For those looking to become teaching assistants, or for TAs who want to add a qualification to their existing skills, an apprenticeship could be a cost-effective and convenient option. 

The course, which involves spending the majority of your time in the classroom, can be free of charge, depending on your school’s status. 

While you don’t necessarily need a qualification to be a TA, the level 3 teaching assistant apprenticeship is becoming more and more popular as it formalises the training and experience you gain in the classroom. 

Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, we take a look at what the course entails: 

Teaching assistants: Who is the TA apprenticeship course for? 

The teaching assistant apprenticeship is suitable for anyone new to the job or those who are already employed in schools, in both primary and secondary phases and in mainstream and specialist settings.

What qualifications or experience do I need? 

Entry requirements are set by individual employers, but typically an apprentice might be expected to have already achieved five GCSEs, including maths and English, at grade 4 or 5 (grade C) and above. 

Some employers will accept other relevant qualifications and experience, including a relevant level 2 qualification.

Apprentices without English and maths at level 2 functional skills or equivalent must achieve these prior to taking an end-point assessment at the end of the course. 

What skills and qualification will I get? 

Once your teaching assistant apprenticeship is completed, you will gain a level 3 qualification, and be qualified to apply for teaching assistant roles across the country. Over the course of the apprenticeship you will learn to:

• Understand how pupils learn and develop.
• Work with teachers to understand and support assessment for learning.
• Keep children safe in education.
• Have appropriate knowledge of the curriculum and context you are working in.
• Recognise the importance of using appropriate technology to support learning.
• Develop strategies for support.
• Communicate and work in a team.
• Work with teachers to accurately assess.
• Problem-solve and motivate pupils.

The teaching assistant standard also provides a foundation for potential progression into a number of career paths in education, such as higher-level teaching assistant, assistant teacher and teacher.

How is it delivered and how long does it take to complete? 

The teaching assistant apprenticeship is offered at level 3 (equivalent to A levels) and takes around 18 months to complete.

Every apprenticeship is required to have a 20 per cent off the job training element, which means that, while the majority of your time will be spent in a school, some time will also be spent at your education provider.

The government’s Find an Apprenticeship tool is the best way to find local education providers near you. 

Once you have applied through an education provider, they will match you with a workplace.

What does it cost and is there funding available? 

Training costs are around £5,000 and are covered by schools through the apprenticeship levy, a dedicated pot of funding schools receive to fund apprenticeships.

If your school doesn’t pay into the levy, they can opt to make a 5 per cent contribution towards the training cost, and the government will pay the remaining 95 per cent.

There is no national pay scale for teaching assistants. The apprenticeship minimum wage is £4.30 if you are aged between 16 and 18. It is also £4.30 if you are aged 19 or over and in your first year. Once you have completed your first year, you are entitled to the national minimum wage or national living wage rate for your age.

After completion of the apprenticeship, you can expect to earn around £17,364 as a full time teaching assistant. 

What do the apprentices think? 

Tara Wright, a teaching assistant apprentice at Pakeman Primary School in Islington, London, explains: “I previously worked in hospitality but had always wanted to work in childcare. 

“Following jobs in a playgroup and as a lunchtime supervisor in a primary school, I was offered the chance to be a TA working with a child with special educational needs.

“I have now started the level 3 apprenticeship - it’s given me the chance to learn more skills and become much more confident as a TA. I’m now taking the lead in my year group for children with healthcare plans: this qualification is really helping my career.

“The school is showing that they believe in me by supporting me through the apprenticeship programme.”

Clare Cook is a freelance journalist