Learning Mentor (SEMH) - Teaching Assistant
Mole Valley, Surrey
September 2026 Start
£22,000 per annum (term time only)
Permanent Contract
*** Interviews ASAP ***
Some children don’t need another adult who gives up on them; they need someone who won’t.
That might sound simple, but in reality, it’s one of the hardest and most rewarding things you can do.
You’ll be working with children aged 4 to 11. Each of them has Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) that focus on their social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. Many also live with autism, ADHD, attachment problems, or anxiety. Some are Looked After Children. Some have already faced challenges that make it hard for them to trust adults.
So they test boundaries. They push. They might shut down, act out, or withdraw. Not because they’re bad kids; they’re not. They do this because it’s how they’ve learned to protect themselves. Your job is to be the adult who understands this and who keeps showing up for them, no matter what.
About the school
This is a small, specialised SEMH school in Mole Valley, Surrey. I won’t pretend it’s something it isn’t; it’s not a typical school with a nurture room added on. It was built from the ground up for children who couldn’t access education elsewhere, and everything about its operations reflects that.
The whole approach focuses on trauma-informed practice and the PACE model, which stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy. The school has TISUK accreditation, which requires more than just hanging a poster. It shows that the staff genuinely understands how trauma affects behaviour and applies that understanding in every interaction.
There is a complete in-house therapy team, including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, play therapy, and educational psychology, working alongside teaching staff daily. They also have therapy dogs and offer outdoor and wilderness learning. Class sizes are small enough to ensure that teachers really know each child they work with.
The leadership recognises that if the adults aren’t regulated and supported, the children can’t be either. They take staff wellbeing seriously, in a way I haven’t seen in every school I’ve worked with.
What the Role Looks Like Day to Day
- The title is Learning Mentor, but in practice, you are a Teaching Assistant working with early years and primary-age children. Here’s what that actually means:
- Building real, trusted relationships with children who often experience broken connections. This is the foundation of everything else.
- Co-regulating with children when they are upset, which means staying calm, present, and non-threatening when they are at their most heightened.
- Supporting children's sensory needs according to OT-developed plans. This involves understanding why a child needs movement, quiet, or a specific texture and responding to that without making it a conflict.
- Being part of a consistent team around each child. Communicating with teachers, therapists, and families ensures that what happens in school connects to what happens at home.
- Contributing to EHCP reviews and keeping clear, honest records of your observations.
- Supporting personal care needs for some children. This is part of the role, and it’s worth knowing upfront.
The relationship is the intervention here. Academic progress matters, but it comes after and because of the child feeling safe with you.
Read this before you apply
There will be days when a child you have been patiently building a relationship with for weeks tells you they hate you, destroys work they were proud of, or has an episode that leaves the whole room unsettled. That is not failure. That is the work.
This role requires you not to take it personally, not because you don’t care, but because you understand enough about trauma and dysregulation to know what is actually happening. You need to be someone who can hold a boundary in a warm way. You should be playful at 9 am and grounded at 11 am when everything has kicked off. You go home, process it, and come back the next day ready to try again.
If that description makes you want to look elsewhere, that is completely fair; this setting is not right for everyone. But if it resonates with you, even reminds you of something from your own experience, keep reading.
Who I am looking for
I am not tied to a specific CV. I have successfully placed people in SEMH schools who might not stand out on paper, and they have performed exceptionally well. What I seek is the right person, not just the right job title.
You could be a good fit if you have experience in:
- Early years or nursery work, especially if you have supported children with developmental delays, communication needs, or challenging home situations
- A primary TA or learning support background, working with children with SEND, and you are ready for a more specialised role
- Residential childcare or children's support work; the relationship-building and de-escalation skills from this field directly apply here
- Youth work, mentoring, or community support, particularly with young people who have faced exclusion, trauma, or family issues
- A degree in psychology, education, or social work, and want hands-on experience in a therapeutic school before moving forward
- Sports, outdoor education, or play work, where engaging with children through activities and physical presence is truly valued
- Lived experience of SEND, whether as a sibling, parent, or someone who navigated it themselves, this understanding is invaluable
If this position interests you, please apply now or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion.