Learning Support Assistant
REF: SENPLOY/225309
Education ⫽ SEN Support Jobs
Belsize Park, Greater London
£22000 - £26000 per annum
Contract, Full time
Desirable Skills
Fluency in Spanish, Qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning, Qualification in Special Needs Education
Job description
Learning Support Assistant (Adolescents Community/ Secondary)
Report To: SENDCo Elementary & Adolescent Communities, Head of School
Location: North London
Start Date: 1st September 2026
Contract: Full time, long-term
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Purpose of the Role
The Montessori Institute is seeking a caring, proactive and resilient Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to join our Adolescents Community (Secondary Education), supporting students aged 13-18 within an authentic Montessori learning environment.
This is a specialist SEND support role within our independent Montessori school's SEN provision. The LSA will provide consistent, responsive support for students who are independent in many aspects of school life, but require additional individual attention to access learning, develop confidence, strengthen emotional regulation and participate fully in the community.
The role will involve supporting students with a range of additional needs, including neurodiversity, specific learning differences, communication and interaction needs, sensory differences, social-emotional needs and barriers to learning. The LSA will implement agreed support strategies, interventions and individual plans, while working as part of a supportive Inclusion and Wellbeing Team with the SENDCo, and alongside the Adolescent Lead Teachers and Teaching Assistants, to help students engage successfully with school life.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to develop a unique combination of Montessori and SEND skills. It may suit candidates with experience in SEN/SEND, learning support, specialist provision, alternative provision, care or youth work, as well as Montessori practitioners who wish to build deeper knowledge and confidence in supporting students with additional needs.
Key Responsibilities
Day to day, the LSA will:
- Provide dedicated 1:1 and small-group support, helping students access learning and build independence
- Deliver targeted interventions and implement programmes set by the SENDCo and visiting therapists
- Respond to behaviour with curiosity and calm, using trauma-informed, attachment-aware approaches
- Keep students safe and included during practical activities, trips, and sports
- Build warm, trusted relationships with students, families, and colleagues
- Help build a respectful, orderly Montessori community - with genuine opportunities for ongoing training and growth
About the School
The school provides a carefully prepared, child-centred learning environment where children are supported to develop independence, confidence, curiosity and a strong sense of responsibility. As part of the Maria Montessori Institute, the school is committed to high-quality and authentic Montessori practice and to creating a respectful, purposeful and nurturing community in which both children and adults can thrive.
The school offers:
- Pension scheme and Employee Assistance Programme
- Ongoing professional development and mentorship from experienced AMI trainers
- A positive and inclusive working culture and professional development opportunities
- A multidisciplinary approach involving therapists and specialist professionals
- The opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of students with disability
Please see job description below:
Job Title: Learning Support Assistant (Adolescents Community/ Secondary)
Reports To: SENDCo Elementary & Adolescent Communities, Head of School
The Learning Support Assistant (LSA) plays a vital role within our Inclusion and Wellbeing Team, working under the direction of the SENDCo to provide dedicated, responsive support to students who need closer individual attention to access learning, build independence, and participate fully in school life. The LSA works in close partnership with Lead Teachers, Assistant Teachers and the SENDCo, implementing agreed programmes and strategies with consistency, warmth, and attentiveness.
Our Inclusion and Wellbeing team works collaboratively within a warm, respectful, and supportive community, and we take real pride in the positive culture this creates. We are committed to investing in our staff, with clear opportunities for ongoing training and professional growth.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Learning Support
- Provide dedicated 1:1 support throughout the school day, applying scaffolding techniques to help the student access learning and activities, and gradually stepping back as independence grows.
- Use a least-to-most prompting approach, offering the minimum support needed for the student to complete each step successfully.
- Support and motivate students to understand instructions, complete tasks, and build genuine confidence in their abilities.
- Encourage and model communication - listening to students read, reading aloud to them, and supporting them to express themselves.
- Deliver targeted intervention sessions - including literacy, numeracy, communication, motor skills, or emotional regulation - in line with programmes set by the SENDCo.
- Implement programmes designed by external professionals, such as speech and language or occupational therapists, as overview by the SENDCo.
- Contribute to monitoring student progress, sharing regular observations with the SENDCo and Teaching Team.
2. Safety and Practical Activities
- Provide close supervision during practical, hands-on activities - including cooking, science experiments, woodwork, gardening, and tool use - intervening promptly and calmly to prevent injury where a student's impulsivity, motor difficulties, or developing risk awareness may present a safety concern, while preserving the student's engagement and dignity.
- Maintain the same level of attentive support and safety awareness during school trips, outings, and sports events, ensuring every student can participate fully and safely.
- Be aware of each supported student's dietary needs, allergies, and personal care requirements, liaising with the catering team as needed.
- Attend to students' physical and personal wellbeing, monitoring basic needs such as hunger, thirst, and hygiene as appropriate.
3. Understanding Student Behaviour
At Maria Montessori Institute, we understand that a student's behaviour is always a form of communication. What may look like disruption, refusal, or avoidance is often a student's way of telling us that something feels too hard, too overwhelming, or unsafe. The LSA's role is to respond with curiosity and calm, not judgement.
