Job description
The challenging and varied role of a Teaching Assistant is ideal for anyone hoping to make a positive impact on the lives of children and young adults.
As a Teaching Assistant, you'll offer practical help and emotional support to children experiencing short or long-term difficulties. The focus of your role is to provide support to students, empowering them to address various challenges, reducing problems and risks. You might help children with a range of social and personal issues or specialise in a particular area such as Autism, Global development delay or downs syndrome.
Job titles vary and you may also be known as a:
- Learning Support Assistant
- Classroom Support
- TA
- HLTA
- Learning Mentor
- Behaviour Support
- SEN Support
Responsibilities
Your role will vary depending on the needs of the child you're helping, but you may also have a specialist area, depending on your school's focus.
The challenges faced by your students could relate to:
- Challenging behaviour
- Education and learning
- Language/Communication barriers
- Mental health issues
- Learning difficulties.
As a Teaching Assistant, you'll typically need to:
- Follow instructions from Teachers in order to support effectively in the class room
- Adhere to professional practice standards and legislation, including confidentiality, safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion policies
- Ensure you're up-to-date on your knowledge of local service provision for appropriate signposting and referrals
- Support students on 1:1, adapting your approach on a case by case basis in order to engage students effectively
- Help children with learning and development
- Coach, mentor and motivate children to understand the benefits of relevant activities
Pay & Working Hours
Casual, sessional or relief teaching assistants are typically paid between £9.50 and £11.50 per hour. Income figures are intended as a guide only. Full-time Teaching Assistants usually work 35 hours per week. There are also part-time, casual and job share options available.
Qualifications
Typically, employers seek a minimum of a A-C GCSE's (or equivalent) in Maths & English or a level 2 in one of the following:
- Childcare
- Community work
- Education
- Health & social care
- Youth work
Employers will also usually expect experience and knowledge of safeguarding practices and procedures. We offer a free course in safeguarding awareness to support your application
Skills
You'll need to show:
- Good communication and listening skills
- The ability to build and maintain rapport with children
- Calmness under pressure and when dealing with challenging or confrontational behaviour
- Flexibility and adaptability
- A good understanding of the challenges faced by the children you help
- Organisation and problem-solving skills
- Resilience and the ability to cope with emotionally-draining and traumatic situations
- Commitment to making a positive difference to the lives of the students
- A positive, non-judgemental, empathetic and sensitive approach