Teaching assistant qualifications

[PenelopePlant]

NCFE/CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning
I'm considering doing this course. Has anyone else done it and why have you gone into work wise as a result?

I want to be a TA, in a primary school.

I am mid thirties, haven't worked in 10 years as have been a home maker. I'm ready to retrain and want some guidance on the best way into becoming a teaching assistant.

Thank you

I am thinking of doing level 2 with them do you know the difference in the level 2 course and level 2 certificate 😊

Emmamichelle7 the level 2 award is theoretical only, really though an employer would be looking for the certificate.
You don't have to do the level 2 before the level 3, so if you are ever likely to do it then best just to jump straight to that other you'll be covering a lot of the same work, and the cost isn't that much more for the level 3.
It does help to have a voluntary place in a school though to do the certificate or diploma

The level 3 you have to be in a school placement. If you are going down the agency route, sometimes they do have long term placements available so it’s worth asking. Agency work is more money, but it’s 0hr contract so if you aren’t needed, you don’t get paid.

Hi, how did you find the level 3 teaching assistant course? How did you gather evidence from school and do the teachers observe you in class?

I wrote it up and the teacher signed it, as I work in a secondary school I sort of knew which lessons I could demonstrate the necessary skills in. I also worked with a range of different needs, disabilities etc mostly what I was writing was what I did every day, but sometimes I’d have to talk it through with the teacher before hand.

Thank you

I would join an agency and you'll get plenty of work, especially if you're interested in working in a sentence school. At the Sen school I work in, the good agency staff usually get taken on long term and then offered a job. Definitely a good way to get a foot in the door. There's a Facebook group called teaching assistants UK where you can search 'courses' which will come up with loads of info.

Sen school not sentence school!