Job Introduction
We seek to appoint an energetic, enthusiastic, and dynamic Academic Mentor to support pupils to achieve the best possible academic, vocational and formal qualifications.
The successful applicant will be an ambitious practitioner who wishes to develop their career through working with a talented group of staff. You will be committed to improving outcomes for our pupils, raising achievement and aspirations and inspiring success.
Reporting to the Inclusion and Alternative Provision Manager and working closely with parents, teachers, SENCo, Heads of Year and teachers, you will create opportunities for pupils to fulfil wider curriculum experiences, including the delivery of bespoke education packages to meet individual pupils’ needs.
This role is integral to supporting the progress and integration of pupils into education.
The postholder will also be responsible for fulfilling the safeguarding requirements of the role and adhering to the school’s safeguarding policy.
If you have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, are confident in dealing with pupils, staff and parents on a daily basis and relish the opportunity to improve the school/life outcomes for our pupils, then we are interested in hearing from you.
The Role:
As an Academic Mentor you will:
- Be responsible for the effective targeting and coordination of personalised provision for identified pupils
- Generate a tailored offer to meet individual pupil needs
- Work with teachers and ensure effective delivery in relation to subject support
- Maximise the use of pupil premium funding
- Promote social care and personal development
- Ensure the alternative provision meets the social, emotional and academic needs of individual pupils
- Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to Child Protection and all aspects of safeguarding children and monitor the safeguarding of pupils on a daily basis.
- Collate academic data for Alternative Provision pupils
What We’re Looking For:
- GCSE Grade 4/C (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics is essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- A working knowledge of national curriculum and other relevant learning programmes
- An understanding of principles of child development and learning processes and in particular barriers to learning
- Empathy with students and sympathetic to their needs
- Experience of working with children in a secondary school setting
- Knowledge of Special Educational Needs and experience of working with children with additional needs
What We Offer:
- A school that is moving towards outstanding
- A calm and supportive environment, graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted (January 2024) with an ‘Outstanding’ rating for Personal Development
- A school which pupils, staff and the community feel proud of
- Membership of a strong staff body
- Effective training and support
- A generous holiday and pension package as a Hampshire County Council employer
We pride ourselves in being highly inclusive and pupil focused. We were awarded the prestigious National SMSC Quality Mark Gold Award, for the second time in April 2024. We are very proud of our pupils and their achievements.
Within the school we also have a resourced provision for physically disabled pupils who are integrated fully into the life of the school, which brings a richness and variety to the curriculum and adds to our extensive after school provision. We are proud of the way we address the needs of all of our pupils.
As a community school we also have a nursery and a pre-school.
Visits to the school are welcome as well as informal discussions to support and inform your application. Please contact Mr B Toone, Assistant Headteacher, by calling 023 9236 4399, or email: b.toone@portchester.hants.sch.uk
An Application Pack can be downloaded from our website at www.portchester.hants.sch.uk under the ‘About Us’ menu, or email: recruitment@portchester.hants.sch.uk
Please email your completed application to recruitment@portchester.hants.sch.uk or send to Portchester Community School, White Hart Lane, Portchester, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 9BD, marked for the attention of Mrs Y Boxall, Personnel Services Leader. Please return the equalities monitoring form in line with the details shown on the form.
Please be aware that a Hampshire County Council application form must be completed, as CVs are not accepted.
Applications will be considered on receipt and suitable candidates invited for interview. We reserve the right to withdraw the advertisement early if the vacancy is filled before the closing date.
Online searches will form part of the pre-employment checks on shortlisted candidates.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnership.
This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 because it is a post which involves working directly with children or young people. If shortlisted for interview you are therefore required to declare whether you have any criminal convictions (or cautions or bind-overs) including those which are ‘spent’. The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Disclosure and Barring Service website.
DBS filtering guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.
