Job Title: Academic Mentor

Location: Walsall

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic and efficient Academic Mentor for English Intervention & The Welfare Hub, in an expansion to the existing team. The postholder will provide targeted academic intervention and structured individual support for vulnerable students, with a particular focus on improving GCSE English outcomes and supporting vulnerable students accessing the Welfare Hub.

Queen Mary’s Grammar School was founded in 1554 by Mary Tudor. We have been shaped by our past and are proud of our traditions, but we are also confident of an exciting future as we help to shape the new educational landscape with our partners in the Mercian Trust. Queen Mary’s is an academically selective school, but wellbeing and pastoral care is at the heart of what we do.  The School has gained national attention for our focus on mental health (through the ‘Change Your Mind’ Programme) and the School community is a huge strength, summed up in our motto: ‘Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes’; It is what you give that you will keep as eternal riches.

Our House system celebrates the four pillars of school life at Queen Mary’s: an academic focus, an international ethos, an enterprising spirit and a sense of community. We enjoy our social, cultural and ethnic diversity and live by our core values:

• Courage – facing new challenges with determination & resilience
• Respect – for yourself & tolerance of others
• Equality – opportunities for all, whilst recognising & celebrating diversity
• Discipline – developing personal responsibility
• Integrity – to be honest, sincere, reliable & selfless
• Teamwork – stronger together

Outside the classroom, we offer a range of life-enriching opportunities: time at our Field Centre in Wales; membership of our thriving Combined Cadet Force; individual and team sports; foreign expeditions and travel; participation in music, debating and public speaking and many other activities. We believe that achievement and enjoyment go hand in hand.

The school is part of the IOE’s Mandarin Excellence Programme and has been named as one of the top 100 secondary schools for cricket in the UK by the Cricketer magazine.  The Horizon near-space programme has set new standards of what is possible for school-age students to achieve and we offer a multitude of other clubs, societies and opportunities.

We equip our pupils to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Most choose to go on to higher education, but we prepare them through our wider curriculum for a range of pathways. Through partnership between School, pupil and parents, we aim to produce well-rounded and employable young people.  It is our mission to attain excellence in all that we do.

Find more information here: Queen Mary's Grammar School - Home

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

 Approximately 50% of the role will involve leading small-group GCSE English and literacy intervention through timetabled withdrawal from option subjects for carefully selected Year 10 and Year 11 students. The postholder will also plan and deliver small, targeted lunchtime KS3 literacy clubs to promote reading confidence, writing fluency and a positive engagement with English beyond the classroom for those identified as requiring support from an earlier stage.

The remaining 50% of the role will be based within the Welfare Hub, providing 1:1 and small-group academic mentoring for students with SEND, SEMH, anxiety, or other barriers to accessing mainstream lessons. The postholder will work closely with teaching staff in the English department, the SEND and pastoral teams to ensure joined-up, purposeful support that improves attainment, engagement, attendance and reintegration into lessons

The successful candidate will be able to liaise effectively with both students and staff and be willing

to work flexibly within the school environment bringing their own expertise and knowledge to

enhance the learning experience of all students and drive up academic achievement. 

Pay range: NJC SCP 9-17

Please provide a personal statement to support your application and highlight any attributes, skills and experience you will be bring to this role.

While we embrace the use of AI tools to assist in working efficiently and making effective use of time, we ask that you do not use AI assistants during the application process. Applications will be screened for AI generated content.

For full details of the post please see attached Job Description and Person Specification

Why The Mercian Trust?

As one Trust we share a common purpose.  We call it our social mobility and social justice mission to change our communities through the very best equitable education.  When we get this right, it enables our children and young people to fulfil their potential, thrive in the world of work, and make a positive contribution to the local, national and international community.

Put simply, our common purpose is to increase opportunities and improve outcomes for our students.  We are particularly committed to students who are under-served and under-resourced.  We prioritise those who have special educational needs and disabilities, or who are more likely to face discrimination for whatever reason.

It is this common purpose that fuels everything we do. We deliver impactful, sustainable and ethical continuous school improvement in our schools to ensure the children and young people in the communities we serve learn in the very best and most inclusive schools. 

We are deeply rooted in the communities we serve (which are the education investment areas of the West Midlands). We adopt a pioneering spirit and look to lead the sector with innovative solutions to the problems our students and families face.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more:  The Mercian Trust - Home

Benefits: 

Financial, Health and Lifestyle

• discounts on everyday purchases (Eden Red)
• a comprehensive free of charge health plan (UK Health Care)
• a cycle to work scheme via Halfords
• access to the Blue Light Card

For further benefits including education sector leading CPD: The Mercian Trust - What we can offer you

The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

 The Mercian Trust is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. 

Please take time to read our polices attached to this advert.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment

If you would like more information about the role, please contact Mrs Nicole Turner (SLT administrator) by emailing n.turner@qmgs.merciantrust.org.uk

 We strongly encourage informal visits to the school with the opportunity to meet prospective colleagues or if you would like more information about the role, please contact Nicole Turner (SLT Administrator) to arrange such a visit, by emailing n.turner@qmgs.merciantrust.org.uk