Teaching Assistant / Learning Mentor

Leeds International; Leeds; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Blue light card entitlement

Eye-test reimbursement

Financial wellbeing service

Work mobile phone

Death in service benefit

Flexible working arrangements

Early finish Fridays

Job summary

The Pivot Academy in Leeds is seeking a proactive Teaching Assistant / Learning Mentor to support learners across Key Stages 2–5 who require specialist placements.

You will work with our Venture, LINKS, Elevate and other provisions to deliver targeted interventions, support attendance and wellbeing, and collaborate with families and external professionals.

This permanent, full-time role offers term-time hours plus 10 days, with a starting salary dependent on relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Support learners with a range of social, emotional and academic needs.
• Provide one-to-one and group support to help learners engage with education and overcome barriers to learning.
• Assist teachers in managing the learning environment, deliver targeted interventions, and develop personalised strategies that enable learners to attend, participate and succeed in their education.
• Act as a key worker, supporting learners' attendance, engagement and achievement through coaching, target setting and regular reviews.
• Build strong, positive relationships with learners, families and external professionals

Job description

Job title and organisation: Teaching Assistant / Learning Mentor - The Pivot Academy

Salary: £23,348.66 (£13.85 per hour) - £26,821.46 (£15.91 per hour) (actual starting salary) - Dependent on relevant experience

Hours: 35.5 (term time only plus 10 days)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Killingbeck Drive, Leeds, LS14

Closing Date and Time: Wednesday 21st October 2026

Do you believe in the transformative power of education?

Join our mission to inspire and empower learners, making a lasting impact.

At Pivot we believe children deserve better. We are a specialist independent provision with sites in Kirklees, Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford. In our academies we teach and support children and young people from Key Stages 2 - 5 who have been excluded from school, for whom mainstream education is simply not working, or those with an EHCP who require a specialist placement. Every day our teams do incredible work, making a huge difference to some complex and challenging learners, many of whom come to us with some traumatic backgrounds.

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Learning Mentor to join our Leeds provision.

At Pivot Leeds, our focus is on developing the whole learner, working with their interests to engage them in education and supporting them to take positive steps in their journey to adulthood and beyond. We have our Venture provision for learners with Autism, complex social interaction needs, emotional challenges and other learning needs. Our nurture provision is for those that require a very bespoke offer tailored to their needs, abilities and interests. Our LINKS provision is for learners who have emotional based school anxiety, and our Elevate provision is for academically able learners with social, communication and interactive difficulties.

What you will do:

• Support learners with a range of social, emotional and academic needs.
• Provide one-to-one and group support to help learners engage with education and overcome barriers to learning.
• Assist teachers in managing the learning environment, deliver targeted interventions, and develop personalised strategies that enable learners to attend, participate and succeed in their education.
• Act as a key worker, supporting learners' attendance, engagement and achievement through coaching, target setting and regular reviews.
• Build strong, positive relationships with learners, families and external professionals,

Our teams are made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including former semi-professional athletes, youth workers and professionals from a variety of industries. This diversity is central to our approach, enabling us to connect with learners in different ways and create a dynamic, supportive environment where every learner feels understood and valued. Whether you are an experienced educator, or bring transferrable skills from other sectors, we welcome applicants who can engage and inspire our learners in a meaningful way.

Working at Pivot will give you a real chance to change the lives of our learners and we truly believe you will find working here a rewarding experience.

We offer:

• A supportive and forward-thinking school culture
• Ongoing professional development and support for relevant qualifications
• Focus on wellbeing for all & access to employee assistance programmes
• Flexible working arrangements and early finish Fridays
• Further additional benefits, including, blue light card entitlement, eye-test reimbursement, financial wellbeing service, work mobile phone and death in service benefit

Closing Date: 21 October 2026

We are committed to safeguarding our young people and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure Barring Service check and appropriate referencing.

During the shortlisting process, Pivot will carry out an online search on shortlisted candidates as part of its due diligence.