Senior Learning Mentor

Job Description

Post title: Senior Learning Mentor

Scale: SCP 17 - 23

Hours: 37 per week term-time only

Academy: Oasis Academy Watermead

Job Purpose:

To work with pupils, parents, staff and outside agencies to ensure that the academy fully supports pupils who need help to overcome barriers to learning.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Management Responsibilities

• Manage, set up and support the running of nurture groups.

• Managing and coordinating the breakfast clubs and some after school club activities.

• Support the monitoring of the implementation of the academy's behaviour policy including, administration of rewards and sanctions.

• Ensure effective communication between all staff regarding identified pupils between academy and home.

• Communicate daily with the Director of Inclusion and/or other teaching staff regarding concerns relating to pupils.

• Maintain up to date records and data bases regarding both individual pupils and the implementation of whole academy behaviour policy.

• Ensure effective exchange of written records and information at times of pupil transfer between different phases within academy and at pupil transfer to secondary academy/school.

Working With Pupils, Parents And Carers 

• Work with teaching staff to identify pupils who are at risk of under-achieving. 

• Use pupil performance tracking data, assessments from teachers, support staff and information from parents to inform the setting of individual pupil targets.

• Manage a range of responsibilities regarding identified pupils to support them in achieving their targets, including drawing up and implementing individual action plans and/or Pastoral Support Plans, in consultation with Class Teachers, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator, parents or carers and external agencies.

• Respond to identification of barriers to learning by providing access to learning mentor support for all children and young people.

• Manage programmes of study support, such as homework club, breakfast club and peer mentoring programmes.

• Promote and support family learning programmes and support school council sessions.

• Hold regular 1:1 counselling sessions.

• Take groups of pupils for 'Anger management' and 'Self Esteem' work and hold daily 'drop in' sessions for pupils.

• Develop effective 1:1 relationships with pupils in order to monitor progress towards agreed goals

• Manage the overall assessment of children and young people entering or returning to school in order to identify learning mentor needs.

• Initiate and maintain contact with families and carers to ensure a positive relationship with the school and develop family support for the pupils.

• Be the immediate point of contact within the school for children and families in crises.

• Take a leading role in the identification of barriers to learning for individual children and young people and provide them with a range of strategies for overcoming the barriers.

• Support the reintegration of pupils who have been subject to fixed term exclusion.

• Support pupils and parents or carers during pupils' transition between Key Stages, including secondary transfer and the different phases of their education and learning.

• Support the academy with attendance and work with relevant services in relation to pupils where there are serious concerns over attendance or punctuality.

Outside Agencies

• Support the Director of Inclusion by taking the role of a Deputy Child Protection Officer and being a focal point of contact between various agencies where a multiple agency approach is required for a targeted pupil, e.g. ESWS, Social Care and Health, Community Health and Youth Offending Team, to ensure the needs of the pupil are met in a focused and integrated way.

• Have a good knowledge of the range of activities, courses, opportunities, organisation and individuals that could be drawn upon to provide extra support for pupils.

• Attend Case Conferences and Core Group Meeting regarding pupils and prepare and submit reports for these where necessary.

• Contribute to the identification and sharing of good practice between individuals and partner agencies to enhance mentoring provisions.

• Undertake additional or other duties as may be appropriate to achieve the objectives of the post as directed and deemed appropriate by the Principal

• Attend meetings within the Service District as required to contribute to the development of policies, procedures, and activities.

• The duties may change over time as requirements and circumstances change.

• The person in the post may also have to carry out other duties as may be necessary from time to time.

General requirements:

• Take part in the school's performance management system. 

• Manage staff identified within the school staffing structure.

• Liaise between managers/teaching staff and managed staff.

• Hold regular team meetings with the managed staff.

• Attend Academy Council meetings when necessary.

• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young and vulnerable people that you are responsible for or come into contact with.

Senior Learning Mentor Person Specification

Our Purpose

Oasis Academies exists to provide a rich and balanced educational environment which caters for the whole person - academically, vocationally, socially, morally, spiritually, physically, emotionally and environmentally. Our task is to serve our students as well as to provide a learning hub for the entire community. In this way we will raise aspirations, unlock potential and work to achieve excellence through encouraging a 'can do' culture which nurtures confident and competent people.

Oasis Community Learning Ethos

Our ethos is an expression of our character - it is a statement of who we are and

therefore the lens through which we assess all we do. Our work is motivated and inspired by the life, message and example of Christ, which shapes and guides every aspect of each of our schools. This is foundational to our belief that all people are created and loved by God as equal and unique beings, and to our commitment to model inclusion and compassion throughout all the aspects of the life and culture of each Academy community.

 Essential Desirable

Qualifications GCSEs (A-C) / including English and maths High-level vocational qualifications degrees

Willingness to continue to develop within an education setting

Experience, Skills and knowledge An interest or related experience in one on one student support

High level of communication skills written and verbal

Excellent interpersonal skills: an excellent and effective communicator with young people, staff and parents

Organised and efficient

      Ability to handle difficult situations with sensitivity and Experience of working with schools

Experience of working with children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

Group work skills

Experience of using ICT

Knowledge and skills in delivering after school clubs

Awareness of nurture group 

 confidentiality and to be nonconfrontational

Ability to exercise initiative, work independently and part of a team.

Ability to reflect critically on own work and contribution to the school

Experience of implementing intervention programmes for supporting pupils with specific learning needs. 

Personal

Qualities Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people

Motivated, positive and enthusiastic

Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people

Values and respects the views and needs of young people

Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours and attitudes to use of authority and maintaining discipline

Physical and emotional stamina to meet the demands of the job

Abe to maintain confidentiality

Willing to undertake training as necessary

Able to work flexibly

Have a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos. Willing to be involved in afterschool events which might be out of normal school hours.