At 8.45am learning support assistant (LSA) arrive in class and prior to being in class they must read the communication book which is prepared by the vice principal the night before. The communication book includes updates such as: any visitors due that day/ a catch up on yesterday’s activities along with any staff deployment notes and appointment times for any medical sessions that some of the students may have which could be the dentist or speech therapy.
Prior to 9am all LSA’s need to make sure all resources are in place for the day ahead. They then go down to the classroom and assist the teacher and read the planning for that particular day. The teacher will direct the LSA during class.
Before classes start teachers and LSA’s check the rota to see who is on taxi duty that day. The rota staff which is a mix of LSA and teachers wait in the hall at 8.45am for students who are arriving by taxi and collect any messages from the drivers they are then escorted to the classroom.
At 9am tutorial starts and the LSA carries out the greeting session and then constructs a timeline with the student so that the student is aware of what is happening throughout the day’s activities.
From 9.30am the LSA’s begin the delivery of the agreed programmes for that student they are a key worker for or to a small group with teacher direction. There is a morning break at 10.30am for half an hour the LSA’s split up half of them go and have a 15 minute break while the other half stay with the students and offer support for example in making fruit smoothies.
Lessons begin again at 11am and follow a similar pattern to the morning session in between if a student needs personal care the LSA will attend to this.
Lunch time is 12 noon again there is a rota half the LSA’s have their lunch break and need to remain on site in case of any emergencies while the other half have their lunch with the students.
Lessons commence again at 1pm through the afternoon until 3pm. During the day students will do a range of activities covering from shopping/work experience/visiting another school to join in with a cookery lesson and lots more, it is a very full and varied curriculum. Communication underpins everything they do and all activities are highly structured.
An LSA may also have to deliver a mobility programme and they will be trained by the on site physiotherapists. They will also work alongside speech and language therapists.
At 3pm classes finish and then it’s back to hall duty to make sure all the students are either accompanied to their onsite residence or directed to their right taxi and any messages are transferred back to their escort.
Once the students have all left then it’s time for the LSA’s to return to the classroom and complete their evaluation for the day. They also tidy, wash and put away plus collect any resources for the following day and then finish for the day.
LSA’s attend fortnightly class meetings and attend training courses on a continuous basis to keep ahead of new ways of teaching and about new activities for the students they look after.
The LSA role is varied and full and very rewarding when they see a student they have worked with as their key worker reach their goals.