Learning Support Assistant: The Role, the Pay and How to Start

At a glance

A learning support assistant (LSA) helps pupils who need extra support to take part in lessons, one to one, in small groups or across a class, working under a teacher's direction. In most schools it is the same job as a teaching assistant under a different name. Learning support assistant roles in schools that use the national local government pay scales start at £25,614 full time equivalent (£13.28 an hour) from April 2026, and current adverts in Bristol and Bath sit around £26,400 to £27,300.

• Most LSA jobs are term time only and part time, so the actual salary is lower than the headline. One current Bath advert pays £18,668 a year against a £26,428 headline.
• There is no national minimum qualification. Each school sets its own requirements, and some say plainly that you do not need to have done the job before.
• You will need an enhanced DBS check, which now costs £41.

If you would rather talk through LSA work near you than read about it, register with Five Education. It takes a few minutes and there is no obligation.

Contents

• What does a learning support assistant actually do?
• Is a learning support assistant the same as a teaching assistant?
• What does a learning support assistant earn?
• What do schools ask for in a learning support assistant?
• What is LSA work like in a SEND setting?
• How do you find learning support assistant jobs in the South West?
• Frequently asked questions
• Is LSA work right for you?

What does a learning support assistant actually do?

An LSA makes it possible for a particular child, or a small group, to get the most out of the lesson the teacher has planned. The National Careers Service profile for special educational needs teaching assistants lists the core of it: preparing learning materials, adapting support to each pupil's needs, supporting group and class activities, and looking after pupils' physical, social and emotional welfare.

In practice, a day might start with settling a pupil before registration. In lessons you might break a task into smaller steps, read a question aloud, use visual prompts or take a short intervention group. Afterwards you note how the pupil got on, because that record feeds into reviews of their support.

Adverts in our area describe the same mix. A Somerset junior school recruiting LSAs in October 2026 lists classroom support planned and supervised by teachers, resource preparation, care of pupils including health care, and record keeping. The National Careers Service also says plainly that the work can be physically and emotionally demanding.

Is a learning support assistant the same as a teaching assistant?

Usually, yes. The National Careers Service teaching assistant profile lists "learning support assistant" and "classroom assistant" as alternative titles for the same job. Schools choose the name, and one Bath secondary school's current advert is titled "Learning Support Assistant (Teaching Assistant)".

The title can hint at the emphasis. Many LSA adverts sit inside a SEND or inclusion team, and the Bath advert describes in-class support, small group work and one to one support of pupils with SEND. Even so, the pay grade tells you more about the responsibility a school expects than the title does. If you want to step up later, the higher level teaching assistant role is the usual next rung.

What does a learning support assistant earn?

Most LSA jobs in council-maintained schools are paid on the National Joint Council (NJC) pay spine, the scale used across local government in England and Wales. The signed NJC pay agreement of 24 August 2026 raised every point by 3.30 per cent, backdated to 1 April 2026.

Which pay scale do schools use?

Each school or local authority places the LSA role on a band of pay points. Point 3 is the bottom of the spine, and points 5 to 7 are where current Bristol and Bath LSA adverts sit. At 2026 to 2027 rates:

For comparison, the legal floor is the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, so the lowest NJC point now sits 57p above it. Academy trusts can set their own scales. Many track the NJC spine closely: two Somerset trust schools advertising LSA posts this month use a grade with a £26,429 full time equivalent, almost exactly point 5.

Two current Bristol and Bath adverts show where LSA jobs land. Saint Gregory's Catholic College in Bath is advertising points 5 to 6, £26,428 to £26,847. Stoke Park Primary School in Bristol is advertising a SEND LSA post at £26,847 to £27,274, points 6 to 7. Both were listed on 7 October 2026.

Why is the actual salary lower than the advertised one?

Because the headline is a full time equivalent (FTE): what the post would pay for 37 hours a week, all year. LSA posts usually run in term time only and many are part time, so your pay is scaled down twice, once for your hours and once for the weeks you work.

The Bath advert shows it clearly. Its FTE is £26,428, but the actual salary is £18,668 for up to 30.42 hours a week in term time, about 71 per cent of the headline. Term time contracts still include paid holiday, because almost every worker is entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, and that includes people who do not work for part of the year. Our SEND teaching assistant salary guide walks through the maths in more detail. The practical rule is simple: compare adverts on the actual salary for your hours, and ask the school if it is not stated.

What do supply and agency LSA jobs pay?

Supply LSA work is usually paid by the day. For SEND support roles through Five Education, day rates generally run from around £100 to £150, depending on experience, the setting and the role.

