Location: Initially Online, progressing to Home Tuition – Braintree, Essex (CM7)
Hours: 15 Hours Per Week – 12 Hours Tuition + 3 Hours Mentoring
Start Date: 7th September 2026
Contract: Initial 12-Week Provision
Subjects: English, Maths & Functional Skills
Year Group: Year 8
About the Role
Study Mind is looking for a relatable, engaging and experienced SEN Tutor to support a Year 8 student experiencing significant Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), anxiety and mental health needs.
This is a highly relationship-led placement. The successful tutor will need experience supporting neurodiverse young people who experience anxiety, emotional dysregulation, masking and barriers to accessing education.
The student has been out of education for a significant period and has developed substantial gaps in learning. However, she was previously considered academically bright, and the aim is to gradually rebuild her confidence, engagement and readiness to learn.
About the Student
The student is currently on the SEN register and is awaiting further assessment for Autism and ADHD, alongside CAMHS involvement and an EHC Needs Assessment.
She experiences significant anxiety and can struggle with panic attacks, task paralysis, emotional dysregulation, freezing and shutting down when overwhelmed.
There are considerable differences between her presentation depending on how regulated she feels. On a good day, she can be articulate, funny, engaging and expressive. On a difficult day, she can experience extreme dysregulation and find communication incredibly difficult.
Her difficulties have previously been interpreted as defiance, so it is essential that the tutor understands the underlying emotional and neurodiverse needs driving her presentation.
Relationship Building Is Critical
The relationship between the tutor and student will be the single most important factor in making this placement successful.
We are specifically looking for a younger tutor who can be authentic, relatable, humorous and engaging, while still maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
The successful tutor should:
- Be able to listen without immediately correcting or judging.
- Have a good sense of humour and be comfortable building rapport informally.
- Avoid excessive or insincere praise – the student responds much better to genuine, specific feedback.
- Take time to understand her perspective, particularly when she feels something has been unfair.
- Remain calm when communication presents as "sassy", resistant or defiant.
- Understand that challenging presentation can be a communication of anxiety or overwhelm rather than deliberate poor behaviour.
Clear Expectations Are Equally Important
While a therapeutic and understanding approach is essential, the student also needs a tutor who is fair, confident and able to establish clear expectations.
The right tutor will know when to reduce demands and listen, but also when to provide encouragement and a clear message that it is time to engage with the task.
This placement therefore requires someone who can strike the balance between being emotionally attuned and appropriately firm – avoiding both an overly rigid approach and an approach where avoidance consistently results in learning being abandoned.
Academic Support
The core academic provision will focus on:
- English, which has historically been her most successful subject.
- Maths, where confidence and previous relationships have created greater barriers.
- Functional Skills, where appropriate.
- Identifying and addressing substantial gaps created by prolonged absence from education.
There are no formal examinations required at present. Future progression towards Functional Skills or GCSE qualifications may be considered once engagement and attendance have stabilised.
SEMH & EBSA Support
The student experiences significant anxiety, low self-esteem, overthinking and catastrophising.
She can become particularly distressed by feeling she has done something wrong or by her interpretation of something another person has said.
The tutor will need to recognise early signs of dysregulation and respond appropriately through reduced demands, listening, reassurance and regulation before attempting to return to learning.
She also struggles with changes in routine, feeling rushed and being late, so sessions need to be predictable and clearly structured.
Mentoring & Reintegration
Alongside academic tuition, 3 hours per week will be dedicated to mentoring and reintegration support.
The tutor will help the student:
- Develop emotional regulation and confidence.
- Recognise and communicate when she is becoming overwhelmed.
- Build tolerance for structured education.
- Develop strategies for managing anxiety around learning.
- Gradually prepare for face-to-face education and eventual reintegration.
- Work towards supported visits to her current school or another suitable provision.
The longer-term objective is successful reintegration into an appropriate educational setting.
Student Interests
Football is currently a major interest and hyperfixation and is likely to provide one of the strongest initial opportunities for building rapport.
She also enjoys practical activities, working with numbers and previously enjoyed playing netball.
A creative tutor who can incorporate these interests into learning and conversation is likely to achieve significantly greater engagement.
Ideal Tutor Experience
We are particularly interested in tutors with experience of:
- Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).
- Neurodiversity, particularly Autism and ADHD.
- SEMH and significant anxiety.
- Supporting young people who mask their difficulties.
- Emotional dysregulation, shutdown and task paralysis.
- Trauma-informed and therapeutic approaches to education.
- Re-engaging students following prolonged school absence.
- Delivering KS3 English and Maths.
- Mentoring and supporting reintegration into education.
Experience within Alternative Provision, EOTAS, SEN, SEMH or specialist education would be particularly valuable.
Delivery & Transition
Tuition will begin online. This is important to allow the tutor and student to establish a relationship without immediately introducing the pressure of a new adult entering the family home.
Once trust has developed, the aim will be to transition gradually towards face-to-face tuition at the family home in Braintree (CM7).
The longer-term goal is to progress towards supported visits and eventual reintegration into a school or suitable educational provision.
Hours & Timetable
15 hours per week in total:
12 hours – Core Academic Tuition
3 hours – Dedicated Mentoring
The intended provision is 5 days per week, 3 hours per day.
However, the family feels that the student may initially benefit from an every-other-day pattern with rest days between sessions, before gradually building towards the full timetable as her tolerance increases.
Start Date & Contract
Start Date: 7th September 2026
Initial Duration: 12 weeks
Review Meeting: 1st October 2026
This is an excellent opportunity for a tutor who understands that successful SEN tuition is not simply about delivering curriculum content. The right person will be able to build a genuine relationship, use humour appropriately, listen carefully, maintain clear expectations and gradually help an anxious young person rediscover confidence in education.
Company Overview
At Study Mind, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their circumstances. We specialise in providing high-quality, 1:1 tuition for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who require personalised academic support outside mainstream education. Through our tailored approach, we help students build confidence, engage with learning, and achieve academic success.
Pay: £28.00-£32.00 per hour
Expected hours: 15.0 per week
Work Location: In person
