Cherry Oak is recognised by Ofsted as a “good” special school for children aged 4-11 years and is based in Selly Oak. Our pupils have Autism, Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties and/or Cognition and Learning Difficulties. Approximately half of our pupils are diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. All have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and are referred to the school via Birmingham City Council’s Special Education Needs Assessment and Review service, known as SENAR. We cater for 111 pupils.

The Federation’s vision is to ‘inspire and empower students through collaborative working and to promote their holistic development.” Our values statement is “We R.I.S.E Together – Respect, Inspire, Support, Empower”.

We are inviting expressions of interest from colleagues for the role of Learning Mentor (Level 3) at Cherry Oak. This is an opportunity to support pupils with complex SEND by helping remove barriers to learning, strengthening engagement, and working closely with families and staff to improve outcomes.

The role is graded GRB (subject to job evaluation). The full Job Description and Person Specification will be used for shortlisting and interview.

About the role:

We are seeking a colleague who will lead and coordinate key areas of our Personal Development offer, including:

● Build positive, supportive relationships with pupils

● Provide targeted 1:1 and small‑group support- including behaviour support.

● Work with teachers, SENCO, behaviour lead and pastoral staff to identify barriers to learning

● Support emotional wellbeing and regulation, engagement and readiness to learn

● Maintain regular communication with families/carers

● Liaise with external agencies and community partners

● Monitor and report on progress against personalised plans

● Contribute to safeguarding, inclusion and the wider ethos of the school

Although the JDPS references mainstream/secondary contexts, the core purpose aligns with Cherry Oak’s primary SEND provision and will be applied accordingly.

About You:

We welcome expressions of interest from colleagues who can demonstrate:

● Experience supporting children and young people

● Strong relationship‑building skills with pupils and families

● Confidence working collaboratively with staff and external professionals

● Ability to identify and respond to barriers to learning

● Effective communication and a reflective, solution‑focused approach

● A commitment to improving outcomes for pupils with complex SEND

● Compassion, understanding and resilience during times of challenge

Essential criteria from the JDPS will be used for shortlisting.

What We Offer:

We offer a welcoming and inclusive school community, strong pastoral and SEN support, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with complex SEND.

Please contact Justine Barlow (Head of School) to arrange a discussion, or raise particular questions about the role. 

Applicants should complete the application form on the My New Term website. The link can be found on the school’s vacancy webpage. 

This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent spoken English is an essential requirement for this role.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks, including: an enhanced DBS; medical fitness; teacher prohibition check, identity checks and right to work.