Aspiring OT/Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Hayes

Location: Hayes | Start: September 2026 | Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30am–3:45pm (term time) | Pay: £108/day | Trial/observation days available

Aspiring OT/Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Hayes – Education and Training

What's in it for you

• £108 per day (not £115.90 if 8-4pm)
• 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 OT/SLT Master's/Doctorate applications

About the role

Gain frontline experience supporting vulnerable young people while reinforcing the value of education as a pathway to positive outcomes. This specialist provision in Hayes supports academically capable students who 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 or Speech Therapist to work as a Learning Support Assistant, supporting students to re-engage, achieve academically, and rebuild functional skills, regulation, and confidence. In this setting, education is not just about attainment — it is about changing life trajectories.

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 and 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 OT/Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Hayes – Education and Training - Aspiring OT/Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Hayes – Education and Training

How this role develops your OT/SLT 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 OT/SLT 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, reducing anxiety and improving classroom focus
• Develop motor planning and coordination through targeted activities that build physical skills for writing, using tools, and participating in PE and play
• Build independence in self-care, organisation, and transitioning between tasks
• 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 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 OT.

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.

Who we are looking for

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

• Aspiring Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist, or related field (Psychology, Health Sciences, 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

Safeguarding commitment

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

Milk Education is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. By applying, you agree to our Privacy Policy, available on our website. Milk Education is acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy.

Aspiring OT/Speech Therapist – Learning Support Assistant Hayes – Education and Training