Job Description

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Learning Support Assistant

Location:
Chase High School
Contract Type:
Permanent
Working Weeks:
38 working weeks per year/ 43.5 paid weeks.

Term time only (includes 2 inset days)
Hours:
35 hours per week. 8.00am to 15.30 Mon - Fri

Minus 30 mins unpaid lunch break each day.
Start Date:
November 2026
Salary:
£20,856 actual

Southend Local Government pay scale 3,

range point 5 (£26,427 FTE)

Chase High School is seeking a dedicated and caring Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to join our committed support team. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the educational experience and wellbeing of our students, including those with additional learning needs.

Working alongside teachers and the SEND team, you will support individual students and small groups both in and out of the classroom. You will help pupils access learning, develop confidence and independence, and achieve their best across the curriculum.

Key Responsibilities

· Support individual students and small groups to access learning and achieve their potential.

· Assist teachers in delivering planned learning activities and adapting support to meet pupil needs.

· Promote positive behaviour and encourage student engagement in lessons.

· Support students with SEND, helping them access the curriculum and participate fully in school life.

· Monitor, record and provide feedback on student progress, attainment and wellbeing.

· Prepare learning resources and assist with the implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

· Provide pastoral, welfare and first-aid support where required, including supervising students during breaktimes and educational visits.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will:

· Have experience working with children or young people in a school, educational or childcare setting.

· Build positive, professional relationships with students, parents, carers and colleagues

· Have a good understanding of child development and be able to support students with a range of learning needs, including SEND.

· Demonstrate excellent literacy, numeracy, communication and ICT skills.

· Be patient, resilient and able to remain calm while supporting students' academic, social and emotional development.

· Be organised, reliable and able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

· Be committed to safeguarding, inclusion, equality and the wellbeing of all students, with a willingness to undertake First Aid responsibilities and ongoing professional development.

Chase High School is a mixed, mainstream secondary school located in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. It educates more than 1,300 pupils aged 11-18 from over 40 countries.

Chase High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post will be subject to an enhanced disclosure check from the Disclosure and Barring Service as well as other checks aligned with the Safer Recruitment process.

Chase High School is an academy that forms part of the Discovery Educational Trust.

Trust benefits:

Focus on continuing professional development, Pension Scheme, Bike2Work scheme, Employee Assistance Programme via MediCash, Access to staff discounts and Mental First Aiders

Closing date: Midday Wednesday 04 November 2026

Interviews date: Thursday12 November 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early upon appointment of a successful applicant.

For further information on this advert, please contact Recruitment@discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk

Learning Support Assistant

Location:
Chase High School
Contract Type:
Permanent
Working Weeks:
38 working weeks per year/ 43.5 paid weeks.

Term time only (includes 2 inset days)
Hours:
35 hours per week. 8.00am to 15.30 Mon - Fri

Minus 30 mins unpaid lunch break each day.
Start Date:
November 2026
Salary:
£20,856 actual

Southend Local Government pay scale 3,

range point 5 (£26,427 FTE)

Chase High School is seeking a dedicated and caring Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to join our committed support team. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the educational experience and wellbeing of our students, including those with additional learning needs.

Working alongside teachers and the SEND team, you will support individual students and small groups both in and out of the classroom. You will help pupils access learning, develop confidence and independence, and achieve their best across the curriculum.

Key Responsibilities

· Support individual students and small groups to access learning and achieve their potential.

· Assist teachers in delivering planned learning activities and adapting support to meet pupil needs.

· Promote positive behaviour and encourage student engagement in lessons.

· Support students with SEND, helping them access the curriculum and participate fully in school life.

· Monitor, record and provide feedback on student progress, attainment and wellbeing.

· Prepare learning resources and assist with the implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

· Provide pastoral, welfare and first-aid support where required, including supervising students during breaktimes and educational visits.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will:

· Have experience working with children or young people in a school, educational or childcare setting.

· Build positive, professional relationships with students, parents, carers and colleagues

· Have a good understanding of child development and be able to support students with a range of learning needs, including SEND.

· Demonstrate excellent literacy, numeracy, communication and ICT skills.

· Be patient, resilient and able to remain calm while supporting students' academic, social and emotional development.

· Be organised, reliable and able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

· Be committed to safeguarding, inclusion, equality and the wellbeing of all students, with a willingness to undertake First Aid responsibilities and ongoing professional development.

