Do you want to work as a learning support assistant? We’ll help you learn about the skills and qualifications that you need to get the role, how to plan for an interview and how much you’ll earn working as a learning support assistant.
As a Learning Support Assistants (LSA), you will work with children who find it difficult to learn due to a disability, health issues, family circumstances that has disrupted their education or with those who don’t speak English. You will work with students on a one-to-one basis, however sometimes you will work in groups or support the whole class to help them handle the learning environment.
You could work as a LSA in a special school that supports children with special needs or with an individual student or small group of students in a mainstream school.
The average salary for LSA is around £21,785 per year. Entry level positions start around £15,600 per year while the most experienced workers make up to £22,250 per year. Your salary may vary depending on the responsibilities of the role and the region you are in.
When applying for a learning support assistant role, having experience is helpful in making your application stand out. You usually need experience with children, whether that’s paid work, voluntary activities or experience with children in your personal life.
Think about the transferable skills you will be bringing from previous work and how they will be beneficial in the school environment.
You do not always need formal qualifications but having GCSE Maths and English (C grade or above) is desirable. If you don’t have either English, Math or both then you should look at taking either a Level 2 Functional Skills English course or Level 2 Functional Skills Maths course. A functional skills qualification is equivalent to having your GCSE qualification at this level, and can help you improve your employability.
Previous qualifications in similar settings, such as nursery work, childcare or youth work can help you stand out.
You can do a college qualification such as:
Qualifications in childcare, safeguarding, first aid, and, equality and diversity will help you standout when candidates are being shortlisted for interviews.
You should make sure that your CV is up to date, including any relevant qualifications and work experience you may have. It is important to use your CV to sell your skills to show you are an ideal candidate. For help and tips with writing your CV check out our Learning Support Assistant CV guide
The next step is to search for learning support assistant jobs to apply for, this should be simple and shouldn’t be any different than finding any other job you have applied for before. Make sure you read the job description and requirements to ensure you are a good fit for the role and have all the necessary qualifications.
Check out our job board to begin your search!
You should write your cover letter using the job description of the vacancy you are applying for to ensure you are displaying that you are an ideal candidate. Work through the job description as you write the cover letter matching up your skills and experience with the ones they’re looking for. For more tips on writing your cover letter, check out our learning support assistant cover letter help page.
Job interviews can be nerve-wracking. Being well prepared for the interview will help you appear more calm and confident. In addition to presenting yourself professionally, prepare yourself for the questions commonly given to learning support assistants.
There are some great online resources listing popular learning support assistant interview questions which will help you to know what to expect. Check out our own page of popular questions for learning support assistants.
