Do I need qualifications to be a teaching assistant?

[tigi]

My youngest starts school in Sept, and I have seen a PT teaching assistant jobs advertised for hours that suit! I help in class with reading at the moment, and also with cubs. This job is for a 'SEN level 3', which I have read up about a bit, and it says A levels reqd, which I have, but I have no formal teaching qualifications! Does anyone know if I stand any sort of chance by applying please!

Is it for 1:1 help with a child. You don't need teaching experience (and I'm a believer in applying for anything that looks vaguely interesting you can always turn a job down). However it would be worth finding out what is involved. My son (non-verbal autistic) was in mainstream school for 4 terms and in that time got through 5 LSA's- and he's not aggressive or anything. They were untrained and frankly hopelessly out of their depth (except one but she had an autistic son) with very little support from the school, and no training.

So if you go for it I'd find out more about what is involved and what training you will be given. If you find out more in advance I can give you some tips on what training they should be giving you :o

Hi Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads, when I phoned up, they hadn't any info to give me at all, and even the letter that I have had doesn't tell me about the post! All it gives me are details of level 2 and 3 experience reqd. I do help in school, and cubs, so feel this helps a lot, and I also have a child with hyperactive and sensory tendancies, which again would help my application. I too believe in 'if you don't try, then you don't know!'

Is it in a SN school?
I am a TA in a primary school, but work with the whole class rather than 1:1 with a SN child.
I have the NNEB qualification, but am only one of two TA's in the school that do.
We have an autistic boy in school, who has his own TA. This TA did not have any special qualifications, but has been sent on lots of courses since starting the job.
I would go for it. You have nothing to lose!

Could the TA's in the school where you help out offer any advice maybe? None of the TA's at the school where I taught had any qualifications when they started - most graduated from voluntary mum helpers! They are all now doing courses to learn more about the job as they do it IYSWIM? I think the most important factors for being taken seroiusly when applying for a TA job are a good personality and commitment.

There is a lot of info \link{http://www.tda.gov.uk/support.aspx\here on TDA} website.

I am doing a BTEC TA course at the mo (distance learning) but there are also NVQ courses available. From what I have seen (& I haven't applied for anything yet), it seems more to do with how well you would fit into the team and less about the qualifications (although I guess they help!)