Learning Support Assistant
St James' Catholic High School, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6PZ11 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
29 June 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
18 June 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teaching assistant
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Working pattern
- Part time: 28 hours a week
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £26,403 - £28,142
Actual salary
- £17,090 - £18,215
Pay scale
- Scale 4
What skills and experience we're looking for
Learning Support Assistant
General - The Learning Support Assistant will:
- Have an understanding of the broad range of Special Educational Needs (specific learning difficulties, complex learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, emotional behavioural, mental health & social communication difficulties, ADHD) with reference to how this affects pupils’ learning
- Work under the guidance of teaching / senior staff to implement agreed work programmes
- Provide support for teaching staff across the school in an appropriate learning environment
- Assist with the integration of pupils with special educational needs and/ or disabilities, supporting a small group or on an individual basis within the classroom or on a withdrawal basis
- Be an integral part of the school, working in close partnership with all staff
- To liaise sensitively and effectively with parents/carers as agreed with the teacher and participate in feedback sessions or meetings as directed
Pupils - The Learning Support Assistant should:
- Assist with the teaching of pupils; whole class, small groups and individuals as directed
- Help pupils to access learning activities through specialist support
- Provide feedback to pupils in relation to progress and achievement
- Monitor and evaluate pupils’ responses to learning activities through observation and planned recording of achievement against pre-determined learning objectives
- Encourage pupils to interact and work co-operatively with others and engage all pupils in activities
- Be aware of and support difference and ensure all pupils have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop
- Implement local and national learning strategies e.g. literacy, numeracy, and make effective use of opportunities provided by other learning activities to support the development of relevant skills
Staff - The Learning Support Assistant should:
- Assist the teacher in curriculum planning, management & preparation of resources
- Be responsible for keeping and updating records as agreed with the teacher, contributing to reviews of systems/records as requested
- Undertake marking of pupils’ work and accurately record achievement/progress
- Implement agreed learning activities/teaching programmes, adjusting activities according to pupil responses/needs
- Implement local and national learning strategies e.g. literacy, numeracy, early years and make effective use of opportunities provided by other learning activities to support the development of relevant skills
- Support the use of ICT in learning activities and develop pupils’ competence and independence in its use
Specific Responsibilities of the Learning Support Assistant at St James’ Catholic High School
- To work with the department and all staff in the promoting of inclusion of young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities
- To support the learning of pupils with SEND
- To be empathetic, highly supportive and understanding of the needs of individual pupils
- To help pupils to access learning activities through specialist support
- Administer and assess routine tests and invigilate exams/ tests
- Be responsible for keeping and updating your own records in relation to your continued professional development
- To attend training and development sessions
- To work alongside the teacher to ensure that students achieve learning aims
- To provide general clerical/admin support e.g. administer coursework, produce worksheets for agreed activities etc
- To support charity work within school
- To help to develop and maintain Individual Educational Plans (IEPs)
- To be a presence in the classroom, where required
- To attend SEND Departmental meetings
Other Specific Duties
Many specific responsibilities will require collaborative working with other team members which, as the Learning Support Assistant, you will develop proactively
This post is subject to Enhanced DBS disclosure and basic online searches
Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task may not be identified
The post holder will be expected to comply with all reasonable requests from the Headteacher and SENCO to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in their job description
What the school offers its staff
We ar
At St James’ we are proud of our latest Ofsted report, where all aspects of the school were judged to be either of an expected or strong standard (OFSTED 2026). The Diocese of Shrewsbury judged our school to be a “Good” Catholic school with “Outstanding” areas (CSI 2024). Our school is made up of 825 students and 100 staff. St James’ Catholic High School is a thriving Catholic community that places children at the centre of everything we do. We are located in Stockport, South of Manchester.
St James’ is a highly academic performing school:
- In 2025, 73% of students attained a Grade 4 or above in both English & Mathematics (the equivalent to the old Grade C) with 46% achieving a Grade 5 or above in both English & Mathematics
- 82 grade 9s and 115 grade 8s were awarded to our students in 2025, demonstrating exceptional attainment across a wide range of subjects
- Exceptional results in open, Maths and English subjects placing us in the top 20% of similar schools nationally
Our school is at the cutting edge of teaching and learning and thrives on providing outstanding opportunities for the young people we serve. All our staff work to provide our young people with the skills, knowledge and understanding in order to achieve their full potential.
Inspired by the example of St James, the purpose of our school is ‘To educate and develop global Catholic citizens’. Our three school values of Family, Faith and Excellence are lived out every single day by staff, students and all stakeholders.
The reputation of our school is exceptional within Stockport and across the Shrewsbury Diocese for academic excellence, impeccable pupil conduct and for providing outstanding additional opportunities for our young people. The result is that our young people develop into global Catholic citizens who are proud to profess their faith and who make a positive contribution to society.
At the root of our success is our St James’ community. This is built on strong, positive relationships between all staff, students and parents. Our parents support our school and develop their children at home whilst our dedicated staff are relentless in driving excellence by providing the best educational experiences and opportunities for our students.
Underpinning this excellence are our unique values, Catholic ethos and our mission. We are inspired and driven by the Gospel where we are told: ‘With God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26).
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
St James’ Catholic High School is an equal opportunity employer which is “Positive about Disabled People”. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in the workforce, who meet the person specification for the post
St James’ Catholic High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure & Barring Service.
Applying for the job
This job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About St James' Catholic High School
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, Roman Catholic, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 824 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- St James' Catholic High School website
- Email address
- c.griffiths-davies@stjamescheadle.co.uk
- Phone number
- 0161 482 6900
The St James’ Catholic High School Mission:
To ensure everyone within our school family achieves their full potential, to encourage learning and development through faith, and to strive for excellence.
Applications are welcome regardless of the personal faith of the applicant, providing they are supportive of the school’s Catholic ethos.
St James’ Catholic High School is a popular and oversubscribed 11-16 mixed comprehensive Catholic High School which was judged by OFSTED to be a “Good school in April 2022, with “Outstanding” Outcomes for Pupils.
The Diocese of Shrewsbury judged our school to be an “Good” Catholic school.
Arranging a visit to St James' Catholic High School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email c.griffiths-davies@stjamescheadle.co.uk.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Cheshire