Best online Teaching Assistant and ECCE courses and providers

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Hi, I hope that this is the right place to be asking this!

I am hoping to become a primary school or early years teacher in future so want to do either an online ECCE course or else an online Teaching Assistant course (so that I’d have qualifications to work in the UK) and was just wondering would anyone know on here if childcare providers would accept people for jobs if they had completed any of the following courses by the following providers?

UK online Teaching Assistant Diplomas (seem to be equal to a Level 5 here in Ireland);

www.stonebridge.uk.com/course/teaching-assistant-specialist-support-for-teaching-and-learning-in-schools-qcf

www.openstudycollege.com/courses/specialist-support-teaching-learning

www.ncchomelearning.co.uk/specialist-support-for-teaching-learning-in-schools-level-3-diploma-rqf.html

ukopencollege.co.uk/product/specialist-support-teaching-learning-in-schools-lv-3-dip-rqf/

www.distance-learning-centre.co.uk/products/492/specialist-support-for-teaching---learning-in-schools---level-3-diploma--rqf--course.htm

www.brighter-learning.co.uk/teaching-assistant-courses/ncfe-teaching-assistant-level-3-diploma/

www.studyfromhome.co.uk/_shop/teaching-assistant/specialist-support-for-teaching-and-learning-in-schools-level-3-diploma/

www.tacollege.com/360/courses

Irish online ECCE courses;

chevrontraining.ie/childcare-courses/level-6-early-childcare-education-course-online/

www.theopencollege.com/courses/qqi-childcare-courses/montessori-major-award-level6-6m2007/

progressivecollege.ie/product/qqi-level-6-early-childhood-care-education-online/

www.cmit.ie/childcare-courses-distance-learning-courses/qqi-advanced-certificate-in-childcare-ecce/

www.portobelloinstitute.ie/booking/EarlyChildhoodCareEducationECCEL6-EYEE-847/

And if I was to do a UK teaching assistant one (which would be my preference as I think I’d prefer learning about how to help kids in school rather than minding them, and it would give me a more international qualification), do childcare providers here prefer to have people who completed a Level 3 Teaching Assistant Diploma by that is awarded by NCFE CACHE or TQUK?

And for the UK ones, would it be acceptable for me to do my placements here in an Irish school or would it be better for me to go and do it in the UK for a few weeks?

And how can I check if both the UK and Irish qualifications and providers are recognised, accredited and reputable?

And am I also right in thinking that if you complete a level 5 or above ECCE course that you can then go on to do a degree apprenticeship from that? I was told that recently so am just wondering is it true or not?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure that if I go to the time and money of doing a course that is will be recognised and worth my while!

You are aware that TA jobs are suffering cutbacks and less readily available, so competition fierce. Practical experience is important, usually through volunteering, and you would need to use that to substantiate whatever learn on the course. Tbh not sure if a distance learning course on its own would suffice.

Oh I know I’d have to do placements, which is okay as I’m not working at the moment so am free, I am more just wondering which online course provider is the best one

Is there anyone who is studying the level 3 teaching assistant course on here? I need help

I’m not at the minute but am hoping to enrol on a Level 3 teaching assistant Diploma in the next few days so hopefully can help you then!

None of the TAs at my school have any qualifications-we just ask for maths/English GCSE.

I’d say the most useful thing to do would be to offer to volunteer weekly at a local school.

I am already volunteering and have signed up to the De Montfort course. I need a study buddy or some help. I am just on the first assignment and am stuck

Oh because a lot of the jobs that I’ve seen advertised (and a lot of the better paid ones) say that they require (or prefer) people to have a relevant Level 3 qualification and maybe some experience, so given that the only qualifications I have are my end of school exams, I’m hoping that if I do a Level 3 teaching assistant Diploma and do placements to gain experience as part of it that that will help to get a job as a TA down the line

I was just going through my old posts / threads on here and came across this - @Barrell18 , I am now doing the newer Level 3 Teaching Assistant Diploma with De Montfort so can try to help you if you’re still stuck with anything (even though I’ve only read through the book and haven’t started into the assignments yet, but hope to do so today)

And thanks again @LIZS and @Letseatgrandma for your advice - I am aware that well paid teaching assistant jobs can be hard to come across and that you don’t have to have a TA qualification to get one but I would prefer to have a qualification so that I’d be better prepared for the job, and have to complete placement as part of it so my local school are happy to let me do my placement in their school (but unfortunately I can’t do that at the minute with the schools being closed, but have sent off my forms for the DBS equivalent and all so hope I can do my placement as soon as the schools reopen)

Thanks again everyone for all your help and advice, I really appreciate it!

I am aware that well paid teaching assistant jobs can be hard to come across

That's because there is no such thing as a well paid teaching assistant job.

@astropoodle I know that teaching assistants aren’t well paid in the general scheme of things, but I have seen salaries varying from anything from £7000 (mostly for part-time jobs) to anything up to £20000 (which are very rare) , and tend to average around the £12000 - £15000 mark, so obviously my preference would be to target one that would be higher paying than a lot of them are, rather than most applying for any old one

Most teaching assistant jobs in the U.K. are better paid than almost full-time childcare or pre-school teaching jobs here in Ireland anyway, and the cost of living is 13% cheaper in the U.K. than Ireland, so even if I took up a lowly paid Teaching Assistant job in the U.K., chances are I’d be better off financially working as a TA in the U.K. than I would be in a similar job here in Ireland

Anyway, long-term, I’d be hoping to do primary teaching so only would be planning to work as a TA for a few years whilst doing a part-tome primary teaching degree, and then hopefully would get work as a teacher and a better salary because of that

Most of the TAs at our school have no TA qualification- they just had to prove they had a good understanding of maths and English. I was a TA before becoming a teacher and even though the job advert did ask for a qualification, I got the job (lots of other people applied too). I would say forget the course and apply for the TA jobs!

Be careful with the wages though, they are usually pro rata. Anything near 20,000 you would be expected to cover classes as opposed to assist in them.

I know that teaching assistants aren’t well paid in the general scheme of things, but I have seen salaries varying from anything from £7000 (mostly for part-time jobs) to anything up to £20000 (which are very rare) , and tend to average around the £12000 - £15000 mark, so obviously my preference would be to target one that would be higher paying than a lot of them are, rather than most applying for any old one

Put it this way, in 20+ years in education I have never seen one paying even £12000 (except as the quoted salary for working all year not pro-rata) and certainly never 20k.

I work in education. Competition for TA jobs is fierce. Despite the low pay, term time jobs are highly desirable for many reasons. The school I work in hasn’t taken on a TA without a degree in over 5 years. Not because they necessarily need one to do the job but because SLT are able to pick and choose from dozens of applicants.

I have never heard of a TA job paying anywhere near 20k however. I have an HLTA friend who is superb, plans and covers classes daily, is at the top of her pay grade and works 35+ hours a week. She doesn’t earn anywhere near even 15k.

Most of the TAs I know have degrees too and several have PGCEs

Unfortunately I don’t have a degree yet, but am already doing the Teaching Assistant course so am hoping that that combined with the Level 5 TEFL diploma I did recently and my end of school exam results would help me to get a job

I’m aware that a lot of the jobs / salaries are advertised on a pro-rate basis, but I have seen a few that say about that being the actual rate (or have the hourly rate down so I can work out the annual wage that way)

I would be happy to take on extra responsibilities if needed, so getting paid extra to do that would be a bonus!

Barrell, did you manage to get this course done?