Learning Support Assistant | Sunderland | Full Time

Location: Sunderland
Job Type: Full Time, Term Time Only
Start Date: September 2026
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, school hours
Pay: £98–£120 per day, depending on experience

Build confidence. Encourage independence. Make a difference.

Protocol Education are recruiting for a Learning Support Assistant to join a specialist educational setting in Sunderland.

The school is looking for a reliable and enthusiastic individual who can provide consistent support to pupils throughout the school day and help them get the most out of their education.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to develop their experience within SEND and education, with the potential for longer-term opportunities.

About the role

As a Learning Support Assistant, you will work alongside teachers and support staff to help pupils overcome barriers to learning.

You could be supporting pupils with a range of additional needs, including autism, learning difficulties, communication needs, SEMH and complex SEND.

Your day-to-day responsibilities may include:

• Supporting pupils during lessons
• Working with individuals and small groups
• Helping pupils understand and complete activities
• Adapting tasks to meet individual needs
• Supporting communication and interaction
• Encouraging independence and confidence
• Providing reassurance and emotional support
• Supporting positive behaviour
• Helping with transitions throughout the school day
• Monitoring pupil engagement and progress
• Working closely with teaching staff
• Contributing to a positive classroom environment

The ideal candidate

We're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys working with young people and is motivated by seeing pupils make progress.

Previous experience within a school is desirable, but we would also consider candidates from other relevant backgrounds.

For example:

• Education
• Childcare
• Social care
• Youth work
• Sports coaching
• Healthcare
• Residential support
• Community work

A patient, caring and proactive personality is just as important as previous experience.

What you'll bring:

• A positive attitude
• Excellent communication skills
• Patience and empathy
• Reliability and commitment
• The ability to work as part of a team
• A willingness to learn
• A genuine passion for supporting young people

Why work with Protocol Education?

• Competitive daily rate
• Weekly PAYE payments
• FREE CPD and online training
• Dedicated consultant
• Long-term and permanent opportunities
• Ongoing support
• £50 Refer a Friend bonus

If you're looking for a rewarding full-time role in education and want to build your SEND experience, get in touch with Protocol Education today.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details.

All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.

Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.

Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.