Learning Support Practitioner

Role: Learning Support Practitioner

Location: Central Bedfordshire College – Dunstable Kingsway Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £25,585 and £30,915 per annum (Pro-Rata) DOE and Qualifications, People’s Pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 37 weeks per year

Contract Type: Permanent – Term Time

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have theRight to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Learning Support Practitioner to join our Foundation Learning & Additional Learning Support department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Learning Support Practitioner, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Personalised SEND Learner Support - Provide high-quality, tailored support to learners with additional needs, enabling them to access learning, develop independence, achieve EHCP outcomes and reach their full potential across a range of educational and community-based environments.
• Progress Monitoring & Evidence-Based Support - Contribute to the assessment of learner progress through observation, recording and reporting, provide timely feedback to staff, and support EHCP reviews, progress meetings and multi-agency processes with accurate evidence of learner development.
• Inclusive Practice & Barrier Removal - Implement strategies that support communication, behaviour regulation, social development and study skills, promote inclusive learning approaches, and help create safe, supportive environments where all learners can thrive.
• Collaboration & Professional Practice - Work closely with teachers, ALS colleagues, therapists, parents/carers and external professionals to deliver coordinated support, meet individual learner needs and contribute to continuous improvement within the ALS team.
• Safeguarding, Professional Development & College Standards - Promote safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, and health and safety, engage in ongoing SEND-related professional development, and support the College’s commitment to delivering high-quality, consistent support for learners with SEND.

About you:

• Qualifications & SEND Support Experience - Holds a Level 3 qualification in Learning Support, Education or a related field, with Level 2 English and Maths, and experience supporting learners with SEND and additional learning needs within educational, specialist or care settings.
• SEND Knowledge & Learner Development - Demonstrates a strong understanding of SEND needs and effective support strategies, with the ability to promote learner independence, resilience, self-advocacy and positive outcomes through tailored support and intervention.
• Communication, Relationship Building & Professional Practice - Builds positive and trusting relationships with learners, staff and stakeholders, communicates effectively, and works collaboratively within further education and multi-agency environments to support learner success.
• Administration, IT & Progress Monitoring - Possesses strong literacy, numeracy and digital skills, is proficient in Microsoft Office applications, and can effectively observe, record, monitor and report on learner progress, support strategies and outcomes.
• Inclusion, Flexibility & Safeguarding - Committed to inclusive practice, continuous professional development and improving outcomes for all learners, with the flexibility to work across multiple sites, support personal care and mobility needs where required, and uphold safeguarding responsibilities and College standards at all times.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: Week commencing 08 November 2026

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisationalVISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.