Reading Mentor

Job title: Reading Mentor

Location: Fir Vale Academy, Owler Lane, Sheffield, S4 8GB

Salary: FTE £28,800 gross per annum pro rata (actual £24,851)

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday 08:00 – 16:00, 39 working weeks per annum

Start date: As soon as possible / 1st September 2026

Fir Vale Academy is seeking to appoint a Reading Mentor to join its established team.  The academy is part of United Learning, a national group of schools and academies. Fir Vale Academy is an 11–16 secondary school located in the north of Sheffield. As part of United Learning, our aim is to bring out the Best in Everyone, and we continuously strive to ensure that students and staff have every opportunity to succeed, with their potential developed to the fullest extent.

The post-holder will work closely with identified students to improve literacy, reading fluency, comprehension and engagement with reading across the Academy. Through tailored interventions, one-to-one support and small-group sessions, the Reading Mentor will help students develop confidence and independence in reading, enabling them to access the wider curriculum successfully.

The successful candidate will play a key role in promoting a culture of reading and supporting students who require additional literacy intervention. Working collaboratively with teaching staff, pastoral teams and families, they will monitor progress, identify barriers to learning and implement strategies that support students in making sustained progress.

The role will also contribute to the Academy’s wider literacy strategy and support students in developing the knowledge, vocabulary and reading skills needed to thrive both in education and beyond.

The academy is part of United Learning, a national group of schools and academies.  United Learning is one of the largest and most successful Trusts in the country who offers unrivalled Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and training, including opportunities for nationwide networking.

The city of Sheffield itself is a vibrant place to live and work with two universities and a range of entertainment opportunities alongside the access to the beautiful Peak District within a 20-minute commute.  Quality of life is routinely ranked highly, and it is one of the greenest cities in Europe: Welcome to Sheffield

We are looking for someone who:

·       Is reliable, highly motivated and self-driven

·       Shares our moral purpose of ensuring that all our young people receive the best education possible in a supportive environment from people who care about them

·       Someone who is resilient, dynamic, and passionate about improving the life chances of all children in our community but also displays humility and a reflective approach to improvement

·       A team player with strong communication skills

We will offer you:

·       Highly competitive salary

·       Excellent facilities and resources

·       Access to an outstanding professional development programme

·       Polite, respectful and dedicated students who want to learn and fulfil their potential

·       A respectful working environment

·       Colleagues who are supportive, friendly and who are committed to each other’s professional development

·       A chance to become part of one of the largest groups of academies in the country

·       Opportunities to work collaboratively with colleagues in other schools within the Yorkshire cluster and across United Learning

·       Excellent employee benefits which include a highly sought-after pension scheme with high employer contributions

·       Access to training through the Apprenticeship Levy

·       Westfield benefits platform

·       We are open to requests for flexible or part-time working; and we encourage open and regular conversations about work-life balance

If you possess these qualities and share the academy’s vision, then we will be delighted to hear from you.  Please refer to the job description and person specification for further details.

To apply, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button at the top of the advert on our website using the following link to our vacancies page: https://www.firvale.com/our-school/vacancies/ and complete our online application form.  Please note that CVs are not accepted. 

The closing date for this post is midnight Sunday 21st June 2026.  Interviews will take place soon after.

If you would like to discuss this exciting opportunity, please contact hr@unitedlearningyorks.org.uk

United Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  Employees will, in accordance with statutory guidance, be subject to a comprehensive checking process including references from current and previous employers, health, right to work in the UK, an Enhanced DBS check and a further check against the appropriate barred list.