Why This Role Matters To Gillotts School
As a Learning Support Assistant at Gillotts School, you help provide the targeted interventions and daily stability that allow students with additional educational needs to succeed. In our calm and quiet classrooms, you will assist in delivering specific support plans determined by each student's profile. Your presence helps ensure that pupils receive consistent, planned guidance, enabling the overall support network in the classroom to operate smoothly and without disruption to routine.
What You'll Bring
- Patience: A consistent, measured approach when supporting pupils with diverse learning requirements.
- Adaptability: The ability to carry out tailored learning strategies as set out by subject teachers and the SENDCo.
- Team working: Collaborative skills to liaise effectively with classroom teachers and pastoral staff.
- Reliability: Punctuality and dependable attendance, ensuring pupils who rely on continuous support maintain their routine.
- Focus on Inclusion: A commitment to maintaining high expectations for what students with additional educational needs can achieve.
No experience necessary as full training will be given, however, experience of working with young people with special educational needs and disabilities would be an advantage. Flexibility, resilience, and the ability to relate to young people in a positive way is essential.
Why join us
Occupying a 33 acre site on the edge of Henley-on-Thames, we are a co-educational academy with approximately 900 pupils aged 11-16 on roll. In 2025, 76% of students achieved the benchmark of grade 5 or above in both English and maths, against a national average of 45%.
Gillotts prides itself on being a welcoming, friendly and inclusive community for staff and students. Its motto - 'non nobis solum' - translates as 'not by ourselves alone' and the sense of teamwork, collaboration and cooperation underpins the life of the school.
Our philosophy is based firmly on the belief that all members of the school community have unique gifts and talents and our task is to help everyone to develop them, not only to raise standards of attainment but also to help students to experience the real joy of learning so that their learning goes on long after they have left school.
In this role, you'll benefit from:
- Structured Environment: Work within established classroom routines that allow you to focus directly on helping students access their work.
- Clear Support Plans: Receive clear guidance on individual student needs and interventions, so you are supported in your day-to-day work.
- Predictable Working Hours: Enjoy defined working hours aligned with the school day*, supporting a healthy work-life balance.
* Full time hours are Monday - Thursday 8.30am-3.30pm, Friday 8.30 - 2.30pm.
The RLT Connection & Benefits
Education has the power to change lives, communities and society for the better. At RLT we believe that we can achieve more for our pupils, trainees, staff and communities by working together rather than alone. Schools in RLT are united by a common belief in the benefits of working together, and by our commitment to shared principles.
OUR VISION is for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously and sustainably: to be better faster together.
OUR 'WHY?' is that children and young people 'only get one go' in school and therefore as part of RLT we aim to ensure the best possible 'go' for our pupils.
OUR 'HOW?' is through the highest support and challenge for our schools and each other, underpinned by our principles.
Our employees benefit from a wide variety of support including extensive continuing professional learning and development opportunities, wellbeing and staff networks and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS) for all staff. For more information on what it is like to work for the Trust, and the benefits you could access, please see our " Working in RLT " guide.
This role includes regulated activity relevant to children.
The school reserves the right to consider and interview candidates ahead of the closing date if appropriate. An offer may be made to an exceptional candidate in this instance.
Gillotts aims to maximise achievement through effective and inspiring teaching and support to students, so if you share these values and would like to join this supportive and high-achieving school, we'd like to hear from you. If you would like to have a confidential conversation with Claire Collyer, SENDCo about the role, prior to application, then please email ccollyer@gillotts.org or telephone 01491 574315.
The River Learning Trust and Gillotts School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. The Trust is required to conduct a variety of checks and online searches about you as part of their recruitment process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. The River Learning Trust is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment for all staff, free from discrimination and harassment.
For all RLT Safer Recruitment Documentation candidates should click on the following link RLT Safer Recruitment Documents for Candidates . Please see our website for up to date policies including our Child Protection and Behaviour Policies.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. For further guidance for applicants click on this link List of offences that are not filtered