Pastoral Support Mentor

Are you passionate about supporting vulnerable young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs? Do you have the resilience, empathy and emotional intelligence to make a meaningful difference every single day?

We are currently recruiting for a committed Pastoral Support Mentor to join a specialist SEMH secondary provision in Newham. This is a highly rewarding opportunity to support pupils who require consistent pastoral guidance, emotional regulation support, and positive role modelling to re engage with education.

This specialist SEMH setting supports young people who have experienced significant barriers to learning, including trauma, adverse childhood experiences, behavioural challenges, and unmet emotional needs. The school provides a structured, nurturing and therapeutic environment where pupil welfare is at the heart of everything they do.

With smaller class sizes and a high staff to student ratio, the school prioritises relationship building, consistency, and personalised support. A strong safeguarding and pastoral framework ensures that pupils feel safe, understood, and supported both academically and emotionally.

The leadership team promotes a trauma informed and restorative approach to behaviour. Staff work collaboratively across pastoral, teaching and therapeutic teams to develop individual support plans that focus on emotional regulation, resilience, and long term personal development. This is a setting where patience, empathy and consistency are essential, and where staff genuinely see the impact of their work.

As a Pastoral Support Mentor, you will:

• Provide intensive 1:1 and small group pastoral and welfare support
• Support pupils with SEMH needs, helping them develop emotional regulation strategies
• Act as a positive role model, promoting resilience and self belief
• De escalate challenging situations using trauma informed and restorative approaches
• Support pupils during lessons, transitions, and unstructured times
• Contribute to individual behaviour and welfare plans
• Liaise closely with teaching staff, SENCO, DSL and external professionals
• Monitor wellbeing, attendance and engagement

This role would suit individuals with experience in SEMH schools, alternative provisions, youth work, mentoring, care work, or outreach support.

• Have experience working with young people with SEMH or behavioural needs
• Be calm, emotionally resilient, and consistent under pressure
• Understand trauma informed practice and restorative approaches
• Have strong safeguarding knowledge and awareness of child protection procedures
• Be confident managing and de escalating challenging behaviour
• Be patient, empathetic and genuinely passionate about supporting vulnerable pupils

Team Teach or de escalation training is desirable but not essential.