How to be a Teaching Assistant

[purplejelly]

Hi, would somebody be able to tell me on what I need to do to become a TA? The job descriptions and person specs for vacancies are very vague as to what qualifications are needed. I have maths (C) and English (A) GCSEs, a selection of A Levels and a degree in English Literature. I have wondered about doing a PGCE but think it would be too much work when my children are little, so am thinking of starting as a TA. Do I need a specialist TA qualification or not, and if I do, how do I go about getting one?

I'm helping at my son's school for a morning per week, which at the moment is all I can do due to childcare and having a part time paid job. Would this help me with any possible courses?

Many thanks for any help anyone can provide!

There are a few routes to becoming a TA!
Most of ours start either as dinner ladies or as volunteers. Whilst doing this they attend college to gain a qualification ( usually an NVQ) at level 3. You can be employed without this qualification but it depends on the demand for posts ( and demand is usually incredibly high!!) but you might be lucky if a vacancy arises in the school you volunteer at, as you will be a known quantity!! Most courses insist that you are volunteering/working in a school before you are accepted onto them

You would be a perfect candidate for a TA post at the school where I work. We now employ mainly graduates. Specific TA qualifications are less important but your volunteer experience is a huge advantage.
Our TAs tend to stay for a year or two to gain experience before they leave to do their PGCE.

Watching with interest for any tips too. I'm in a similar position to OP but am qualified teacher looking to move to TA role in a year or so.
I think volunterring is a major help.

I started as a volunteer at my Dcs school and did the level 3 qualification at the same time. The school were great and gave me the responsibility needed to complete the qualification including class ta work, small group and 1-1 interventions. The school offered me a job as soon as I qualified.

As a SENCO I have recruited a few times this year. Generally I'm looking for someone whose qualifications show they aren't daft and have some experience or have proven willing to work with young people (i.e. aren't just out for some job, whatever it is). I'm not overly interested in a TA qual, in fact, none of the TAs I've employed (around a dozen) have had this. Might be different in primary though.

This week I appointed two - one was sharp and academic and needed a year experience before teaching, and another was much less sharp but really nurturing. Knowing the students we are getting next year I thought this would be a good mix.

Personality, suitability and genuine interest rates more with me than TA quals.

Oh, please forgive my grammatical errors. I blame wine!

I started volunteeing at school one day a week, upped it to three days when my youngest started nursery last year and did a level 3 nvq at the same time. Then took a post as a dinner lady in September and the school has increased my ta hours over the year so far until I'm doing 4 days with intervention groups/1-2-1

Volunteering is definitely the way to do it, experience counts as much as qualification, if not more

Whether you need a specific TA qualification does seem to depend where in the country you are.
Most TA jobs are advertised on the local Council's website so maybe it's worth a look and see what the jobs are asking for.

I totally agree that having voluntary experience is vital.

Good luck.

I would say you are good to go..

Graduate in core subject with some volunteering experience- pretty much what I would be looking for. Have you started applying for jobs?

Maybe you could look out for what jobs are available locally, speak to some school staff, headteachers and governors locally and get a feel for what they think. I agree with others you need to volunteer and prove you're a good candidate, and also prove you do want to do it to yourself

Thanks for all the replies. I haven't started applying yet, just waiting until September 2016 when my youngest starts school. I will definitely be giving it a go as I'm enjoying helping out at the school more than my paid job, which tells me it's worth a try!