Any teaching assistants out there?? or teachers ??

[Nicolaplus1]

This is probably the wrong place to put this, i am wanting to finally crack on and do what i have wanted to do for a long time and tat i bcome a teaching assistant.
I have done some internet research and it seems that there are no actual qualifications to take but experience is preffered.

Is this correct? and what s the best place for me to start i was going to contact my local schools to see if i could maybe do a couple of hours a wk voluntary is this the best thing to do?

I dont expect to get ajob as a TA overnight this is more of a long term goal.

Any advice much apreciated

hiya nicolaplus, i'm a secondary teacher and at my school we only employ people who have the basic teaching assistant qualification NVQ from a local college. from that it is possible to continue getting higher levels of qualification which affect pay. asking your local school is a good idea as in different areas especially where they might be struggling to recruit TA's they might have different criteria. parent helpers are often required for reading and trips. this could be a good way in. hth and best of luck

Watching with interest!

Previous, relevant experience including nursery nursing, play work and youth work may help. Some people work as volunteer helpers in schools whilst taking a course to train as a teaching assistant.

NCFE Initial Training for Classroom Assistants (Stage 1 and 2) is suitable for those who wish to begin study in this area. No previous experience is necessary for Stage 1.

The following are vocational qualifications suitable for teaching assistants with little experience or for those with no previous experience:

? CACHE Level 2 Certificate for Teaching Assistants
? NCFE Level 2 Certificate
? BTEC Level 2 Certificate
? ABC Level 2 Certificate.

Those who have successfully completed Level 2, and existing teaching assistants who want a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification, can work towards their Level 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants.

NVQs in Early Years Care and Education at Levels 2 and 3 for teaching assistants are also available for those already working in the classroom.
Some universities offer certificates or diplomas of higher education or foundation degrees specifically for teaching assistants or learning support assistants.

Apprenticeships have now been developed for teaching assistants. They provide a work-based route to recognised qualifications, such as NVQs and Key/Core Skills, and can lead onto higher-level qualifications.

Thanks for the advice , Heated i couldnt find info on relevent qualifications so thanks for that i can look into possibility of doing the basic intro x