7 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    As soon as possible

  • Closing date

    9 July 2026 at 8am

  • Date listed

    2 July 2026

Job details

Job role

  • HLTA (higher level teaching assistant)

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Part time: 32.5 hours per week

Contract type

Fixed term - 1 academic year

Actual salary

£25,774 - £28,147

What skills and experience we're looking for

Role:SEMH Mentor

Academy:Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth

Start Date:01/09/2026

Salary (Actual Salary):£25,744

Working Pattern:Temporary position for 1 academic year,32.5 Hours Per Week, Term Time, Plus 5 Days

Are you a highly qualified and experienced professional ready to deliver targeted, high-level support that drives academic attainment, particularly at GCSE level? Join us as a SEMH Mentor, in partnership with Stockton Virtual School, utilising your expertise in developing regulating/coping strategies to mentor students. This role involves managing complex student caseloads, providing specialist knowledge on adaptations, leading statutory reviews, and ensuring bespoke intervention programmes deliver measurable academic progress. Working in partnership with the LA Virtual School and other stakeholders is vital to the success of the role and the key focus is on improving outcomes for children in the care of the local authority (LAC).

Being a key adult for a Looked After Child (LAC) is far more than an administrative designation; it is about becoming a consistent, predictable anchor in a world that has often been profoundly unstable. For a student experiencing the care system, a key adult serves as a safe harbor, an emotional regulator, and a fierce advocate within the school ecosystem. By offering unconditional positive regard and a reliable presence—meeting them at the start of the day, celebrating small victories, and providing a quiet space when things overwhelm them—you help repair relational trauma and build the secure attachment necessary for learning. It is a role that requires deep empathy, patience, and resilience, balancing the delicate act of holding high expectations for their future while deeply understanding the invisible burdens they carry into the classroom every day.

This position involves leading an action research project to monitor, assess, and report on student progress and attendance. You will analyse the resulting data to deliver strategic insights for academy governors, leader and Virtual School.

As a SEMH Mentor, you will drive student success by providing tailored guidance, encouragement, and practical support. Working with pupils, you will help them navigate complex barriers to learning—focusing on developing emotional regulation and coping strategies, boosting motivation, and inspiring higher aspirations.

Candidates must be knowledgeable of the needs of students with learning difficulties and disabilities and the SEND Code of Practice. An understanding of Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed practice would be desirable.

Welcome from the Principal:

As Principal, I am immensely proud to introduce you to Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth. Located near key commuting routes in Stockton-on-Tees, our academy is a place that will capture your heart.

Our dedicated staff has a relentless pursuit of improving student lives, giving them a launchpad to fulfill their ambitions. This is an improving school. What sets us apart are the strong relationships we have; staff know our students and families well, fostering an environment where students flourish and are motivated to be their best.

We serve an area of deprivation with a strong moral purpose: to ensure students have the opportunity to transform their lives through the best education they are entitled to. We value practitioners who are committed to continuous improvement and excellence in their field. Leaders invest heavily in the development of employee talent across all areas of Academy life.

We invest in our staff's workload, wellbeing, and professional development. If you share our passion for making a real difference in the lives of young people, we would be delighted to welcome you to our team.

If you have any questions or would like to visit the school, please contact Abigail Davies at a.davies@bishopsgarth.outwood.com


What the school offers its staff

Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) places staff development at the heart of its strategy to deliver excellence, aiming to recruit, develop, and retain the best staff through the Outwood Institute of Education (OIE).

What will we do for you?

We offer a supportive package focusing on professional advancement, secure benefits, and work-life balance:

  • Secure Pay & Pension:Competitive salary, automatic pay progression, and enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme.

  • Training & Progression:Access to diverse CPD opportunities, including apprenticeships and vocational qualifications.

  • Flexibility & Leave:Flexible family policies, enhanced occupational benefits (with no qualifying period), and 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays for non-term time staff.(Holiday for part-time staff is calculated on a pro-rata basis)

  • Wellbeing & Perks:Dedicated mental well-being strategy, free on-site parking, employee discounts, and access to a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme.

If you are looking for a rewarding, supportive role where you can truly make an impact, we encourage you to apply now.

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

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

View advert on school website (opens in new tab)

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

About Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth

School type
Academy, ages 11 to 16
Education phase
Secondary school
School size
602 pupils enrolled
Age range
11 to 16
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report
Phone number
01642 586262

Arranging a visit to Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email a.davies@bishopsgarth.outwood.com.

School location

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