Teaching Assistant​/Learning Mentor - Harbour School

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.

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”

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.