Personal Learning Assistant - Secondary Campus

The Alice Smith School; Kajang , Bandar Baru Bangi, Serdang; Presencial; MYR 20.000 - 33.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

The Alice Smith School invites applications for a Personal Learning Assistant (PLA) to support an individual student under the guidance of a class teacher and the SENCo. The role emphasizes safety, independence, and task focus within school activities, both in and out of the classroom.

External provider to the school, you will contribute to planning, resource preparation, and progress recording, upholding safeguarding and inclusion standards in a collaborative environment.

Formación

• Degree in Education or Psychology preferable but not essential.
• Good communication skills, fluent in both oral and written English.
• Flexibility, able to think on the spot.
• Friendly, empathetic and willing to adapt to support the student.
• Willing to work from 7.45am-3.30pm.

Responsabilidades

• To support student development and promote independence in a safe, secure, challenging environment.
• To support learning as identified in IEP/IBP targets, act as a role model and set high expectations.
• To encourage the student to interact and work cooperatively with others.
• To observe, record and feedback progress to the class teacher and SENCo.
• To promote the inclusion and acceptance of the student.
• To input ideas to and follow the plans set by the class teacher/SENCo for the daily/weekly programme of lessons, activities and events.
• To liaise with other professionals to ensure an appropriate learning environment.
• To promote home school partnerships.
• To listen, support and discuss issues sensitively with parents and carers under the SENCo’s supervision.
• To monitor and evaluate student responses to learning activities through observation and planned recording of achievement.
• To keep and update records as agreed by the teacher, contributing to reviews of systems/records.
• To provide general clerical support and materials for activities.
• To promote self‑control and independence.
• To prepare, plan and manage activities to ensure the student is fully involved.
• To develop independence so the student can access learning opportunities.
• To promote the policies and ethos of the school and safeguarding policies.

Conocimientos

Good communication

Flexibility

Friendly and empathetic

Willing to adapt to support the pupil

Educación

Education or Psychology degree preferable

Descripción del empleo

Personal Learning Assistant - Secondary Campus

In 1946, with no schools available for expat children in post-war Malaya, Alice Fairfield-Smith began teaching two children from a spare bedroom in Kuala Lumpur. By Christmas, her class had grown to ten, the beginning of Alice Smith School, one of the pioneers of British overseas schooling and now the oldest International School in Malaysia.

“I was amazed and delighted that it was a happy place, I wanted it to be so and was proud of its reputation for excellence. I believe most firmly that to do your best you must enjoy what you are doing, whether it is sport, learning or work, & enter into what you are doing with enthusiasm.”

Eighty years on, that same spirit continues to shape Alice Smith School and our purpose: to spark courageous exploration to inspire a better world.

To build a better world together.

Our Purpose at The Alice Smith School

In 1946, with no schools available for expat children in post-war Malaya, Alice Fairfield-Smith began teaching two children from a spare bedroom in Kuala Lumpur. By Christmas, her class had grown to ten, the beginning of Alice Smith School, one of the pioneers of British overseas schooling and now the oldest International School in Malaysia.

“I was amazed and delighted that it was a happy place, I wanted it to be so and was proud of its reputation for excellence. I believe most firmly that to do your best you must enjoy what you are doing, whether it is sport, learning or work, & enter into what you are doing with enthusiasm.”

Eighty years on, that same spirit continues to shape Alice Smith School and our purpose: to spark courageous exploration to inspire a better world.

To build a better world together.

Our purpose is embedded through our community promise and strategic pillars

Our Community Promise

Our Community Promise is a clear set of statements that reflect our shared values in action. It outlines the specific behaviours we expect from all members of our community: parents, carers, staff, and students alike. By embracing these behaviours, we create a positive atmosphere that supports learning, wellbeing, and mutual respect.

Our People

We are a diverse collective of experts and curious minds, working together to push the boundaries of education to lead learning for an ever‑changing world.