If you work through an agency, you are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for every hour, and after 12 weeks in the same job you are entitled to the same pay as a permanent employee doing it.

If you want an honest view of what LSA work near you pays this term, register with Five Education and a consultant will tell you what schools are actually offering.

What do schools ask for in a learning support assistant?

Less than many people expect. The National Careers Service says employers set their own entry requirements, and current adverts in our area vary widely. Saint Gregory's in Bath says you do not need to have worked as an LSA before. Stoke Park Primary in Bristol lists a Level 2 teaching assistant certificate as something you "may have". A Somerset junior school asks for GCSE grade 4 or above in English and maths, or a Level 2 equivalent.

What every school does require is an enhanced DBS check, the criminal records check for work with children, and the right to work in the UK. The government fee for an enhanced DBS check fell to £41 on 5 October 2026. If you work through Five Education, we refund your DBS once you have completed 20 days of work.

Beyond paperwork, schools look for patience, reliability and a willingness to learn. When candidates ask us whether they need experience, our honest answer is that those qualities matter more than a certificate at the start.

What is LSA work like in a SEND setting?

In a special school, a resource base or a SEND team, LSA work is more focused. You might support a pupil with autism through transitions between lessons, help a child with physical needs with personal care, or use Makaton and visual timetables with pupils who communicate in different ways. Classes are often smaller, with several adults in the room, so teamwork with teachers and therapists is part of the job.

Many pupils you support will have an Education, Health and Care plan setting out their needs, and your notes help the school show how that support is working. The National Careers Service says schools will support you with specific training, such as British Sign Language, and training on conditions such as autism.

Specialist training is where Five Education can help. Our staff get free SEND training, including Team Teach, Makaton, Understanding Autism and a SEND introduction course after interview. The training is free and genuinely useful in the classroom, though it is not a formal qualification.

How do you find learning support assistant jobs in the South West?

LSA jobs in the South West come through three main routes, and many people use more than one of them at once, depending on how much flexibility they want:

1. Direct school adverts. In England, the Department for Education's free Teaching Vacancies service lists school posts, usually with both the FTE and the actual salary. Local authority job sites carry council-maintained school roles too.
2. Supply and longer-term work through a specialist agency. This suits you if you want flexibility, want to try different settings, or want work while you wait for the right permanent post. Many of our supply placements turn into permanent roles.
3. Volunteering or an apprenticeship. The Teaching Assistant Level 3 apprenticeship is a recognised route if you want to earn while you train.

Five Education is a SEND specialist agency covering Bristol, Bath, North Somerset, Somerset, Plymouth, Devon, Cornwall, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Swindon and Oxfordshire. Support staff such as LSAs and teaching assistants are our strongest area, and every candidate has a dedicated consultant. You can browse our current SEND support roles to see what is open now.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a learning support assistant earn in 2026?

In schools on the NJC pay spine, LSA posts start at £25,614 full time equivalent (£13.28 an hour) from April 2026, and current Bristol and Bath adverts sit around £26,400 to £27,300 FTE. Because most posts are term time only and part time, the actual salary is lower: one current Bath post pays £18,668 to £18,964 for up to 30.42 hours a week. Supply LSA work through Five Education generally pays £100 to £150 a day.

Do I need qualifications to become a learning support assistant?

There is no national minimum qualification. Each school sets its own requirements: some ask for GCSE English and maths at grade 4 or a Level 2 equivalent, and some take people with no previous school experience. Every school will need an enhanced DBS check.

Is an LSA the same as a teaching assistant?

In most schools, yes. The National Careers Service treats "learning support assistant" as another title for a teaching assistant. LSA posts often focus more on individual pupils or a SEND team, but the pay grade tells you more about the role than the title does.

Are learning support assistant roles term time only?

Most are. Current adverts in our area describe term time contracts plus the school's training (INSET) days. Your paid holiday entitlement is built into the actual salary the school quotes.

Can I do LSA work through an agency?

Yes. Agency LSA work is usually paid by the day and can be short or long term. After 12 weeks in the same role, agency workers are entitled to the same pay as a permanent employee doing that job.

Is LSA work right for you?

If you are patient and want work that makes a visible difference to a child's day, LSA work is a direct way into schools. The pay is modest but sits on published scales and rises with responsibility, and the term time pattern suits many people with families or studies.

Read every advert for its actual salary as well as its headline, and ask what training comes with the role. If you would like help finding the right setting, register with Five Education and we will match you with SEND support work that suits you.