Learning Mentor with OPAL Play Coordination

Walmley Junior School, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1JB

15 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September

• Closing date

  26 June 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  11 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Pastoral, health and welfare
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £24,267.00 - £30,006.00 Annually (Actual)

Learning Mentor with OPAL Play Coordination job summary

To support pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural development, enabling them to access learning successfully, while leading the development and implementation of high-quality outdoor play through the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) approach.

The postholder will ensure that unstructured times are used proactively to develop pupils’ social skills, emotional regulation and behaviour, contributing positively to wellbeing, safety and learning across the school.

Key Responsibilities

1. Learning Mentor Responsibilities (Core Role)

• Provide targeted support for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs

• Deliver 1:1 and small group interventions focused on:

• Emotional regulation

• Social skills

• Behaviour for learning

• Support pupils at key points in the day (e.g. transitions, start/end of day)

• Build positive, professional relationships with pupils and families

• Work alongside teaching staff to identify and remove barriers to learning

• Maintain accurate and timely records (including MyConcern and intervention tracking)

• Contribute to safeguarding processes in line with Department for Education statutory guidance

• Liaise with external agencies where appropriate

2. OPAL Play Coordination (Strategic Responsibility)

Play Leadership

• Lead the implementation and ongoing development of the OPAL approach across the school

• Design, organise and review play environments to maximise engagement, inclusion and safety

• Ensure a wide range of play opportunities that support physical, creative and social development

SEMH Development Through Play (Key Integration)

• Use playtimes as a structured opportunity to:

• Teach and reinforce social skills (e.g. turn-taking, cooperation, conflict resolution)

• Support pupils in developing emotional regulation in real-life contexts

• Promote inclusion and reduce social isolation

• Identify pupils who:

• Struggle with unstructured times

• Experience friendship difficulties

• Display dysregulated or unsafe behaviours

• Provide in-the-moment coaching and support, including:

• Modelling appropriate language and behaviour

• Facilitating peer interactions

• Supporting resolution of conflict using restorative approaches

• Plan and deliver targeted play-based support for identified pupils, linking directly to Learning Mentor interventions

Behaviour Through Play

• Promote consistent expectations for behaviour during playtimes

• Model and embed agreed adult responses aligned with the school Behaviour Policy

• Use observation to identify patterns (e.g. hotspots, repeat behaviours, specific pupil needs)

Staff Development

• Support and coach lunchtime supervisors to improve the quality of interactions with pupils

• Model effective practice in real time

• Deliver briefings and guidance to ensure consistency across staff

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Track and analyse behaviour incidents during unstructured times

• Use pupil voice to evaluate the quality of play provision

• Evaluate the impact of play on behaviour and wellbeing

• Report findings and next steps to SLT

Organisation and Sustainability

• Oversee play resources and storage

• Ensure equipment is used safely and purposefully

• Contribute to the long-term development and sustainability of OPAL provision

  Walmley Junior School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment.

  The successful candidate will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks, including enhanced DBS; Prohibition check; Childcare Disqualification (where applicable); qualifications (where applicable); medical fitness; identity and right to work.

  References

  All applicants will be required to provide two suitable references

  Short-listed candidates

  An online search will also be carried out as part of due diligence on all short-listed candidates

  Rehabilitation of Offenders

  This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means 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.

  Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

  Safeguarding is our top priority. We encourage all applicants to review our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, which outlines our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of students.

  This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016).

  Therefore, the ability to speak fluent and spoken English is an essential requirement for this role.

  Please complete your application form online, CVs will not be accepted.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Walmley Junior School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 7 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 358 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 7 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Walmley Junior School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/walmley-junior-school

School location

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