Start Date: September 2nd
Initial Commitment: 1 hour per week (with potential to build up hours over time)
Location: Family home in Rayleigh (SS6)
Additional Work Available: Yes - extra hours/tutoring placements can be provided alongside this role for the right candidate.
About the Role
We are seeking a patient, empathetic, and engaging mentor to support a Year 9 male student based in Rayleigh. The primary focus of this role is to build trust, boost self-confidence, and create a safe environment through shared interests.
- Phase 1 (Relationship & Engagement): The tuition/mentoring will initially start slowly at 1 hour per week in his family home. To begin with, sessions will be low-pressure and focused entirely on his key interest-football (he is a big Spurs fan and loves playing/watching football).
- Phase 2 (Academic Transition): Once a solid rapport and trust are established, sessions will gradually incorporate core academic learning and gently increase in hours over time as he becomes more comfortable.
About the Student & His Needs
- Strengths: He has fantastic cognitive potential, particularly excelling in Maths and displaying a significantly high reading age.
- Profile & Neurodiversity: He has diagnoses of Autism (ASD) and ADHD (inattentive type). He experiences high levels of anxiety, particularly surrounding school environments and changes in routine.
- Communication & Style: He is an active young person who dislikes sitting still for long periods and prefers active, hands-on tasks. He can mask his feelings, struggles with literal/black-and-white thinking, and finds it difficult to talk about uncomfortable emotions or topics he isn't interested in-often redirecting focus to football!
- Health Notes: He carries an EpiPen for severe allergies and has asthma.
The ideal mentor will understand how to work with an active, neurodivergent learner using a soft, therapeutic, and non-confrontational approach.
Key Requirements
- DBS: Enhanced DBS on the Update Service (essential).
- Approach: Highly patient, creative, and willing to work at the student's pace without rushing academic outcomes.
- Interests: A genuine enthusiasm or knowledge of football to help bridge connection and build initial rapport.
- Experience: Experience supporting young people with SEND (specifically ASD and ADHD) and school-related anxiety is highly desirable.
Why Apply?
This is an incredibly rewarding, long-term opportunity to make a tangible difference in a young person's educational journey. For candidates looking for broader work, additional hours and tutoring placements are readily available to complement this role.
Interested? Please apply with your updated CV outlining your relevant experience in mentoring or SEND support!
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