Structured and Aspirational LSA Professional Development Programme

Develop, motivate and retain high-quality Learning Support Assistants with this comprehensive four-stage LSA Professional Development Pathway.

Designed for primary, secondary and specialist settings, this ready-to-use resource provides a clear and progressive framework through which LSAs can develop from effective intervention practitioners into confident leaders of inclusive practice.

The pathway moves beyond simply recording attendance at training. It supports schools to evaluate how professional learning is applied in practice and how it improves pupils’ access, engagement, independence and progress.

This 18-page resource includes:

Four progressive stages: Effective, Skilled, Advanced and Expert Practitioner
Clear professional expectations and progression criteria
A structured annual review cycle
Practical examples showing how every expectation can be achieved
Suggested evidence for each stage
Guidance for setting purposeful professional-development targets
Recognition criteria for an Expert Inclusion Practitioner
A professional evidence log
Annual reflection and next-steps templates
A focus on measurable impact on pupils and colleagues

Ideal for SENCOs, Inclusion Leaders, SENDCos, senior leaders and LSA line managers, this framework can be used to support appraisal, coaching, observation, professional development and succession planning.

The resource will help your setting create greater consistency, strengthen accountability, recognise LSA expertise and establish a meaningful route for career progression—all while keeping improved pupil outcomes at the heart of professional development.

Download once and introduce a structured, aspirational professional-development pathway for your LSA team.