Behaviour Buddy – Primary & Secondary Schools

Location: Leeds
Pay: £92.56–£95 per day
Job Type: Full-time / Part-time / Flexible opportunities
Hours: School hours, typically 08:30am–15:30pm

About the Role

At Engage Education, we are passionate about finding the right people to make a genuine difference in children’s lives. We are currently looking to recruit a Behaviour Buddy to support pupils within schools across Leeds who may struggle with their behaviour, emotional regulation and engagement in education.

This role involves working closely with children and young people who may experience difficulties outside of school, including challenging home circumstances, family instability, emotional difficulties and other barriers that can impact their behaviour and learning.

For some pupils, behaviours that are viewed as disruptive within the classroom may actually be a way of communicating frustration, anxiety, unmet needs or difficulties they are struggling to express.

These children often need someone who takes the time to understand them, build trust and provide consistent guidance rather than simply focusing on the behaviour itself.

As a Behaviour Buddy, you will provide dedicated 1:1 support, helping pupils understand their emotions, make positive choices and develop the confidence and skills needed to manage their behaviour more effectively.

This is an incredibly rewarding opportunity for someone who is passionate about supporting vulnerable children and young people and looking beyond the behaviour to understand the individual.

The Role

As a Behaviour Buddy, you will work closely with pupils, teachers and pastoral teams to provide consistent 1:1 guidance and emotional support.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing dedicated 1:1 support to children who struggle with challenging or disruptive behaviours.

• Building positive, trusting relationships with pupils who may find it difficult to engage with school staff.

• Helping children understand their emotions, recognise triggers and develop positive coping strategies.

• Supporting pupils with emotional regulation, frustration, anxiety and conflict management.

• Acting as a positive role model and providing guidance around making appropriate choices.

• Helping children develop confidence, resilience and positive relationships with their peers.

• Supporting pupils to remain engaged in lessons and access their education.

• Identifying potential triggers and recognising when a child may be becoming overwhelmed or distressed.

• Using positive reinforcement and consistent behaviour strategies to encourage positive changes.

• Working alongside teachers, pastoral staff and other professionals to ensure pupils receive consistent support.

• Helping children develop their social skills, communication and ability to manage difficult situations.

You will need to be patient, understanding and resilient, particularly when supporting pupils who may initially be reluctant to engage or struggle to build relationships with adults.

What We’re Looking For

We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience in:

• Behaviour support or behaviour mentoring.

• Youth work or working with vulnerable young people.

• Residential care or children’s support work.

• SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) settings.

• Alternative provisions or pupil referral units (PRUs).

• Pastoral support or 1:1 mentoring.

• Supporting children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma or challenging home circumstances.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have a genuine passion for supporting children who may struggle within a mainstream classroom environment.

• Be confident managing challenging behaviours and emotionally difficult situations.

• Have a calm, patient and non-judgemental approach.

• Understand that behaviour can be a form of communication and that every child has individual needs.

• Be confident setting boundaries whilst maintaining positive relationships.

• Have excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

• Be resilient, empathetic and consistent.

• Be able to recognise the importance of safeguarding and professional boundaries.

Experience within a school is beneficial but not essential. We would also love to hear from individuals with backgrounds in youth work, residential care, support work, mentoring or other roles supporting vulnerable children and young people.

What We Offer

• Opportunities to work within local primary and secondary schools across Leeds.

• Competitive daily pay of £92.56–£95.

• Opportunities for 1:1 and longer-term placements.

• The chance to make a genuine difference to children’s emotional wellbeing and education.

• Valuable experience within pastoral, SEMH and behaviour support.

• Dedicated support from your own Engage Education recruitment consultant.

• Opportunities to develop your skills and progress within education.

Interested?

If you are someone who believes every child deserves to be understood, supported and given the opportunity to succeed, we would love to hear from you!

This role is particularly suited to individuals who understand that challenging behaviour often comes from a deeper need and who have the patience, compassion and resilience to help children make positive changes.

Sometimes, all a child needs is one consistent adult who believes in them. Could that be you?

📩 Apply today by sending your CV to hannah.day@engage-education.com to find out more about our Behaviour Buddy opportunities across Leeds!