A broad team of dedicated and hardworking Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Specialist Staff, Teachers, Administrators & SENCO make up a team of over 20. By far the most extensive department in SJB supports over 300 children with additional learning needs and disabilities. Overseen by the school SENCO, Age Phase Leads are responsible for the day to day support of the students. They, in turn oversee teams of LSAs who work within the classroom.
Our primary focus is what goes on in the classroom as excellent teaching is the best way for students to make progress. Throughout SJB, students being supported via LSAs in class, fully included within a mainstream curriculum. We do not offer 1:1 LSA support as our LSAs work within the classroom to support anyone who needs it. The Learning Support department is currently supporting over 450 mainstream lessons per week!
LSAs have regular and continuous CPD to guarantee that the best possible methods are being used to support students. In addition, LSAs will overtly or discretely support a lesson with a range of tactics and methods, ensuring inclusion is paramount. Part of this inclusion is that students will build and learn resilience and independence as they develop up the school, no matter the severity of need. To this end, it is extremely rare that you will see an LSA working 1:1 with students in lessons. They might prompt, check understanding, scaffold or adapt work to ensure the students fully engage in the learning, however they will never lower the expectations or sit and do the work for them!
The school’s Catholic ethos is integral to what we do and no doubt part of the school’s wider success of supporting all students. However, as a department, we go further and pride ourselves on the following values:
- Patience
- Understanding
- Sense of Humour
- Kindness
- Support
- Sensitivity
- Willingness
- Adaptability
- Versatility
- Diplomacy