Support Reintegration: To run programmes for individuals or groups to help develop pupil’s knowledge and confidence.
• Collaborate with Agencies: To liaise with teaching staff to set targets of re-integration with pupils/students and the appropriate staff, keeping parents informed and evaluating achievement towards these goals.

A DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

About You

To apply for this post, you must be able to evidence in your application how you meet the following criteria:

• BTEC National/NVQ Level 3 or equivalentrelevant experience, or educated to NVQ Level 2 or equivalent
• Experience of working with pupils with special educational needs in a school, pupil referral unit or special school
• Experience of supporting pupils who have low attendance in school or delivering interventions that remove barriers to education
• Experience of working with external agencies
• Competence in using ICT for routine purposes
• The ability to work effectively with, relate to and command the confidence of a wide range of young people with families/carers with differing backgrounds
• The ability to work effectively, relate to and command the confidence of teaching staff and senior management within the School/College

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Kevin Curtis - Assistant Headteacher

Telephone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]