Learning Support Assistant
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Job Title: Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
Location: Colchester
Start Date: January
Salary: £85–£100 per day
Contract Type: Permanent or Contract
Protocol Education is proud to be working with a number of welcoming and inclusive secondary schools across Colchester, all looking to appoint dedicated and compassionate Learning Support Assistants (LSAs).
This role involves supporting students across Key Stage 3 (KS3) and Key Stage 4 (KS4), including those with additional learning needs such as SEN. You will work closely with class teachers to provide tailored support, helping students stay engaged, build confidence, and reach their full potential.
This is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to gain hands-on classroom experience—particularly those considering a career in teaching, educational psychology, or youth work.
Whether you're seeking full-time or part-time work, this role offers flexibility while placing you in supportive school environments where you can make a genuine difference.
The successful Learning Support Assistant (LSA) will have:
- Previous experience working with children or young people (school-based experience desirable)
- A calm, patient, and nurturing approach
- Confidence supporting students with additional needs, including SEN
- Strong communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships
- A proactive and adaptable attitude
Why apply through Protocol Education?
- Access to exclusive roles across Colchester schools
- Ongoing support from a dedicated consultant
- Streamlined registration and onboarding process
In return, you can expect:
- Competitive daily rates of £85–£100
- PAYE pay options
- Opportunities to work in supportive, well-resourced schools
- Potential to secure a permanent position through long-term placements
If you're ready to start or continue your journey as a Learning Support Assistant in Colchester, click APPLY NOW and a member of the Protocol Education team will be in touch.
All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.
Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.
Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Open your CV with a Personal Statement that explicitly references SEN support and KS3/KS4 experience, as the advert lists these as core requirements.
📊 Quantify your classroom impact where possible: e.g. 'Supported 6 students with EHCPs across 3 subject areas, contributing to a 15% improvement in lesson engagement scores'.
🎯 Highlight your valid enhanced DBS certificate and DBS Update Service subscription prominently — Protocol Education flags this as mandatory and it will speed up your registration.
🌐 Mention any safeguarding training (online or in-person) completed, referencing 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' by name, as Protocol Education screens specifically for this.
🤝 If you have experience in youth work, educational psychology placements, or mentoring, include this in a dedicated 'Relevant Experience' section — the advert explicitly names these as valued pathways.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Delivered targeted one-to-one SEN support to 8 KS3 students across 5 subject areas, contributing to a measurable improvement in lesson participation rates over a 12-week placement.
- •Collaborated with 4 class teachers to implement differentiated learning strategies for students with EHCPs, reducing classroom disruption incidents by 20% over one term.
- •Maintained full DBS Update Service compliance and completed annual safeguarding refresher training, ensuring readiness for immediate deployment across 3 secondary school sites.
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
Your cover letter is ready
We've drafted a cover letter for Protocol Education. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to Protocol Education
Dear Hiring Manager,
Protocol Education's Learning Support Assistant placements across Colchester secondary schools align directly with my experience supporting students with SEN and additional learning needs at KS3 and KS4. I hold a valid enhanced DBS certificate with an active Update Service subscription and have completed safeguarding training in line with 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance.
My background in working with children and young people in school settings has equipped me with practical strategies for one-to-one and small-group support, behaviour management, and building the kind of trusting relationships that help disengaged students re-engage with learning. I am experienced in collaborating closely with class teachers to deliver tailored support plans and in maintaining clear, accurate progress records.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you adapt your support strategies for a student with an EHCP compared to one receiving informal SEN support?
- ›What approaches do you use to help a KS4 student who is disengaged during a core subject lesson?
- ›How do you maintain accurate records of a student's progress and communicate these to the class teacher?
- ›What do you understand by the term 'safeguarding' and what would you do if a student disclosed a concern to you?
- ›How would you support a student with autism spectrum condition in a busy secondary school classroom environment?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you helped a young person build confidence in a learning environment.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to a change in a student's needs or behaviour.
- ›Give an example of how you have worked collaboratively with a teacher or another professional to support a student.
- ›Tell me about a time you managed a challenging situation with a young person calmly and effectively.
- ›Describe a moment when you noticed a student was struggling and explain the steps you took to intervene.
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you helped a young person build confidence in a learning environment.
Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to a change in a student's needs or behaviour.