ILSA - Parent Hired role - Durham School

Individual Learning Support Assistant (ILSA) for Year 2 Girl

📍 Location: Durham School, Dubai

🕘 Schedule: Monday – Thursday: 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM (with potential to extend to 3:00 PM) | Friday: 7:30 AM – 11:00 AM

🗓 Days: 5 days a week

🛂 Visa Requirement: Must have own visa (e.g., spouse or family sponsorship)

💼 Salary: To be discussed (depending on candidate experience)

We are seeking a warm, encouraging, and patient Individual Learning Support Assistant (ILSA) to support a lovely Year 2 girl at Durham School.

This is a wonderful opportunity to work with a sweet, independent, and quiet child who needs a gentle guiding hand to help her build confidence, develop her communication skills, and fully engage in her school life.

About the Student

Background: Year 2 student (EASL)
Personality: She is a lovely, quiet, and slightly shy girl who is very independent.
Support Needs: She is experiencing some delays in speech and communication, though there are no formal diagnoses.
Academics & Socialization: She requires general academic help and gentle encouragement to socialize and participate in lessons.
Experience: She has had an LSA previously, so she is accustomed to having support in the classroom.
Personal Care: Fully independent; no personal care support is required.

Role Overview

The primary goal of this role is to be a supportive presence in the classroom, helping her navigate the school day with confidence. Key responsibilities include:

Academic Support: Provide general assistance with Year 2 classroom tasks and academic activities.
Communication & Speech: Gently encourage her to use her voice, express her thoughts, and communicate with teachers and peers.
Social & Emotional Support: Help her overcome her shyness by facilitating interactions and play with her classmates.
Encouraging Participation: Motivate and support her to get involved in all school activities, group work, and lessons.
Fostering Independence: Strike the right balance between providing support and allowing her to maintain her natural independence.

Ideal Candidate

Experience: Previous experience working as an LSA, TA, or in early childhood/primary education. Experience supporting children with mild speech and communication delays is highly desirable.
Language: Native or highly fluent English speaker.
Personality: Gentle, patient, positive, and deeply encouraging. Someone who knows how to draw a shy child out of their shell without overwhelming them.
Approach: Intuitive and observant, able to provide general support while collaborating effectively with the class teacher.