SEMH PE, Sports Mentor & Football Coach

SEMH PE, Sports Mentor & Football Coach

Location: Harlow, Essex, with regular weekly travel to Rayleigh and Benfleet
Pay: From £14.00 per hour, with potential for a higher rate depending on experience and qualifications
Hours: Approximately 38 hours per week
Schedule: Monday–Saturday

About the Role

Essex Elite Sports Coaching and Essex Elite Football Coaching are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and highly reliable SEMH PE, Sports Mentor & Football Coach to join our growing team.

This is a substantial coaching role offering approximately 38 hours of regular work per week, combining three full days within a specialist SEMH school in Harlow with Primary School PE and football provision in Rayleigh and our football development programme in Benfleet and Rayleigh.

This isn't a role offering just a few coaching sessions each week. We're looking for someone who wants coaching and working with children and young people to form a major part of their working week and who would like to develop with us long-term.

The successful candidate will need to be confident working independently, building positive relationships with children and young people and representing Essex Elite professionally within our partner schools.

Weekly Working Pattern

Monday – Harlow | 8:00am–3:00pm
SEMH school – PE, physical activity interventions and mentoring

Tuesday – Rayleigh area | 1:00pm–4:15pm
Primary School PE, school football and after-school provision

Wednesday – Rayleigh area | 1:00pm–4:15pm
Primary School PE, school football and after-school provision

Wednesday – Benfleet | approximately 4:30pm–8:00pm
Set-up followed by football development sessions from 5:00pm

Thursday – Harlow | 8:00am–3:00pm
SEMH school – PE, physical activity interventions and mentoring

Friday – Harlow | 8:00am–3:00pm
SEMH school – PE, physical activity interventions and mentoring

Saturday – Rayleigh | 9:00am–4:00pm
Football development coaching

Applicants must be able to consistently commit to this working pattern.

Working Within an SEMH Setting

Three days of the week will be spent within a specialist Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) school in Harlow.

This part of the position involves much more than simply delivering football sessions.

The successful candidate will use PE, sport, physical activity and positive mentoring relationships to engage and support children and young people.

Responsibilities will include:

• Planning and delivering engaging PE and physical activity sessions
• Delivering individual and small-group interventions
• Providing positive 1-to-1 and small-group mentoring
• Building strong, appropriate and consistent relationships with pupils
• Supporting pupils with differing social, emotional and behavioural needs
• Adapting sessions and communication to meet individual needs
• Encouraging confidence, engagement and positive behaviour through sport
• Managing challenging behaviour calmly, consistently and professionally
• Working closely with teachers and other school staff
• Providing a positive role model for pupils

Previous experience working within SEMH, SEND, alternative provision, behaviour mentoring or a similar environment is highly desirable.

Football & School Coaching

Alongside the Harlow provision, you'll become an important member of the Essex Elite coaching team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Planning and delivering structured football development sessions
• Coaching children aged approximately 3–11
• Delivering Primary School PE
• Delivering after-school football and sports clubs
• Coaching and managing school football teams
• Taking school teams for fixtures
• Refereeing school football matches when required
• Delivering 1-to-1 and small-group football coaching
• Supporting football camps and holiday clubs
• Delivering birthday parties and other coaching activities when required
• Setting up and packing away sessions
• Taking responsibility for coaching equipment

We're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys coaching and developing children, rather than simply supervising sessions.

Sessions should be organised, engaging, progressive and enjoyable.

Essential Requirements

Please only apply if you meet all of the following requirements:

• Minimum FA Level 1 / FA Introduction to Coaching Football qualification
• A current clear Enhanced DBS suitable for working with children
• Previous experience coaching football and working with children
• Confident planning and delivering sessions independently
• Strong group and behaviour-management skills
• Confident communicating with children, young people, parents and school staff
• Full UK driving licence
• Own reliable vehicle available for work
• Willing and able to store and transport a reasonable amount of coaching equipment
• Able to reliably travel between Harlow, Rayleigh and Benfleet
• Able to commit consistently to the advertised working pattern
• Reliable, punctual, organised and professional
• Must not currently operate, or undertake work for, a directly competing football/sports coaching business where this would create a conflict of interest with their role at Essex Elite.

Desirable Experience & Qualifications

We would particularly like to hear from candidates with experience in:

• SEMH and/or SEND settings
• Behaviour mentoring
• Alternative provision
• Primary School PE/PPA
• Working as a sports mentor
• Higher FA/UEFA coaching qualifications
• Safeguarding
• First Aid
• Coaching school football teams
• Early-years football
• 1-to-1 and small-group coaching
• Holiday clubs and football camps

Conflict of Interest

Due to the nature of this position and the relationships our coaches build with our schools, players and families, the successful candidate must be able to work for Essex Elite without any direct conflict of interest.

Applicants should disclose if they currently operate their own football/sports coaching business or work for another organisation providing similar services within the areas in which we operate.

Other employment is not automatically an issue; however, we would not be able to appoint someone where their other work or business activities directly compete with Essex Elite or create a conflict with our schools, customers, programmes or commercial relationships.

Pay & Additional Opportunities

Starting rate: £14.00 per hour.

A higher rate may be considered for the right candidate depending on their experience, qualifications and ability to take on additional responsibility, particularly candidates with strong SEMH, mentoring, school PE and football coaching experience.

There may also be opportunities to increase earnings through additional work including:

• 1-to-1 football coaching
• Small-group coaching
• Holiday clubs and football camps
• Birthday parties
• Additional school provision

Who We're Looking For

Qualifications and experience are important, but finding the right person is equally important to us.

We need someone who children respond positively to – someone who is enthusiastic, approachable and encouraging while also being confident setting boundaries and maintaining high standards.

Reliability is extremely important. Our schools, players and families rely on our coaches being there every week, prepared and ready to deliver.

You will be trusted to represent Essex Elite within our partner schools and football programmes, so professionalism, communication and a genuine passion for helping children develop are essential.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to become an important long-term member of a growing coaching organisation.

How to Apply

Please apply through Indeed with your CV and details of your relevant coaching, school, mentoring and/or SEMH experience.

Please ensure your application clearly shows your:

• Football coaching qualification
• Enhanced DBS status
• Relevant coaching/work experience
• Current location
• Driving status and access to a vehicle
• Availability for the advertised working pattern

We look forward to hearing from you.

Essex Elite Sports Coaching & Essex Elite Football Coaching

Pay: From £14.00 per hour

Application question(s):

• Do you hold a minimum FA Level 1 or FA Introduction to Coaching Football qualification?
• Do you currently hold a clear Enhanced DBS certificate suitable for working with children?
• Do you hold a full UK driving licence and have your own vehicle available for work?
• Can you reliably travel between Harlow, Rayleigh and Benfleet as required by the advertised schedule?
• Can you commit to the full weekly working pattern shown in the advert, including Wednesday evenings and Saturdays?
• Please briefly describe your experience coaching football and working with children.
• Please describe any experience you have working in SEMH, SEND, alternative provision, behaviour mentoring or similar settings

Work Location: In person