Student Support Officer

Shire Oak Academy, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 9PA

3 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  2 June 2025

• Closing date

  11 May 2025 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  8 May 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: 26,409

What skills and experience we're looking for

Qualifications

• GCSEs in English and Maths (Grade C/4 or above)
• A relevant qualification in supporting learning (e.g., Teaching Assistant, Youth Work, or similar)

Experience

• Proven experience working with young people, especially those facing barriers to learning (e.g., SEND, PP, CIC, vulnerable students)
• Experience in a school or educational setting
• Participation in relevant training (e.g., mentoring, counselling)
• Demonstrated ability to overcome challenges in a professional setting

Knowledge

• Understanding of:
  • Challenging behaviour and how to manage it
  • School policies and how to apply them
  • Safeguarding and child protection procedures
  • Supporting students both in and out of the classroom
  • Working with parents and external agencies

Leadership & Behaviour Management

• Ability to:
  • Set and maintain high expectations
  • Motivate and inspire students
  • Implement behaviour systems and interventions
  • Lead or support year group activities and assemblies

Student Support & Engagement

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to build positive relationships with students
• Skilled in delivering mentoring and interventions
• Capable of supporting attendance and punctuality initiatives
• Able to manage uniform issues, detentions, and behaviour rooms

Safeguarding & Welfare

• Trained or willing to train in safeguarding
• Experience supporting students with concerns or vulnerabilities
• Ability to liaise with DSLs and external agencies

Other Key Attributes

• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Resilience and a good sense of humour
• Team player with integrity and accountability
• Willingness to participate in duties like first aid, on-call systems, and educational visits

What the school offers its staff

• A chance to make areal differencing the lives of students, especially those facing barriers to learning (SEND, PP, CIC, vulnerable students).
• The opportunity to be a champion for inclusion, equity, and student wellbeing.
• Close collaboration with a wide range of professionals: SLT, SEND team, Attendance Officers, Aspire Centre, and external agencies.
• A strong emphasis on teamwork and shared responsibility for student success.
• Access to ongoing training in safeguarding, behaviour management, mentoring, and more.
• Opportunities to develop leadership skills by supporting systems, mentoring students, and leading interventions.
• Experience in multi-agency working, which is valuable for career progression in education, social care, or youth work.
• A dynamic role that includes mentoring, behaviour support, attendance improvement, safeguarding, and classroom engagement.
• Involvement in pastoral care, assemblies, interventions, and educational visits.
• Permanent, full-time contract with a clear reporting line to the Student Support Manager.
• Salary on Grade 5 (SCP 9–17), which typically includes incremental progression and pension contributions (depending on the local authority or trust).
• A school that values high expectations, integrity, and student-centred practice.
• A culture that encourages resilience, humour, and positivity in the face of challenges.

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 are not accepted.

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.

Additional documents

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

Student Support Officer Job description & person specification - Copy.pdf - 179 KB (opens in new tab)

About Shire Oak Academy

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary
• School size: 1425 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Shire Oak Academy website
• Email address: e.maguta@merciantrust.org.uk
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/shire-oak-academy

School location

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