Learning Mentors are vital members of the team. You will become a key worker for each child, their anchor in the setting and the person with day to day consistent contact with both the child or young person and in most cases, their adult. Your role can vary from child to child depending on need, but the common theme is to be the core of the child’s experience in setting, from helping them develop regulation and a sense of safety in the space, to helping them consider adaptions to improve their learning experience, to delivery of curriculum where this matches an individual’s skill set.
Main Responsibilities and Duties
to offer a calm, welcoming and consistent presence in the learning space and to respond appropriately to a child’s emotional state to allow them develop self-regulation. This includes keeping the learning space appropriately clean and tidy. The learning mentor is often the main point of contact for a parent or carer and communication with the child’s parent/carer is a valuable part of this role.
to contribute to the development of our students through activities and observations, feeding into team-based problem solving meetings for each child, and through liaison with a wider pool of professionals including teachers, Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational therapists (among others) with the aim of identifying individual’s challenges and providing practical support to find solutions.
to support the child or young person to identify their own emotions and reactions and offer solutions through co-regulation techniques, moving towards self-regulation and the identification of appropriate strategies in different times and places.
to support the child’s learning journey at an appropriate level of challenge (as identified by the teacher in charge of planning curriculum).
to support the student’s study skill development from their point of entry towards skills suited to their developmental stage and personal best efforts. For example, this might be moving from solely child led exploration to adult led tasks, or from single attention in a quiet space to shared attention or ability to join in group activities.
to support the student’s communication skills at an appropriate level of challenge. For example, self
-identification of a need, or navigation of social communication with a peer in structured opportunities.
to use the appropriate record keeping and communication tools including conversations with parents and the wider team to track and monitor progress.
Qualifications, skills and previous experience
Candidates who are successful in their applications will understand and respect the ethos of this setting and how it differs from other educational settings. Modelling the skills and qualities outlined in this document is an every-day part of this role. Wider skills, whether in teaching specific subjects or in personal skills from lived experience will be considered and each team member will bring a different combination to the setting and all will be valued.
Respecting the skills of others in the team and the contribution each person brings is an important cornerstone of our setting. Interpersonal skills are key to this role. Being an active and curious listener to the child’s experience and being able to communicate this within the team to aid our understanding is important. This will include being confident and willing to communicate both formally and informally within the team and to wider professionals.
Communication with a child or young person will be holistic in approach and not just verbal in basis.
Receptive skills and an understanding of how communication may come from a range of sources is
important, as is the ability to recognise and moderate your own expressive communication, including
body language and vocal tone and model these skills within the setting. Personal self management and regulation skills are necessary in a successful applicant. The children we work with require their key team to be consistent in their approach and use of language. An ability to bring this consistency to the setting, to meet the daily challenges and non linear development of the student with unconditional positive regard is crucial to building the trusting relationships which underlie our ability to support a child on their learning journey. Within that consistency, punctuality and attendance are important. An understanding and respect for following procedures, policies and guidance from professional sources is vital.
Qualifications demonstrate our ability to present a skill on cue. The desire to continue to develop skills
useful to the needs of the children we work with, and to undertake mandatory training in key areas such
as safeguarding are more important than holding the qualification on application. Proof of qualifications
declared is required as part of our safeguarding and recruitment duties.
Mathematics and English to a level 4 GCSE (C equivalent) is required, unless there is a specific learning
barrier to this being achieved that can be shared at application.
Qualifications and experience in relevant fields such as child development, mentorship and teaching are
desirable but not essential.
Further professional development and qualifications including Pediatric First Aid and Safeguarding
training are desirable but not essential.
Ability to use or learn appropriate computer skills including familiarity with Microsoft Office is desirable
Wider professional development including Prevent training, FGM training and Food Hygiene are useful,
but training will be given if a successful candidate does not hold CPD in these areas.
Further professional development is offered as a key part of this role. This includes significant training in
supporting neurodivergent young people and recognizing and supporting a range of risk-raising experiences our students may have experienced.
Pay is by hourly rate, currently opening at £11.50 per hour during a probationary period, which is candidate and experience specific, but no longer than 4 terms, rising to £14.50 when are fully in role and then by arrangement depending on curriculum areas offered by the candidate and experience level.