Do you want to make a positive difference? Then look no further…. Join our friendly team in our journey to support our students to achieve their true potential!
We are looking to appoint an experienced Learning Mentor to join our friendly and supportive team. Experience working in a SEN school will be an advantage. This role has been created as a result of an increase in students.
Odyssey House School, is an exciting new special school setting, aiming to provide the highest quality education to neurodiverse students. The school caters for a range of special education needs, primarily high-functioning autism, anxiety and emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA). All students will be able to follow a differentiated National Curriculum, with the aim of achieving a range of recognised qualifications at Key Stage 4 and 5 including Entry Level, Functional Skills and GCSEs and other Level 2 qualifications.
The school ethos is shaped by our mission:
“To change a child’s experience of education through connection, nurture and belief to help them learn, grow and achieve transformative life outcomes”.
The school’s premises have been designed specifically to meet the needs of neurodiverse children as well as providing an amazing work environment, where staff will benefit from excellent facilities of the highest quality, allowing exceptional education to be delivered to students.
Staff and students will benefit from small class sizes, a sensory room, staff well-being lounge and work area.
The successful candidate will:
- Truly believe in the Odyssey House values and mission, and passionately contribute to the school’s ethos and development.
- Be compassionate and caring with an understanding of students with SEN.
- Can work independently and as part of a wider team.
- Have energy, compassion and imagination.
- Have an interest and a passion for working with students with special educational needs.
- Contribute to all aspects of the school.
- Have a professional attitude that is open to learning, innovative ways of working, accepting of change and school development, flexible and adaptable when faced with challenges and problems.
What we can offer you
At Odyssey we pride ourselves on developing a creative and supportive environment. In addition to offering a competitive salary, our offer to you includes:
- Supportive, passionate and friendly environment
- Newly renovated schools, refurbished to a high standard including air conditioning and staff wellbeing areas based in beautiful surroundings
- Strong line management and induction programme
- Workplace pension scheme
- Staff celebration events
- Supportive CPD offers
- Cycle to work scheme
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and require all staff and volunteers to share and demonstrate this commitment. The successful candidate will have to meet the requirements of the person specification and will be subject to the relevant pre-employment checks which will, where applicable, include a health check, an enhanced DBS check, the Children’s Barred List check and satisfactory references.
It is an offence for an individual who has been disqualified from working with children to knowingly apply for, offer to do, accept, or do any work in a ‘regulated activity’. The post is advertised is a ‘regulated activity’.
Odyssey will undertake a basic online check for all shortlisted candidates.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high volume of applications.
| Job Purpose |
| • To work under the instruction/direction of senior manager/teaching staff to support the delivery of quality learning and teaching of pupils with special educational needs. Work with children and young people who have a range of significant and often complex SEND for example those with autism, social, emotional and mental health difficulties, or moderate learning difficulties including, in some instances, those with medical conditions and those who exhibit challenging behaviour. To undertake specified work with individuals, groups and whole classes under the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher;
• To undertake 1:1 work/care/support programmes in the pupil’s home or other setting (as arranged by the school) to enable access to learning for pupils who are unable to attend school and are enrolled on the school’s transition / outreach programmes.
• To encourage the participation of pupils in the social and academic processes of the school and enable pupils to become more independent learners.
• To undertake work/care/support programmes to enable access to learning for pupils and to assist the teacher in the management of pupils and the classroom.
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| Duties and responsibilities |
| Support for Pupils, Teachers and the Curriculum
• Work collaboratively with teachers and other professional agencies to provide effective support for learning activities; • Awareness of and work within school policies and procedures especially when and in context to supporting pupils with their learning in their homes; • To work with children and young people who have extremely complex needs and, in some instances, serious medical conditions. Providing an appropriate level of emotional and physical support where necessary; • To provide support under the direction and supervision of teaching staff to assist pupils on transition and outreach programmes to access the curriculum and participate fully in school activities; • Deliver lessons to small groups under the guidance of the teacher • Support pupils to understand instructions, support independent learning and inclusion of all pupils; • Provide support to pupils who have communication difficulties also where English is an additional language; • Implement and contribute to planned learning activities/teaching programmes as agreed with the teacher, adjusting activities according to pupils’ responses as appropriate; • Participate in planning and evaluation of learning activities with the teacher, providing feedback to the teacher on pupil progress; • Support the teacher in behaviour management and keeping pupils on task based on the expectations for individual pupils; • Provide support for pupils with challenging behaviour taking account of support plans and risk assessments under the direct supervision of a teacher; • Support the teacher in monitoring, assessing and recording pupil progress/activities; • Provide feedback to pupils in relation to attainment and progress under the guidance of the teacher; • Support the use of ICT in the curriculum; • Support pupil learning through play and planned learning activities; • Support learning by arranging/providing resources for lessons/activities under the direction of the teacher and in line with health and safety requirements; • Prepare and present displays; • Support pupils in their social development and their emotional well-being, reporting problems to the teacher as appropriate; • Share information about pupils with other staff, parents / carers, internal and external agencies, as appropriate in line with school policies and procedures; • Assist in the development of pupil support plans (such as EHCP and Individual Behaviour Plans); • Undertake pupil record keeping and maintenance of records as requested; • Invigilate examinations and tests; • Assist with the supervision of pupils before school, break times, lunchtimes and after school clubs as required; • Provide cover to supervise a class and/or small group on an unexpected non-timetabled basis only; • Assist in escorting and supervising pupils on educational visits and out of school activities under the direction of a teacher / senior leader and in accordance to the school’s policy, procedures and risk assessments; • Maintain of a clean, safe and tidy learning environment; • Support pupils in developing and implementing their own personal and social development; • Provide basic first aid, liaising with senior leaders and medical staff and if appropriate referral to health service in emergency cases; • May be asked to administer medications subject to agreement and in line with school policy;
Support for the School • Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to safeguarding/child protection, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person; • Show a duty of care to pupils and staff and take appropriate action to comply with health and safety requirements at all times; • Be aware of and support difference and ensure that all pupils have access to opportunities to learn and develop; • Contribute to the overall ethos, work and aims of the school; • Maintain good relationships with colleagues and work together as a team. • Appreciate and support the role of other professionals; • To attend morning briefings, staff meetings and parents’ evenings as required; • Participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required to meet individual pupil and staff needs; • Demonstrate and promote commitment to equal opportunities and to the elimination of behaviour and practices that could be discriminatory |
Requirements
| Person Specification | ||
| Qualifications and Training
Evidenced through: Application |
Essential | Desirable |
| GCSE Grade 4 English and Maths | X | |
| Experience
Evidenced through: Application |
Essential | Desirable |
| Experience working in a school environment or other educational setting | X | |
| Experience working with children/young people with SEND and/or short-term difficulties (e.g. behavioural difficulties, mental health, physical disabilities) | X | |
| Experience supporting and working with parents of young people with SEND / additional needs | X | |
| Skills and Knowledge
Evidenced through: Application |
Essential | Desirable |
| Knowledge of SEN in Education | X | |
| Knowledge of methods to support students with SEN | X | |
| Safeguarding of children and young people | X | |
| Personal Qualities
Evidenced through: Application |
Essential | Desirable |
| Patient and calm | X | |
| Desire to provide the best possible opportunities for all pupils | X | |
| Able to create good relationships with children, staff, parents and external agencies | X | |
| Organisation, time management, proactive and self-motivated | X | |
| Committed to safeguarding young people | X | |