£27,274 – £29,071 per annum (actual salary for term-time working £21,763 – £23,197)
34.5 hours per week (1pm finish on Fridays), Term time only, Permanent
Every day won’t be easy. Every day will matter.
Progress is slow. Impact is huge.
At Harbour School Dorset, we support young people with significant Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) and Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) needs. Many have struggled in mainstream settings. Some have lost trust in adults. Some will push you away before they let you in.
You know what a Teaching Assistant role is – this is not that role. We’ll be honest. This role takes patience, resilience, emotional strength and consistency. Progress can be slow. Building trust can take months. Some days will feel like two steps back.
And then, one day…
A student who wouldn’t enter the classroom sits beside you.
A young person who never spoke says your name.
A student who didn’t trust adults asks for help.
Those moments are everything.
As a Learning Mentor, you’ll help students feel safe, regulate emotions, rebuild confidence and reconnect with learning. This is not a traditional classroom support role. Some days you’ll be sitting on the floor for hours beside a distressed student, taking a walk, being shouted at – or celebrating something as small (and as huge) as a student writing their name.
Academic progress matters – but connection comes first.
“The learning mentors encourage me to express myself in a constructive and useful way. They make me feel safe and valued, help me work through my emotions, and ensure I do not feel judged for how I am feeling”.
You will thrive in this role if you are:
Experience with young people, SEMH, ASC or trauma-informed work is helpful – but attitude, resilience and emotional intelligence are also so valuable.
Closing date: 21 June 2026
Interview date: W/c 29 June 2026
Applications may be viewed on receipt and interviews arranged sooner than the above date.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, this role involves directly working with children and significant contact with children, and therefore we expect all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment.
Please ensure a full work history is completed in your application form including any gaps of employment. Applicants will be required to complete satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for this post prior to commencement.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.
The Trust is an equal opportunities employer.
If successfully shortlisted the HR Department will also be conducting an individual online search including social media platforms of your 'name, education and employment', to demonstrate due diligence following 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance. The search will not form part of the actual shortlisting process and any concerns arising from the search will be discussed directly with you.