Pastoral Support and Learning Mentor at St Mary's CE First School and Nursery

The Heath Academy Trust and St Mary’s CE First School & Nursery are seeking to appoint a Pastoral Support and Learning Mentor for September 2026, who is passionate about supporting children’s wellbeing, personal development and emotional resilience.  The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring that every child feels safe, valued and supported, enabling them to thrive both socially and academically.  We need an enthusiastic, skilled and motivated professional to join our dedicated and child-centred team.  The successful applicant must enjoy working as part of a friendly and dedicated team.

The successful candidate must have high expectations of children’s behaviour, wellbeing and personal development.  They will be compassionate, proactive and committed to putting the needs of children at the heart of all aspects of their work. The role requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, alongside the ability to build positive relationships with pupils, families and colleagues.  We are seeking a creative and nurturing team member who can complement our existing provision and provide targeted support for pupils experiencing social, emotional, behavioural, attendance, EAL or SEND-related challenges. The successful candidate will contribute to creating an inclusive environment where all children can flourish.

We are committed to ongoing improvement and provide continuous support for our staff with high quality CPD.  The successful candidate will understand the importance of whole school continuity and progression across all areas of our provision.  We welcome applications from applicants with a relevant TA qualification and experience in pastoral care.

Further details about this role can be found in the job description and person specification included in this recruitment pack and more information about the school can be found on our website: www.stmaryswestmoors.org  Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and encouraged.  Please contact our school office on 01202 874838 to arrange your visit or discuss the post further.

In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, all applications must be completed via the online application form.  CVs will not be accepted or considered.  References will be sought for all candidates who accept the invitation to interview.  Please ensure referees are able to provide a full reference rather than a standard statement of employment time.  You should provide the email and telephone contact details for all referees – thank you.

The Heath Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. As part of the safer recruitment check, online searches will be conducted for all shortlisted candidates. The search will be purely 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 be on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974

St Mary's CE First School and Nursery is a busy but friendly school, with a real “family feel” to it thanks to our caring, personable approach.  We strive for high expectations and will work with individual children and families to ensure that children meet their full potential. 

The school’s vision of “Believe in better… be more Awesome – for anything is possible with God” drives our mission to continually develop in many exciting ways, providing a more enriching experience for all our pupils.

At St Mary’s CE First School and Nursery we believe that every child is capable of improving and with personalised coaching and excellent relationships, our children believe that too!  Our children, staff and parents have adopted the Christian values of compassion, hope, joy and family to underpin our decision making, actions or interactions.

The staff and children promote these values through our school moto:

Believe in better… be more AWESOME