Learning Mentor Outdoor Education - Dorchester Learning Centre

Dorchester Learning Centre aims to provide the very best in education and support for all children who (for a variety of reasons) find themselves outside of mainstream school education.

This role is Term Time only working 39 weeks per year - Pay Award Pending

We’re looking for an additional enthusiastic and resilient Outdoor Education Learning Mentor to join our dedicated and expanding Outdoor Education team at Dorchester Learning Centre, working with small groups of children who thrive with our fresh, dynamic approach to their learning.

This isn’t a classroom job. You’ll be working in the natural environment in all weather. You’ll help pupils develop resilience, confidence, and teamwork through land and water based adventurous activities. Think mountain biking through woodland trails, coastal hiking, paddle boarding on tidal water, and working with fire and tools within Forest School activities. The attached job description doesn't reflect the full duties of the post.

What you’ll do:

• Be a calm and consistent adult presence as part of the Outdoor Education team
• Support and mentor pupils with challenging behaviours in an outdoor setting
• Participate in activities such as mountain biking, hiking, paddle boarding, sailing, and bush craft
• Help students re-engage with learning and build social, emotional, and practical skills
• Work in all weathers and all seasons, leading by example with energy and perseverance

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience working with young people with SEMH or behavioural needs
• Is confident and competent in outdoor environments
• Is physically active and unafraid of hard work, mud, or cold mornings
• Can remain patient, flexible, and positive in challenging situations
• Holds (or is willing to train for) relevant outdoor qualifications (desirable, not essential)

This is more than a job – it’s a chance to positively affect young lives one muddy day at a time.

Dorchester Learning Centre values the diversity of our workforce and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; this is a commitment which we expect all staff and volunteers to share. The successful candidate will be required to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with the Governments safer recruitment guidelines.

The pro rata salary shown is based on the number of hours and weeks worked and includes appropriate paid annual leave and bank holiday entitlements.

The salary quoted is the annual salary for the position at the time of advert. The salary will be paid in equal monthly instalments and will be adjusted at the start of employment and again if leaving part way through the school year to ensure the correct salary is received for the work completed in an academic year.

This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (2013 and 2020)) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Dorchester Learning Centre will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. All aspects of social media and internet searches will be conducted. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.