Senior Learning Support Assistant - Buckinghamshire Primary PRU

Overview

We are looking for enthusiastic and proactive Senior Learning Support Assistants to join our team based at Pathways Primary PRU in Aylesbury and The Oaks Primary PRU in Amersham.

The successful candidate may also be required to work at the PRU site in Wycombe. Are you an experienced LSA, HLTA or cover supervisor looking for new challenges and opportunities?

Have you worked with children with complex SEND needs or met challenging behaviour in a primary school or a special school setting?

Alternatively, you may have experience of supporting children with complex needs in a different role and you are looking for a new opportunity to extend your skills and knowledge.

This is a fixed term contract until August 2027.

Starting date will be as soon as possible.

Term time only: Yes

Salary Details: Bucks Pay Range 3 £29114. Actual based on 39 weeks per year £23291 approx.

Contract type: Fixed Term

Hours: Full-time/Part-time

Closing date: 03/11/2026

Interviews to be held: 10/11/2026 On Tuesday 10th November 2026 at Pathways Primary PRU in Aylesbury. Please note that we will be assessing applications as we receive them. We may choose to close the advert early if we feel that we have a sufficient number of quality applicants who are suitable for the role.

About us

We are the Buckinghamshire Primary PRU. We support children who are finding life difficult at their mainstream school. Everyone who works for the PRU is passionate about giving the children we support the best opportunities to succeed, with a great reputation and close links with the mainstream schools in our community so that we can work together to help children overcome barriers and instil a lifelong love of learning.

You can find out more about us on our website www.bucksprimarypru.co.uk.

We are delighted that Ofsted have assessed our provision to be Outstanding across all the categories they include in their report. This can be viewed on our website.

About the role

The role is based at Pathways Primary PRU in Aylesbury and The Oaks Primary PRU in Amersham and is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the different provisions offered by the PRU and will give you a chance to develop and consolidate excellent behaviour management skills. Life is never boring at a PRU! Each day brings different challenges and that is why it is so rewarding to work here. You will receive training and support from our experienced and friendly team to enable you to be successful. Once fully trained, you will have opportunities to work with pupils in mainstream schools as part of our outreach service.

This is a temporary role, term time only as described above 38 week plus 5 inset days. The actual salary is from £23291 and will depend on experience. The applicant must be available between 8:30am and 3:30pm each working day.

As part of our SLSA team you will be working alongside classroom colleagues to deliver interventions to both individuals and small groups of pupils. Our class sizes are typically between six and eight pupils, which reflects their level of need. Our Senior LSAs also provide cover for teaching colleagues and lead classes when teachers are carrying out other responsibilities.

Please see attached Job description for further information.

About you

The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong understanding of trauma-informed practice and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on behaviour and learning. You will be skilled in building positive, trusting relationships and creating a safe, nurturing classroom environment where every child feels valued. Ideally you will have experience of working with children with SEMH needs in a primary school or a special school setting, and want to explore what can be achieved for the benefit of many more pupils across Buckinghamshire. Alternatively, you may have had other roles or experiences (for example as an outreach worker or a tutor) which will allow you to bring that knowledge and skill into our setting, and with training and support, quickly adapt to a role at the PRU. Above all we are looking for someone with the right attitude, personality and experiences to add value to our existing team.

We want someone who is innovative and highly motivated. You will need to be well-organised and be able to take responsibility for working with small groups or 1:1, working alongside class teachers and other LSAs to give our pupils the best opportunities for learning.

As a Senior LSA, you will also be:
• able to lead small classes in the absence of the teacher
• confident in their ability to lead outreach programmes for named pupils, building effective working relationships with mainstream colleagues
• able to fully contribute to the team, including supporting and mentoring colleagues to share best practice
Our pupils enjoy working with staff who take the time to get to know them individually, challenge them, support them with their emotional well-being and provide them with opportunities to shine. Take a look at the job description and the person specification and see if you are up to the challenge! Your application should tell us why you want to work for us and what skills and experiences you have to offer.

Please see attached Person specification for further information.

Other information

Visits to our sites are warmly welcomed. To arrange a visit or to find out more about the role, please contact our school office on the number below.

Please send completed application forms back to the school.

Email: [email protected]

or by post to: The Headteacher, Pathways Pupil Referral Unit, Abbey Centre, Weedon Rd, Aylesbury, HP19 9NS

Tel: 01296 387300