Our Students

We encourage students to explore different paths with courage and curiosity, in an environment that empowers them to make an impact as their best self.

Our World

We are a supportive, connected community that innovates, explores and learns together.

The Opportunity (Overview of the role)

The Personal Learning Assistant (PLA) is engaged as an external provider (not employed by the Alice Smith School) and will work under the guidance of the class teacher and Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and within an agreed system of supervision, to implement confirmed work programmes with an individual student in and out of the classroom. This could include those requiring detailed and specialist knowledge in particular areas and will involve assisting the teacher in the whole planning cycle and the management/preparation of resources. The primary focus will be to maintain safety, promote independence and to keep a student on task.

Responsibilities/duties:

• Support for Student
  • To support student development and promote independence in a safe, secure, challenging environment
  • To support the learning of the individual as identified in Individual Education Plan (IEP)/Individual Targets/Individual Behaviour Program (IBP), act as a role model and setting high expectations
  • To encourage the student to interact and work cooperatively with others
  • To observe, record and support the development and progress of the student to identify individual needs and difficulties and to feedback their progress and achievement to the class teacher and SENCo
  • To promote the inclusion and acceptance of the student
• Support for Teacher
  • To input ideas to and follow the plans set by the class teacher/SENCo for the daily/ weekly programme of lessons, activities and events in order to support students
  • To liaise with other professionals to ensure an appropriate learning environment
  • To promote home school partnerships
  • To listen, support and discuss issues sensitively with parents and carers under the SENCo’s supervision and to participate in feedback sessions/meetings with parents
  • To monitor and evaluate student responses to learning activities through observation and planned recording of achievement against pre‑determined learning objectives
  • To be responsible for keeping and updating records as agreed by the teacher, contributing to reviews of systems/records/as required
  • To provide general clerical support, e.g. make visuals, procedure resources for agreed activities
  • To promote self‑control and independence
• Support for the Curriculum
  • To prepare, plan and manage activities to ensure the student is fully involved
  • To develop independence in the student so he/she can access learning opportunities
• Support for the School
  • To promote the policies and ethos of the school, e.g personal and social and promote positive values, attitudes and good pupil behaviour, dealing promptly with conflict and incidents in line with established policy and encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their own behaviour
  • To supervise the student on outings and visits as appropriate and if required
  • To attend relevant staff meetings as required
  • To be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security
  • To be a proactive member of the school and class team
  • To establish constructive relationships and communicate with other agencies/professionals in liaison with the SENCo, to support achievement and progress of the student
  • To attend relevant courses and learning activities in order to update knowledge as appropriate
  • To treat all information relating to a pupil as strictly confidential, and to be aware of and comply with school policy and practice, receiving training where necessary from the school

All staff are responsible for ensuring that safeguarding is central to everything we do, adopting a whole‑school approach. Please refer to the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy available on our website.

Safe Recruitment Practices:

As a school with a diverse collective of experts, we uphold recruitment protocols that adhere to the highest possible international standards. We conduct thorough pre‑employment checks on candidate references and verify qualifications. If you require further information regarding the School's 'Pre‑Appointment Checks,' please liaise with our People and Culture representative, as the process may vary for individuals of different nationalities.

We prioritise the careful scrutiny of checks as they are essential in ensuring a safe and secure environment for our students. By maintaining stringent recruitment practices, we aim to provide a nurturing and protected learning environment for all our students.

The duties and responsibilities of this post may vary from time to time according to the changing demands of the school. This job description may be reviewed at the reasonable discretion of the Head of School and school leadership in the light of those changing requirements and in consultation with the post holder.

Selection Criteria:

• Degree in Education or Psychology preferable but not essential
• Good communication skills, fluent in both oral and written English
• Flexibility, able to think on the spot
• Friendly nature, empathetic and willing to adapt to support the student
• Willing to work from 7.45am-3.30pm

Applications must be submitted by 9 December 2026. The selection committee will conduct shortlisting during the week of 14 December 2026 Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a Zoom interview or an on-campus interview.