Job Introduction
Learning Coach
20 hours per week (negotiable), term time only
Salary Range: Support Staff Pay Scale Grade C
(£23,115 - £24,140 FTE)
Testbourne Community School: where culture and ethos matter
Are you a passionate person who believes in the power of relationships, high expectations, and a calm, purposeful atmosphere? At Testbourne Community School, we don’t just teach – we shape futures. Our culture is built on a legacy of over 100 years of education, rooted in kindness, respect, honesty, integrity, ambition, and leadership.
We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic, highly motivated and ambitious Learning Coach to support the learning of SEN students, who wants to make a difference in the lives of young people. This post is suitable for candidates with previous experience of working with young people, or those who wish to gain more experience before considering a career in teaching.
We can offer a range of flexible working arrangements to suit the right candidates – this could be full-time, part-time, school hours, later starts and earlier finishes.
The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, and the ability to inspire our students and staff. We are dedicated to offering the right candidate professional development to enable them to achieve excellence. We provide a highly supportive environment with opportunities to develop. Training will be provided where required.
We are proud to be a school where:
- Learning is our top priority – when we make any decision we always ask, “How does this help our students to learn more effectively?”
- Students are supported to become independent, resilient and responsible young people prepared for their future.
- Recognition is meaningful: we celebrate effort, character and contribution, not with material rewards but with genuine appreciation to build intrinsic motivation.
- Staff are valued and supported with intelligent accountability, professional trust and a culture of openness, transparency and compassion.
Why work with us at Testbourne Community School?
- Comprehensive induction and CPD: from day one, you’ll receive a thorough induction and access to a rich programme of professional development with time provided for you to process, discuss and learn new ideas.
- Workload consideration: we actively manage workload and seek staff feedback to make meaningful adjustments. Your time is respected. We use published research to determine the most effective use of staff time.
- Family-friendly and flexible: we understand that life happens. Our leaders are compassionate and empathic, supporting staff through personal and professional challenges.
- Career development: opportunities to grow, lead, and innovate are built into our culture. Staff are encouraged to take on new roles and responsibilities.
- A supportive team: you’ll join a collaborative, friendly, and dedicated team. Staff describe Testbourne as a place where “everyone is in it together.”
- Strong Leadership: our senior leaders are visible, approachable, and lead by example – sharing duties and supporting staff every step of the way.
- A school that lives its values: we don’t just talk about culture – we live it. From trauma-informed practice to recognition, our ethos is embedded in everything we do.
- Beautiful Location: located in the charming town of Whitchurch, Hampshire, surrounded by countryside and landmarks like Watership Down, the River Test and the Whitchurch Silk Mill.
Key Responsibilities will include:
- take individual students or small groups for defined activities, working unsupervised and without the close presence of the teacher
- develop specific, specialist understanding of aspect/s of SEND and support other staff in this area when needed
- support and work with the student and/or teacher in testing/assessment
- deal with pupil behaviour and make judgements about pupil progress/pupil needs without reference to the teacher
- supervise students and guide learning activities in the Support Hub
- work to calm and regulate students in our Return to Learning space
- contact parents and work with other professionals to support students
- complete other work as directed by the SENDCo.
The successful candidate will:
- be organised and methodical
- have good communication skills
- be able to work independently and as part of a team
- have a good standard of education, with sound literacy and numeracy skills
- be smartly presented and have a professional attitude to employment
- be punctual and reliable
- flexible and hard-working
- have an enthusiastic and positive personality
- be willing to undertake training and develop their skills.
In return:
- We are a friendly, highly collaborative SEND team
- we offer professional development and expertise to enable staff to achieve excellence
- we provide a highly supportive environment with opportunities to develop
- we provide a highly professional and collaborative working environment focused on helping all students achieve their best
- we offer first rate personal career development to assist you in the fulfilment of your ambitions.
Find out more by visiting: Working with Us - Testbourne Community School
Closing Date for Applications: Friday 26th June 2026
We reserve the right to interview and appoint candidates before the closing date or scheduled interviews where applicable.
Application forms and further details are available from the school website www.testbourne.school or alternatively contact recruitment@testbourne.school
Testbourne Community School is committed to safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of children and expects 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 Barring Service checks, along with other relevant employment checks.
Testbourne Community School is an equal opportunities employer, and no candidate will be disadvantaged because of race, gender, sexuality, disability or any other protected characteristic. All shortlisting exercises are completed by evaluating a candidate’s suitability in terms of the person specification and job description for the role in question.
