If you are applying for a Learning Support Assistant role, you need to ensure that you are fully prepared for any questions employers might ask you during your interview. Below we have outlined some common questions, you just prepare yourself for your interview by reading and preparing a response for these to ensure you are in the best position to ace the interview.
This is possibly one of the most common question when applying for a Learning Support Assistant role. The interviewer wants to see if you have a genuine interest in the role, so be sure to show your passion and dedication. There are many great reasons you could discuss, such as the satisfaction of helping students overcome learning difficulties, that no two days are the same or that it is an incredibly rewarding job. It is important to add your own experiences in the reply.
Learning Support Assistant are expected to be hard working, have great communication skills and have patience and flexibility which are all good qualities to mention but for this question it is worth thinking outside the box and discussing some less obvious qualities that will make you stand out.
It is important to do your research on the school before the interview to prepare for a question like this. Employers could ask this question to check if you are serious candidate and that you would be a member of staff who intends to stick around.
This requires a simple answer as you are just talking about yourself and your own experience. The interview will want to know about your relationship with children and how you overcome difficulties with students that lead to positive results. It is a good idea to provide examples of types of special educational needs students you have worked with and show your understanding of the issues that affect pupils with varying educational needs.
For this question you should discuss some techniques you would use if a student is struggling with their reading and writing and use past experiences as a example. You could talk about using visuals or encouraging them to form grammatically correct sentences.
The employers want to know if you are the right fit for the job and know what is expected of you. Mention a few skills that are needed for the job which you believe you possess. You could talk about reliability, excellent communication, reading and writing skills and flexibility.
This is another simple question as you are just talking about your own experiences. Talk about the responsibilities and day to day tasks you took on in your past employment. You could mention preparing learning materials, creating a stimulating environment, adapting support according to needs or looking after children’s physical, social and emotional welfare.
Knowing how to work with students parents is just as important as knowing how to work with the students themselves, especially students with special educational needs. It is good to demonstrate your understanding of the importance of this by discussing ways you will work or communicate with them. You can talk about keeping regular communication with parents, keeping open communication channels e.g. face to face, phone, email, building a relationship of trust or understanding their family context.
Effectively communicating with children is an essential skill to have when working as a learning support assistant. Communicating with children may sound easy, but it can be tricky as children don’t like to feel patronised and they don’t have an adult range of vocabulary or understanding of complex language. When answering tis question, talk about how you communicate with children and discuss some methods you would use yo communicate most effectively. You can talk about recognising the range of needs, the role of music, visual aids and using actions.
For this question, the employer wants to make sure they are hiring someone professional and who is aware of the proper procedures. Exercising good classroom management strategies can ensure you have control of the classroom. Talk about the techniques you would use to ensure there is as little distracting behaviour from students as possible.
Working in an education setting means you have a duty to protect the welfare of the students. Show the interviewer you are aware of safeguarding issues by discussing the different types and talk about how to recognise when a child is at risk and how to deal with concerns.
This question requires your own opinion. Do you think the role is fulfilling and if so, why? You could talk about how rewarding it is to watch students overcome obstacles, achieve their goals and become more confident.
The employer wants to know that you are able to professionally deal with situations like this, so be sure to know the correct safeguarding measures.
