To maximise the effectiveness of the role of the LSA, you need to develop your abilities to relate and respond to your students. You must get to know them and their parents/carers. At the heart of this relationship is your ability to communicate. Effective communication skills are a prerequisite to be effective in monitoring academic progress and the personal and social development of students.

The course is designed to help the LSA develop a strong collaborative relationship with students and help build a "key worker" status for the LSA and to help them improve the progress and development of all the students they work closely with.

The inner core of the course is to develop closer links between the LSA and the students to work together, to co-operate, to develop trust, mutual respect and the understanding and knowledge to provide the necessary guidance for students to achieve their full potential.