SEN LSA position

[lockets24]

For an SEN LSA role in a primary school what sort of questions might be asked in an interview please?

The last time I interviewed for a 1;1 post I asked:

What do you see the role of a 1;1 teaching assistant as being?
Have you undertaken any relevant training for the role?
Why do you want to be a teaching assistant?
Can you outline the experience and training you have had in dealing with pupils with special needs?
How would you ensure that the class teacher is kept informed about the progress and needs of the pupil you support?
Imagine you are working 1;1 with a pupil. He is distracting other children in the class. Which is most important in that situation? Is it:
The needs of the pupil you are supporting?
The needs of the other pupils?
The teacher’s ability to continue with the lesson?
The child you are supporting has completed a particular section of learning, but you notice that another pupil is struggling with it. Would you offer support to the other pupil, even if it meant leaving your pupil while you moved to another desk?
Do you have any other experience of working with children you feel might have a positive impact on the role?
What do you understand by the term safeguarding

I also asked questions relating to the specific needs of the child for whom I was recruiting-eg understanding of Downs Syndrome, experience of ASD, experience of Braille etc

I would expect a question about Kcsie and the recent updates.
How do you ensure GDPR compliance in regard to a safeguarding concern?

A LSA won’t be the Safeguarding lead. So won’t really need to know that detail at interview. They would need to be trained on safeguarding and any policy and protocol would be covered after the applicant is successful. However if Safeguarding comes up always say you would speak to the Safeguarding lead in the school about your concerns.

When going to an interview, I would read all the school’s policies on its web site. Get a feel for the school. Definitely read the SEN policy.

Any training you have done should be on your application form but it can be useful to respond positively to any further training.

I would also speak positively about working closely with the relevant teachers and explain how you might work on the curriculum with your pupil. Or group of pupils. What would you do to ensure a differentiated curriculum is accessible to your pupil (s) if necessary? Think about how you should work with your teacher so the pupils benefit. Teamwork is hugely important and stress you understand this.

Good luck.

All staff teaching or support will be expected to know KCSIE and have signed to say they have read it and how GDPR covers their job and interaction with parents etc. This is the norm unless she is brand new and never worked in schools.