Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant
Location: Maidenhead
Start Date: September 2026
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–3:45pm (term time only)
Pay: £108.0 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 paediatric rehabilitation?

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, sensory processing difficulties, and motor skill challenges. 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 functional skills, regulation, and confidence in their ability.

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

Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead - Education and Training - Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead

Why this role is unique

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)
• Sensory processing difficulties affecting focus and regulation
• Fine and gross motor delays impacting handwriting, coordination, and independence
• Previous disengagement from education
• Interrupted school journeys
• Low confidence despite strong academic potential

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

Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead - Education and Training - Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead

How this role develops your OT experience

• Sensory regulation: Understand how environmental and sensory inputs affect behaviour, focus, and emotional state
• Motor skills support: Assist students with fine and gross motor activities to improve handwriting, coordination, and classroom participation
• Functional independence: Support students in developing daily living skills and self-regulation strategies
• Behavioural insight: Gain understanding of the sensory and psychological drivers behind disengagement
• Re-engagement strategies: Learn how to bring students back into education through activity-based, meaningful interventions
• Safeguarding experience: Work closely with vulnerable young people in a structured setting
• Relationship building: Become a consistent, trusted adult who supports students' occupational participation
• Therapeutic insight: Build foundational experience for future Occupational Therapy Master's/Doctorate training

How Occupational Therapy Supports Students with Sensory and Motor Challenges

In this role, you will gain first-hand exposure to the powerful ways activity-based, sensory-informed interventions can reach students who struggle with traditional classroom engagement. For children with sensory processing disorders, dyspraxia, or autism, occupational therapy offers an alternative pathway to regulate, participate, and thrive in their education. Through movement breaks, sensory circuits, fine motor tasks, and environmental adaptations, these students can:

• Regulate their nervous system through structured sensory input (e.g., heavy work, proprioceptive activities), reducing anxiety and improving classroom focus.
• Develop motor planning and coordination through targeted activities that build the physical skills needed for writing, using tools, and participating in PE and play.
• Build independence in self-care, organisation, and transitioning between tasks—skills that transfer directly to daily life.
• Communicate sensory needs and learn to self-advocate, reducing frustration and behavioural outbursts.
• Process traumatic experiences indirectly through safe, physical activities that allow for emotional release without the pressure of verbal disclosure.

By witnessing this process daily, you will develop a deep, practical understanding of how occupational therapy principles can transform a child's educational and emotional journey—foundational insight for any aspiring occupational therapist.

Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead - Education and Training - Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead

Your responsibilities

• Support students 1:1 and in small groups to raise academic attainment
• Help pupils re-engage with learning and build positive routines
• Provide sensory and SEMH support to improve focus, regulation, and behaviour
• Implement fine and gross motor activities to support physical development
• Work with teachers and OTs to deliver tailored support strategies
• Encourage a culture where education is seen as valuable and achievable
• Support a safe, structured, and supportive learning environment

The students you support are capable — your role is to help them believe it and act on it.

Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead
Education and Training - Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead

Who we are looking for

No prior school experience required — attitude and intent are key.

• Aspiring Occupational Therapist (or related field such as Psychology, Health Sciences, or Education)
• Strong interest in sensory integration, mental health, or paediatric rehabilitation
• Passion for helping vulnerable young people succeed academically and functionally
• Resilient, patient, and consistent
• Able to build strong, trusting relationships

What's in it for you

• £115.90 per day
• Fast-track registration
• Flexible working options
• Access to 1000+ CPD courses
• Free wellbeing resources
• Discount and perks platform
• Dedicated consultant support
• Opportunity to work with an eco-friendly education agency
• Valuable frontline experience for Occupational Therapy Master's/Doctorate applications

If you want to make a real impact by helping vulnerable but capable students reconnect with education, we'd love to hear from you.

Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead - Education and Training - Aspiring Occupational Therapist/Aspiring Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead

Milk Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We are proudly APSCo Compliance+ accredited, reflecting our dedication to the highest standards in safer recruitment. All applicants will be subject to thorough compliance checks in line with DfE, Keeping Children Safe in Education, and APSCo guidelines.

Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead
Education and Training - Aspiring Occupational Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead