Learning Support Assistant

Learning Support Assistant

(Please see the school's website for all other support roles available)

Hours: 8am – 5pm Monday to Thursday (with one evening until 7.30pm) and 8am – 3.35pm Fridays.  Term time only.  

Salary: circa £16,500 

Reports to: SENCO   Main Purpose of the Job  To be part of a team with the teachers and other assistants in the Learning Support Department and to help children access the curriculum in various ways.  Especially those students that are particularly weak in literacy, numeracy and basic organisation skills.  With this role there is an opportunity to provide support to an individual student.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Your duties will include, but may not be limited to:  
• Early morning mentoring 8-8.30 
• To be aware of the students on the SEN register and their particular needs, mentoring a small number of students each year under the direction of the SENCO. 
• To go into classes to support specific students/groups of students identified by the SENCO as needing help.  
• To produce a written teacher feedback / advice ‘sticky label’ for each lesson 
• To actively support students by intervening to contribute to their progress where barriers exist 
• To ensure that they are aware of the requirements of the class teacher prior to the lesson. To help children have access to the curriculum in various ways which may include:

- working on a one to one basis with a student under the direction of the SENCO; 

- working with a group under the direction of the SENCO; 

- benchmarking students using assessment materials;

- checking that students understand instructions given by the class teacher;

- checking that students are copying correctly into their books; 

- checking that students are recording information regarding homework correctly into their diaries;

- encouraging students to use dictionaries/spell checkers;

- helping students with organisational skills;

- helping with project work;

- helping students access, select and organise information. 

• To track students through observation notes and contribute to Student Annual Reviews where necessary. 
• Responsibility for casework, student mentoring, parental liaison and contact, keeping records, IEPs as necessary 
• To have regular meetings within the department to report on and evaluate the methods being used to help students. 
• Supporting students off-site on vocational courses 
• Other duties as specified by SENCO 
• After 4-5pm each day assisting the school running activities at the behest of the SENCO or Assistant Head Co-curricular

Special Factors 

The ideal candidate would have the physical capacity to assist with a student with heavy physical needs.  

Person Specification Essential: 

Excellent communication skills 

Good organisational, inter-personal and literacy skills  

Desirable: 

Experience with learning difficulties especially dyslexia 

Familiar with Microsoft Office packages including Word and Outlook

Ability to support in numeracy and / or science  

Gordon’s School is a State Boarding and Day School and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment – applicants must be willing to undergo appropriate screening including a DBS check.