Chase High School is a mixed, mainstream secondary school located in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. It educates more than 1,300 pupils aged 11-18 from over 40 countries.

Chase High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post will be subject to an enhanced disclosure check from the Disclosure and Barring Service as well as other checks aligned with the Safer Recruitment process.

Chase High School is an academy that forms part of the Discovery Educational Trust.

Trust benefits:

Focus on continuing professional development, Pension Scheme, Bike2Work scheme, Employee Assistance Programme via MediCash, Access to staff discounts and Mental First Aiders

Closing date: Midday Wednesday 04 November 2026

Interviews date: Thursday12 November 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early upon appointment of a successful applicant.

For further information on this advert, please contact Recruitment@discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk

Information about the School

Chase High School

• A place for Ambition, Resilience and Kindness

Chase High School is a vibrant, oversubscribed and inclusive 11-18 school, where every pupil has the foundations laid for a lifelong love of learning. The ambitious and appropriately challenging curriculum, taught by outstanding and highly qualified teachers, underpins our pursuit of excellence in a secure environment where all members of the school's community are treated with respect, tolerance and understanding.

The school is located in Westcliff-on-Sea, near Southend, Essex and welcomes more than 1,000 students aged 11-18 from over 40 countries.

We foster strong links with the local community to create opportunities for our young people to build the strength and depth of character that combines a strong moral purpose with excellent social skills. Our pupils become adults that can go on and make a real difference locally, nationally and globally. ​

We want all pupils to value their personal development as well as pursue academic excellence. We offer a full and comprehensive extra-curricular programme, which includes a variety of educational and recreational trips and visits, as well as extensive opportunities to be involved in community projects and leadership roles within the pupil body. ​

It is an exciting time to join our Chase High School community. The recent £5 million investment in a state-of-the-art humanities building and flood lit multi-surface area, complement our numerous dedicated performance arts suites and 4G sports facilities. We are hugely ambitious for our children, and we welcome applications from passionate teaching and associate/support staff who want to join the Chase High School community to further our success.​

• *PLEASE CLICK ON 'DETAILS' below to find out why you should come and work with us!*

Chase High School is proud to be part of Discovery Educational Trust:

Discovery Educational Trust, formed in 2014, is a successful and established multi-academy trust based in South Essex, comprising just under 4000 pupils and 500 staff, across 5 schools.

Our schools are:

• Chase High School (Westcliff-on-Sea)
• St. Martin's School (Brentwood)
• Hogarth Primary School (Brentwood)
• Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School (Brentwood)
• Larchwood Primary School (Brentwood)

We aim for each of our schools to become the school of choice within the community, offering a broad and exciting range of extracurricular activities to enhance the opportunities within their formal curriculum.

Our vision is that strong and effective leadership places our children and young people at the heart of everything we do. We value relationships, which are open and honest, underpinned by kindness, trustworthiness and compassion.

We offer ongoing training and professional development for all staff in a supportive and collaborative environment.

We offer the following benefits for employees:

• Pension scheme - also automatically includes Life Assurance
• Generous Referral Bonus for employees who refer quality candidates to join Discovery Educational Trust
• Two-week October half term (term time staff)
• Employee savings and discounts
• Employee Assistance Programme – free confidential wellbeing support for employees and dependants
• Mental Health First Aiders – we have qualified MHFA England trainers within the Trust and continue to add to our pool of trained MHFAs
• Bike2Work scheme
• Ongoing training and professional development in a supportive and collaborative environment
• Gifted Service Leave for long service
• Health Cash plan to support with every day healthcare costs – e.g. dental, optical, physiotherapy. Includes Virtual GP service

As an equal opportunities employer, Discovery Educational Trust is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age; disability; gender re-assignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race (which includes ethnic origin, nationality and ethnic or national origins); religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join Discovery Educational Trust.

Discovery Educational Trust is committed to safeguarding our pupils against radicalisation and extremism and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

In compliance with safer recruitment procedures and guidelines, all applications must be made on an application form, CVs will not be accepted. It is an offence to apply for a role if barred from regulated activity. This appointment will be subject to pre-employment checks including an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service and satisfactory references. Please note that online checks will also be carried out.

We welcome prospective applicants to arrange either a visit to the school, or an informal telephone conversation, prior to submitting an application. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the role and our school community. Please email us to arrange (recruitment@discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk).