Learning Support Assistant (LSA)

About this Role

Oakbank is a school of potential that drives for the betterment for all. The school is committed to a journey of transformation, where staff, students and parents are committed to improving the quality and experience of education for its community. We believe that every child deserves to not only access the full curriculum, but should thrive in their curriculums, developing academically, personally and holistically as a result of passionate and adaptive teaching, resulting in committed learning that secures successful outcomes. Our current phase of school improvement features our entire team, working together at pace to offer greater stability, more innovation and creativity. The aim is for greater consistency for all students, enabling them to manage their learning and themselves more effectively.

Our collective determination to make Oakbank a happier and higher performing school affirms our commitment to our values: integrity, collaboration and excellence. We believe in excellence for our students to give them the opportunities to have choices in their lives, empowering them to choose the future that they desire off the back of hard work. We believe in working together to ensure that our community supports one another and challenges one another to be the ‘best yet’ versions of ourselves, not because we have to improve but because if we do, the potential is endless. And we believe in the fidelity of our vision for students and staff, and strive to retain our moral compass when making decisions, to ensure an open, inclusive and happy community at Oakbank.

About the Role 

The role will involve mentoring and supporting the learning of individual pupils and small groups under the direction of the teachers. You will ensure that the pupils can integrate as fully as possible in the activities generally undertaken by the other children in the class and make progress. Your responsibilities will include running specific programmes and activities to assist the pupils’ individual learning and social needs.  You will also be responsible for implementing the targets on the pupils’ Individual Education Plan (IEP) in liaison with the class teachers and the SENCo and regularly update pupil profiles.

We are seeking a Learning Support Assistant who:

• Is flexible, patient and enthusiastic, caring about students being able to engage in an educational environment, particularly those who find learning and managing their behaviour difficult
• Can communicate effectively to students and adults alike, and has good standard of education, particularly written and spoken English.
• Demonstrates the ability to understand others and support their emotions, with a passion for inclusion and supporting students in their learning.

It would be beneficial if you demonstrate experience of working with pupils with additional needs although training will be in place for the successful candidate to ensure they are appropriately skilled. Experience of working with pupils with communication difficulties, dyslexia and autism would be an advantage, but not essential.

This job description will be supported by the school improvement plan which will identify key distinct tasks and responsibilities for this role in the school year. These will be derived from ongoing school self-evaluation and other local/national priorities. The postholder’s duties must be carried out in compliance with the school’s policies and procedures including child protection and safeguarding procedures.

These duties and responsibilities should be regarded as neither exhaustive nor exclusive as the post holder may be required to undertake other reasonably determined duties and responsibilities commensurate with the grading of the post.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the recruitment campaign earlier that this date subject to the volume of applications received.  We therefore encourage candidates to submit applications as early as possible.

It is an offence for an individual who has been disqualified from working with children to knowingly apply for, offer to do, accept, or do any work in a ‘regulated activity’. The position advertised is a ‘regulated activity’.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and require all staff and volunteers to share and demonstrate this commitment. The successful candidate will have to meet the requirements of the person specification and will be subject to the relevant pre-employment checks which will, where applicable, include a health check, an enhanced DBS check, the Children’s Barred List check and satisfactory references.