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Using the NOS to design job roles

The national occupational standards for supporting teaching and learning in schools (STL NOS) describe the roles and responsibilities carried out by learning support staff in schools. They can be used as a starting point for designing new job roles and for reviewing/updating existing job descriptions to ensure you have an appropriate balance of roles and responsibilities within the school workforce.

Designing new or revised job roles can be used to:

  • create a new post
  • accommodate new requirements (eg for cover supervision)
  • reflect an individual’s developing skills and expertise

A holistic approach to job design and staff deployment means each job description can be viewed as a part of a whole. Each job can be seen in relation to other jobs within the school, and everything can be related to the school’s aims for improving pupil attainment and well-being. Using national occupational standards for specifying job roles also ensures that job design is based on clear and realistic expectations expressed in terms of performance.

The role audit tool can be used to identify the roles and responsibilities that are, or could be, carried out by learning support staff in your school. A role audit will help you identify where you might revise and/or develop job descriptions to ensure you have an appropriate balance of roles and responsibilities across the school.