‘I wanted to raise their status in the school’: valuing and including learning assistants

Inclusion is often conceptualised as involving developing school communities within which everyone, both students and staff, feels valued and experiences a sense of belonging yet research reveals that this is often not the case for learning assistants. This study investigated how this situation was addressed in one school in Aotearoa New Zealand. It contributes to the paucity of research that foregrounds the experiences of learning assistants, and in particular, their experiences of feeling valued and included within their school communities. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with learning assistants and teachers, the research identified key factors that contributed to learning assitants feeling valued. These included being listened to, opportunities for professional development, being based in a class working collaboratively with teachers, and having clearly defined roles. The impact on LAs day-to-day work is highlighted. The article argues that if inclusion is understood as referring to all and not just some, then this means LAs as well as the students they support. This requires recognising them as valued members of the school community and treating them as such. Doing so brings potential benefits, not just for LAs but also for those they support.