SEN Learning Support Assistant

Phoenix St Peter Academy, Lowestoft, Suffolk, Suffolk, NR33 0NE

59 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  01.09.2026 - pending satisfactory completion of safer recruitment checks

• Closing date

  7 June 2026 at 1pm

• Date listed

  9 April 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Full-time equivalent salary: £24,796.00 - £25,185.00 Annually (FTE) NJC England & Wales SCP 3-4 FTE £24,796 - £25,185, 32.5 hours per week / Monday to Friday / Term-Time Only / Fixed Term Contract until 31.08.27 (initially)

SEN Learning Support Assistant job summary

Phoenix St Peter Academy are looking to appoint a SEN LSA to join our friendly, supportive and hard working team. Learning Support Assistants play a vital and important role within our teaching and learning team, supporting children with a variety of needs including Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP’s). We are particularly interested in speaking to individuals who have experience of physical and medical needs.

The Role:

Application deadline:

Midnight, Sunday 7th June 2026.

Interviews:

Friday 19th June 2026.
Contract Details:
Start date: 1st September 2026.

Fixed Term until:31st August 2027.

Salary:

NJC England & Wales Support Staff Scale 3- 4

Annual salary of £24,796 to £25,185 (Full-time equivalent).
Actual salary will be pro-rata based on the hours per week, and weeks per year of the job role.

Start date:

1st September 2026 (for compulsory training)

The candidates selected for interview will be informed after shortlisting and full details of the interview programme will be provided.

 In particular, successful applicants should:

At least one years experience of working with children with SEND in the primary age range (essential)

Experience with children with physical and medical needs (desirable)

Experience of working with children in a friendly, busy environment  (essential)

An understanding of children with SEN needs  (essential)

Level 2 qualification in play work/childcare (essential) 

Paediatric first aid qualification (desirable) 

Knowledge of child safeguarding procedures  (essential)

Have a sympathetic understanding of the emotional, social and intellectual needs of children with special educational needs  (essential)

Motivated to work with children with special educational needs and to inspire confidence in them  (essential)

You should: 

Be calm, patient and have good listening skills

Have the ability to build effective relationships with students, parents and other staff 

Be reliable, trustworthy, discreet and able to maintain confidentiality

The ability to relate in a firm and friendly way with a wide range of personalities 

The ability to use initiative 

Be willing to undertake direction and guidance 

Have a good understanding of behaviour management strategies 

Be able to work as part of a team

For further information about the role come and visit our school! To book your visit or for an informal discussion, please contact the school office. School visits are encouraged but are by appointment only.
Why Work with REAch2 Academy Trust?

Join REAch2 Academy Trust, one of the UK's largest primary academy trusts with a mission to unlock the potential of every child, regardless of their background.

Here’s why joining our team can be an exciting and fulfilling career choice:

• Excellence & Development: We prioritise high standards and offer extensive professional development and career growth opportunities.

• Supportive & Collaborative:  Be part of a strong, collaborative community of over 60 schools where every voice is valued, and best practices are shared.

• Well-being Focus: We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer robust well-being support for all staff.

• Diversity & Inclusion: We celebrate diversity and believe that varied perspectives strengthen our schools.

• Innovation & Impact:Bring creativity to the classroom and make a real difference in children’s lives.

• Making a difference: Working with REAch2 means contributing to something bigger than yourself. You’ll be helping to shape the lives of young learners, making a meaningful impact on communities and future generations.

Join us to grow your career, collaborate with passionate educators, and make a lasting impact on future generations.

Benefits - Join REAch2 for a rewarding career with great benefits. We offer a range of benefits to support your career and well-being:

• Generous Annual Leave: healthy work-life balance.

• Professional Development: Access diverse CPD and training opportunities to grow your skills.

• Flexible & Family-Friendly: We are committed to supporting flexible working and requests will be considered on an individual basis, including options such as part time, term-time, home working, and other options that work for both the employee and the Trust.  

• Exclusive Discounts: Benefit from Blue Light Card offers and employee perks.

• Well-being Support: Receive comprehensive well-being and employee assistance for you and your family.

Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment, Equality and Data Protection:

At REAch2 we recognise that those who work in an academy are in a unique position in their care of children. The responsibility for all staff to safeguard pupils and promote their welfare, as stated in Section 175 of the Education Act (2002) and Keeping Children Safe in Education is one that is central to our ethos, our policies and our actions.

All children are deserving of the highest levels of care and safeguarding, regardless of their individual characteristics or circumstances, and we are committed to applying our policies to ensure effective levels of safeguarding and care are afforded to all our pupils.   Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

We will seek to recruit the best applicant for the job based on the abilities, qualifications, experience as measured against the job description and person specification. The recruitment and selection of staff will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance. 

All candidates are robustly vetted and any Offer Employment is Conditional of the following Recruitment Checks:

An enhanced DBS Disclosure (including a Children's Barred List check if the role meets the criteria for regulated activity)

Acceptable use of social media accounts

Employment history and References

Right to Work & Overseas checks

Health & Medical checks

For more information about our safer recruitment processes, please click here for our Safer Recruitment Policy.

REAch2 Academy Trust have an Equal Opportunities Policy for selection and recruitment. Applicants are requested to complete the Trust’s online Equality & Diversity Monitoring Form separately.

All information is stored securely, and any information supplied by unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed through a confidential waste system six months after the decision has been communicated, in accordance with our information and records retention policy. 

The Trust ensures all applicant data is stored and processed appropriately. For further details on how your information will be managed during the recruitment process please refer to our Privacy Notice for Job Applications.  

To arrange an informal discussion or school visit, please contact: Mrs. Kirsten Ward, Office Coordinator via our School Office on: 01502 574586, or email: kirsten.ward@phoenixstpeteracademy.org

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Phoenix St Peter Academy

• School type: Academy, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 107 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Phoenix St Peter Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/phoenix-st-peter-academy

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