Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant

Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead

Location:

Maidenhead

Start Date:

September 2026

Hours:

Monday–Friday, 8:30am–3:45pm (term time only)
Pay: £108 per day
Trial/observation days available

Gain frontline experience supporting vulnerable young people while reinforcing the value of education as a pathway to positive outcomes.

Are you an aspiring Occupational Therapist looking to build a career in mental health, sensory integration, or education?

This specialist provision in Maidenhead supports vulnerable students who are academically capable but require additional support due to Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Many pupils have experienced disruption in their education, and the school’s core focus is re‑engaging them with learning and helping them recognise the long‑term value of their education.

They are seeking an Aspiring Occupational Therapist to work as a Learning Support Assistant, supporting students to re‑engage, achieve academically, and rebuild confidence in their ability.

In this setting, education is not just about attainment — it is about changing life trajectories.

Unlike mainstream settings, this provision focuses on students who have the ability to succeed academically, but need targeted support to overcome barriers such as:

• SEMH needs (anxiety, trauma, behavioural challenges)
• Previous disengagement from education
• Interrupted school journeys
• Low confidence despite strong academic potential
• Sensory processing difficulties that impact focus, behaviour, and emotional regulation

Your role will centre on unlocking that potential and reinforcing the importance of education in shaping future opportunities.

• Understanding behaviour:
  Gain insight into the sensory and psychological drivers behind disengagement
• Re‑engagement strategies:
  Learn how to bring students back into education successfully
• Academic mentoring:
  Support capable students to achieve and exceed expectations
• Safeguarding experience:
  Work closely with vulnerable young people in a structured setting
• Relationship building:
  Become a consistent, trusted adult
• Occupational Therapy insight:
  Build foundational experience for future OT Master’s/Doctorate applications, particularly in sensory integration and child development

In this role, you will gain first‑hand exposure to the powerful ways occupational therapy principles can reach students who struggle with verbal communication. For non‑verbal children and those with selective mutism or severe anxiety, occupational therapy offers a holistic approach to processing emotions, building trust, and engaging with their education. Through sensory activities, fine motor tasks, and daily living skills, these students can:

• Regulate their sensory systems through tailored activities (e.g., proprioceptive input, heavy work, calming sensory corners), which reduces anxiety and helps them achieve a calm, alert state for learning.
• Develop fine motor and coordination skills through practical tasks like handwriting, cutting, and manipulating objects, which directly impacts their ability to access the curriculum and build academic confidence.
• Communicate needs and emotions non‑verbally by using sensory preferences and behaviours as a window into their internal state, allowing you to interpret and respond to their needs without relying on spoken language.
• Build a sense of control and agency by making choices about sensory tools, movement breaks, and activity stations, which is particularly empowering for children who feel unheard or overwhelmed.
• Develop daily living and self‑regulation skills (e.g., managing transitions, organising materials, following routines) that are essential for independence both in school and beyond.
• Express and process traumatic experiences through physical, sensory‑based activities that do not require verbal disclosure, allowing for healing in a safe, non‑judgemental environment.

By witnessing this process daily, you will develop a deep, practical understanding of how sensory and motor interventions can transform a child’s educational and…