- Recognise that a student's actions - including avoidance, refusal, withdrawal, or emotional outbursts - are signals of an unmet need, and respond with steadiness, warmth, and consistency.
- Apply trauma-informed and attachment-aware principles in all daily interactions, maintaining a calm, predictable, and non-judgemental presence that helps students feel safe.
- Support students to develop emotional regulation skills, using agreed strategies and tools as directed by the SENDCo.
- Facilitate conflict resolution during unstructured times such as break and lunch, supporting students to navigate peer relationships with growing confidence.
- Prepare students in advance for changes to routine, new activities, or transitions, using clear and reassuring communication.
4. Observation and Communication
- Observe students regularly in the classroom and social settings, sharing timely insights with the SENDCo and Teaching Team to inform understanding of their needs and development.
- Participate in morning check-ins and regular team meetings with the SENDCo and Teaching Team, bringing observations and relevant items to discuss.
- Liaise with families in a clear, professional, and courteous manner, greeting parents on arrival and assisting with departure as needed. Refer any questions about a student's provision or progress to the SENDCo or class teacher.
- Respond to administrative emails and communications in a timely manner.
5. Community Building
- Assist the Teaching Team in cultivating an environment of respect, kindness, and thoughtfulness within Adolescent communities.
- Support the Goings Out programme by chaperoning outings as needed.
- Chaperone and help supervise students during Sport on Friday afternoons.
- Organise and oversee the smooth running of the lunch period, modelling table manners and positive social skills.
- Actively supervise playtime, maintaining attentive focus on your students while building a broader understanding of group dynamics.
- Nurture a physically and emotionally safe environment in which all students feel valued, respected, and connected to their learning.
- Protect the work of Teaching Team by promoting respect for others' work, gently redirecting students to prevent interruptions.
- Support the development of the whole student - cognitive, physical, social, and emotional - in line with Montessori principles.
- Help prepare and maintain a beautiful, safe, and orderly environment, replenishing materials as needed and ensuring it is ready each morning.
- Support the SENDCo and Teaching Team with administrative tasks - maintaining records and completing assessments and reports as required - and with preparing activity resources, while lesson planning remain the responsibility of the Teaching Team and SENDCo.
6. Administration
- Learn how to complete the school's incident and accident forms (M1, R1, S1, and A1) and report any incidents to the class teacher immediately.
- Attend all-staff meetings, Inclusion and Wellbeing Team meetings, regular Communities (classes) programme meetings, and other meetings and events hosted by the organisation.
7. Health, Safety, and Safeguarding
- Work in collaboration with the SENDCo and Teaching Team to maintain the safety and welfare of all students, including participating in fire drills.
- Maintain up-to-date training in Paediatric First Aid, Safeguarding, and Food Hygiene.
- Be aware of all allergies and medical needs within the group you support.
8. Professional Development
- Engage actively in professional development opportunities in line with goals agreed with the SENDCo and Head of School.
- Complete training in relevant areas as directed, such as speech and language support, occupational therapy programme delivery, and social-emotional learning approaches.
- Develop systems around organisation and time management to ensure all duties are fulfilled consistently and reliably.
- Work in collaboration and harmony with colleagues to create a positive, communicative, and supportive environment for students and staff alike.
- Support the mission and values of Maria Montessori Institute and its leadership.
Person Specification
Essential
- Experience working with children & adolescents in an educational, care, or community setting, ideally including a prior role as a Learning Support Assistant, Teaching Assistant, or Support Worker.
- A calm, warm, patient, and consistent manner, with the ability to build trusted relationships with students who may find trust difficult.
- Ability to follow direction from the SENDCo and Teaching Team, implementing programmes, strategies, and any agreed care plans or risk assessments accurately and consistently.
- Good observation skills, with the ability to adapt activities and support to individual student needs.
- Good communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to share clear and detailed observations.
- Ability to remain calm, resourceful, and professional in challenging situations.
- Good organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
- A flexible, adaptable, and proactive approach to supporting diverse student needs, with genuine commitment to this student group.
- Commitment to the safeguarding and wellbeing of all students, and to inclusion and equal opportunities.
- Professional conduct and high ethical standards.
- An interest in or knowledge of Montessori philosophy and practice.
- Willingness to undertake ongoing training, including Paediatric First Aid, Safeguarding, and Food Hygiene.
- Enhanced DBS clearance (or willingness to obtain).
Desirable
- Experience within a specialist educational setting or specialist SEND provision.
- Experience supporting children or young people with additional needs, including neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), SpLDs (Specific Learning Difficulties), or communication and language difficulties.
- Awareness of sensory processing differences and their impact on learning and behaviour.
- Familiarity with trauma-informed or attachment-aware approaches.
- Experience delivering structured interventions under professional supervision.
- Fluency in Spanish, as students study Spanish as part of the curriculum.
- Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning, or equivalent.
- Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in Special Needs Education, or equivalent.
- AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) Training and Courses.
Please send your CV in the first instance.