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Hiring an apprentice teaching assistant is a great way to bring fresh energy and enthusiasm into the classroom. With the right support from our experienced assessors, they can quickly grow in confidence and become a real asset to the team. It’s also a chance to help someone start a meaningful career in education.

Key information

Key information about this apprenticeship programme, with the main details like the level, duration and industry/sector. Full details about this standard can be found on the Skills England website.

  • Level: 3 (Advanced)
  • Duration: 21 months
  • Training location: Workplace
  • Mode of Attendance: Employer based
  • Industry/sector: Education and early years
  • Maximum funding available: £7,000.00
View more about this programme (opens in a new window/tab)

Apprenticeship overview

Supporting the class teacher to enhance learning.

The key skills, knowledge, behaviours and duties that will be carried out by the apprentice as part of this apprenticeship.

  • Apply strategies to support and encourage the development of independent learners.
  • Adapt communication strategies for the audience and context.
  • Apply behaviour management strategies in line with organisational policy.
  • Adapt resources to support all learners.
  • Communicate with teachers to ensure clarity of the TA’s role.
  • Apply teaching strategies to deliver learning activities or interventions.
  • Build relationships with learners, teachers, other professionals and stakeholders.
  • Comply with legislation, guidance, and procedures for Prevent, safeguarding and health & safety.
  • Support the well-being and mental health of learners.
  • Observe, record, and report on learners in line with organisational procedures.
  • Apply methods of formative assessment.
  • Use up to date technology safely, to support learning.
  • Encourage safe use of technology by learners.
  • Adapt teaching strategies to support all learners (for example, scaffolding, open questioning).
  • Identify and respond to pastoral and academic behaviours in learners.
  • Provide feedback to learners.

Further information

  • Assistant teacher
  • Classroom assistant
  • Learning support assistant
  • Learning support worker
  • Specialist curriculum support
  • Support assistant
  • Teaching assistant

This occupation is found in primary, secondary, special schools, alternative provision, and further education institutions such as sixth forms and colleges. Teaching Assistants work across all age ranges, supporting all learners.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to support the class teacher to enhance learners’ progress and development either in groups or individually. Teaching Assistants ensure that learners understand their work, know their learning objectives, and display positive learning behaviours in order to make progress. They deliver individual and small group teaching and apply a range of strategies to support learners of different abilities under the professional direction and supervision of a qualified teacher. Teaching Assistants may support learners with special educational needs and disabilities and learners with social, emotional, and mental health vulnerabilities.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation may interact with all learners. This includes but is not limited to high attaining, SEND, EAL, and disadvantaged learners. Teaching Assistants will also work in partnership with teachers and other professionals within the school and education system, as well as with learners’ parents or carers.


An employee in this occupation will be responsible for delivering individual and small group teaching and adapting planning under the direction of a teacher; implementing safeguarding policies and safe practice; working effectively with other education professionals; promoting positive learning behaviours; and supporting the development of a safe and stimulating learning environment. They will work within a framework of national legislation regarding safeguarding, and within the policies and procedures of their individual education organisations.

Typical Job titles:

Teaching Assistant, Learning Support Assistant, Specialist Support Assistant and Support for Specialist Curriculum Areas

Duration:

Typically 18 months

Level:

3

Role profile:

Teaching Assistants work in Primary, Special and Secondary education across all age ranges encompassing special educational needs and emotional vulnerabilities. The primary role of the Teaching Assistant is to support the class teacher to enhance pupils’ learning either in groups or individually, ensuring pupils understand the work set, know their learning objectives and stay on task in order to make progress. Promoting self-belief, social inclusion and a high self-esteem play an integral part to pupils’ well-being; ensuring pupils thrive in a positive, nurturing, safe environment. It is an active role supporting the learner to access the curriculum. They are good role models, act with honesty and integrity, take part in team meetings; contribute to planning and class activities. Promoting Fundamental British Values through spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and positive behaviours are crucial in contributing to improved pupil progress and development.

Entry requirements:

Whilst any entry requirements will be a matter for individual employers, typically an apprentice might be expected to have already achieved 5 GCSEs, including Maths and English, Grade C or above or 4/5 (new grading). Some employers will accept other relevant qualifications and experience, including a relevant Level 2 qualification.

