Appointing and Managing Learning Support Assistants

A Practical Guide for SENCOs and Other Managers

Jennie George, Margaret Hunt

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781134012695
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

First Published in 2004. As management becomes a more important part of the SENCO's tole this book offers guidance and time saving strategies for employing and managing LSAs within primary school settings. To make the task of managing easier this book includes: how to make a focused response to audits using action plans; suggestions on how to help teachers and LSAs communicate and share lesson plans; photocopiable proforma sheets to support staff development; what to expect from your LSAs; suggested interview questions and tasks. Written for head teachers and SENCO's working in infant, junior and primary schools.

1 An audit of existing practice

In the day-to-day business of getting on with the job, responding to immediate situations and trying to keep up with the paperwork, it can be difficult to establish just what is going on in terms of pupil support; who is doing what, when and with whom? The issue of ‘why’ things are done in certain ways at certain times may be addressed only in times of extreme measures such as the run-up to an Ofsted inspection. In a busy school, this can lead to a lack of cohesion and diminishing returns in terms of measurable effectiveness. Time taken to conduct a careful audit of support will provide useful information for a SENCO which will form the basis for future decision-making and planning. The pro forma sheets on pages 6–7 may be useful.

Think about what is happening in terms of:

■ Policy – Does the SEN Policy clearly indicate when, where and how LSAs will be deployed and how resources will be allocated?

■ Roles and responsibilities – Are the LSA’s roles clearly defined? Are all teachers clear about their roles and responsibilities in relation to the LSAs?

■ An induction/mentoring system – is there one in place?

■ Type of support – List and define – one-to-one teaching, small-group work (inside/outside the classroom), in-class support (directed at specific children/general).

■ Programmes of support – Which specific programmes are used? Catch-ups, e.g. ALS, ELS Springbase Commercial packages, Phonographix, PAT. How many children are involved? Are these programmes part of the pupils’ IEPs?

■ Planning and liaison time – Do teachers hold responsibility for overseeing programmes – if not, who? Is there time for liaison? Is there time for preparation/resource-making? Is time set aside for teachers to share lesson plans?

■ Assessment/monitoring (both of children and ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 An audit of existing practice
• Chapter 2 Communication
• Chapter 3 Professional support systems
• Chapter 4 Effective deployment
• Chapter 5 Monitoring effectiveness
• Chapter 6 And finally…suggested interview questions and tasks
• Useful references and web pages