Learning Mentor / Teaching Assistant at Harbour School Dorset

Learning Mentor – Harbour School Dorset

£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.

What you’ll be doing:

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”

This is the difference you’ll make.

Who we’re looking for:

You will thrive in this role if you are:

• Calm under pressure; emotionally resilient and reflective
• Able to stay consistent even when rejected
• Patient and non-judgemental
• Comfortable with slow progress and small steps
• Motivated by impact rather than quick wins

Experience with young people, SEMH, ASC or trauma-informed work is helpful – but attitude, resilience and emotional intelligence are also so valuable.

If you believe in second chances, value relationships over quick results, and want work that truly matters, we would love to hear from you.

Closing date: 31 August 2026

Interview date: W/c 7 September 2026

Become part of our journey by completing our Support Staff Application Form and returning it to [email protected] if you would like to apply. As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we kindly ask all applicants to complete a short, anonymised form alongside their application, linked here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Isabel at the recruitment address, who will be happy to assist you.

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. 

About us:

Harbour School Dorset is a state funded Special School for pupils with ASC and SEMH. We endeavour to help our learners to feel they matter and belong, enabling them to improve their social, emotional and academic skills to be the best that they can be.

We’ve come so far over the last 3 years, growing to capacity with around 150 students. And this is just the beginning for us as we shape our future…

Our approach is relational, trauma-informed and rooted in understanding behaviour as communication. We believe every child can thrive with the right support, progress looks different for every student, relationships come before results, consistency changes lives.

What we can offer

• A skilled, compassionate, genuinely supportive team who reflect together, and understand the emotional weight of the work.
• Friday afternoons off
• Strong induction and ongoing training
• A school that celebrates progress, not just academic data
• A role where the impact is real, human and lasting
• Free access to the Employee Assistance Programme and our Cycle to Work Scheme.
• The opportunity to develop your career in a School, and within the Southern Education Trust – a growing Trust where our mission is “making lives better” and our values are kindness, collaboration and creativity.