Knowledge What is Required:
Understanding how pupils learn and develop
  • Understand the need to provide feedback to support and facilitate an appropriate level of independence.
  • Comprehend appropriate levels of learning resources to identify and help address weakness, consolidate strengths and develop individualised expectations.
  • Recognise different stages of child development through school, eg: transition between key stages.
Technology
  • Recognise the importance of using appropriate technology to support learning.
Working with teachers to understand and support assessment for learning
  • Understand the need to accurately observe, record and report on pupil’s participation, conceptual understanding and progress to improve practice and assessment for different groups of pupils.
  • Understand the school’s assessment procedures for benchmarking against targets set by the class teacher.
  • Be familiar with assessment materials.
Curriculum
  • An appropriate knowledge of the curriculum and context you are working in.
Keeping Children Safe in Education
  • Understand current statutory guidance including ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ Part 1, safeguarding policies, Prevent Strategy.
  • Understand the importance of sharing relevant information, in a timely manner with the designated Safeguarding lead. Understand the importance of first aid procedures, recording/reporting incidents and a broad knowledge of Health & Safety Policy.
Skills What is Required:
Developing strategies for support
  • Develop strategies to support and encourage pupils to move towards independent learning.
  • Use appropriately varied vocabulary to ensure pupils’ understanding.
  • Embed effective behaviour management strategies using discipline appropriately and fairly in line with the school’s policy.
  • Deliver interventions in accordance with training given (RAG rating).
  • Foster and encourage positive, effective, nurturing and safe learning environments inspiring pupils to take pride in and learn from their individual achievements.
  • Recognise, adapt and respond to all pupils encompassing SEN/emotional vulnerabilities, for example, use Makaton, visual timetables.
Communication and team work
  • Work closely with teachers to ensure own contribution aligns with the teaching.
  • Ensure regular communication with teachers to provide clarity and consistency of role within lessons.
  • Deliver/lead small group teaching within clearly defined/planned parameters using initiative, sensitivity and understanding.
  • Build appropriate relationships with colleagues, pupils, parents, adults and stakeholders.
  • Comply with policy and procedures for sharing confidential information and know when and where to seek advice.
  • Implement current statutory guidance including ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ Part 1, safeguarding policies, Prevent Strategy.
  • Undertake safeguarding training every 3 years.
  • Support pupils’ well-being whilst embedding the importance of online safety.
Working with teachers to accurately assess
  • Contribute to a range of assessment processes and use information effectively for example: written records.
  • Use specific feedback to help pupils make progress.
  • Apply good subject knowledge to support accurate assessment.
Using technology
  • Use school computer systems, including specialist software eg: online registration, intervention programmes and management information systems.
  • Use relevant technology competently and effectively to improve learning.
  • Ensure pupils use technology safely.
Problem solving/ability to motivate pupils
  • Use a range of strategies including scaffolding and open questioning skills to enable pupils to access and engage in learning.
  • Recognise the difference between pastoral and academic issues and model good behaviour for learning.

Behaviours

What is Required:

Building relationships/ embracing change
  • Flexibility, trust, professional conduct, confidentiality and being respectful.
  • Promote the school’s efforts to build positive behaviour for learning.
  • Promote and exemplify positive behaviour and uphold the school ethos.
  • Be enthusiastic and open to new ideas.

Adding value to education
  • Praise; provide constructive and specific feedback and support pupils, helping them to achieve their maximum potential socially, emotionally and academically through peer marking and reflection.

Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Keep pupils at the centre of everything.
  • Promote community cohesion and cultural diversity encompassing a full understanding of the school’s ethos.

Professional standards and personal accountability
  • Demonstrate professional relationships in line with Staff Handbook.
  • Be diplomatic, a positive role model and maintain confidentiality.
  • Optimise learning opportunities and reflect on their personal development.
  • Demonstrate a willingness to learn and improve personal skill set.

Team working, collaboration/ engagement
  • Work collaboratively and constructively with the whole school team.
  • Engage professionally as appropriate with outside professionals.

Qualifications:

Apprentices without English and Maths at Level 2 must achieve these prior to taking the End Point Assessment.

Progression:

As well as ensuring full competency as a Teaching Assistant, this standard provides a foundation for potential progression into a number of career paths in the Educational sector including Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Assistant Teacher and Teacher.

Review:

The apprenticeship Standard will be reviewed after a maximum of 3 years

Hire an apprentice today!

Are you interested in this apprenticeship for your business or company? Get in touch with our dedicated Business Development Manager for this industry/sector to find out more. Alternatively, you can fill out our employer interest form below and we'll get back to you.

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Information provided for this apprenticeship programme is sourced from the Skills England formerly the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). For the information authored by Skills England, this was last modified on 5th May 2023.