Learning support assistant (LSA)

The term LSA is widely used for teaching assistants (TAs) who work in classrooms with teachers supporting children with special needs.

They may work with an individual child or with groups of children. Usually they support children with the development of basic skills in literacy and numeracy, but in some schools they may be given a much wider brief.

They may not have undertaken any formal training. Some LSAs may have started as classroom assistants, helping the teacher with ancillary tasks, and have found their role changing with the growing emphasis on the inclusion of children with special needs. Training is becoming increasingly common, provided by either the lcoal authority or the DfES.