Learning Support Assistants

Essex County Council; Harlow; On-site; GBP 7,000 - 11,000; Full time

Job summary

Essex County Council seeks Learning Support Assistants to facilitate adult learning sessions at ACL Harlow and Ongar Zinc Arts. The role focuses on monitoring, evaluating and supporting learners to engage with courses, ensuring quality standards in delivery and assessment.

Staff will work with tutors to assist learners, manage attendance, and provide 1:1 or group support as needed, under annualised hours. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE level 2 in English and Maths or equivalent.
• Subject qualification at Level 2 in supporting learning or willingness to obtain within the first year.
• Ability to work with adults in a customer-focused environment.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to assessment of learner attitudes, skills and knowledge.
• Support tutors to motivate students and ensure appropriate materials are used.
• Monitor progress, provide feedback and maintain attendance records.
• Support tutors in delivering academic and vocational courses.
• Assist learners with challenging behaviour and SEN/disabled learners.
• Provide pastoral support and facilitate participation across curriculum areas.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer focus

Engagement with adults

Encouraging participation

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Level 2 qualification in supporting learning

Job description

Based mainly from ACL Harlow (Harlow Library, CM20 1HA) but also working 1 day per week at Ongar Zinc Arts (Ongar - CM5 0AD) this is an annualised hour's role, offering 12.30 hours per week / 641.32 hours per year, initially planned to be worked on the following working pattern.

• Monday 10.30am till 1pm with a no break.
• Tuesday 9.30am till 2pm with a 2 x 15-minute break.
• Wednesday 9.30am till 2.30pm with a 2 x 15-minute break.

Additional hours may be available for other days Interview Date: Wednesday 18th November 2026 The Opportunity Adult Community Learning (ACL) is ECC's provider of lifelong learning experiences for Essex residents. ACL offers qualifications to help people move nearer to, enter or progress within the workplace or gain skills to enhance life chances. The service focuses many of its programmes and activities on the hardest to reach communities within Essex. ACL learners have access to a diverse range of accredited and non-accredited courses which encourage creativity, healthy lifestyles, social inclusion, and engagement.

Learning Support Assistants will facilitate learning and contribute to the delivery of sessions to the quality standards required. Ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation, including student feedback, takes place during and at the end of the course, supporting any action taken. The role will co-operate with any quality assurance schemes.

Accountabilities

• Contribute to the assessment of a learner's attitudes, skills and knowledge, being attentive and responsive to the needs of the tutor and class.
• Support tutors to motivate students, encourage participation, and ensure that appropriate methods, materials, and resources are used in the sessions.
• Contribute to attending to individual learning needs, assessing progress and achievement, providing regular feedback and maintain records of individual learning and attendance under the direction of the tutor.
• To support tutors in their delivery of academic and vocational courses
• Support learners with challenging behaviour in an educational environment.
• Support learners with special educational needs and disabilities (general class and 1:1 support)
• Provide pastoral support to learners within an educational setting.
• To support adult learners with a wide range of difficulties and disability in classes across all curriculum areas.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
• Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK., Educated to RQF level 2 (GCSE), in English and Maths or equivalent by experience. In addition, possesses a subject qualification at Level 2 in supporting learning, or a willingness to undertake the required qualifications within the first year.
• Ability to develop skills and knowledge within role.
• Experience of working in a supportive role with adults.
• Experience of working in a customer-focussed environment, with good communication skills to engage with adults.
• Ability to encourage participation and engagement, ideally with adult learners.