How to become a teaching assistant

As a teaching assistant (TA), you'll support pupils in their educational, emotional and social development either individually, in groups or as a whole class

You'll also support the teacher by undertaking duties that will free up their time for teaching, such as preparing the classroom for lessons, making resources and creating displays of children's work.

Some TAs work exclusively with pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) or other specific needs.

Job titles vary and may include classroom assistant, learning support assistant or pupil support assistant (Scotland).

Responsibilities

Your duties will depend on your experience, training and TA status.

As a teaching assistant, you'll need to:

make sure that the pupils you support can engage in learning and stay on task during the lesson or activity so that they can become independent learners
support the social and emotional development of pupils, reporting any issues when required
support the teacher in managing challenging pupil behaviour and promoting positive behaviour
listen to pupils read, and read to pupils as a class, group or one-to-one
monitor and record pupils' progress and provide detailed and regular feedback to teachers
carry out administrative duties, such as preparing the classroom and clearing away after class to ensure effective teaching can take place
look after pupils who have had accidents, administering first aid where necessary, and those who need help dressing or are upset
make resources for use by teachers and pupils and create art displays of pupils' artwork
provide support outside of your normal classes, such as helping during exams, covering TA absences or going on school trips
help with extra-curricular activity such as breakfast and after-school clubs, homework club, revision sessions or playtime and lunchtime duties.

As a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA), you'll also need to:

deliver tailored teaching activities to pupils on either a one-to-one basis or in small groups
lead on certain class activities under the direction of the teacher
take classes on your own, giving teachers time to plan and mark work or to attend training
help with the planning of lessons
supervise other support staff
coordinate specific areas of teaching support.

With experience, you could also take on a specialism such as literacy, numeracy or SEN. You may also specialise in working with children whose first language is not English if you are bilingual.

Salary

There isn't a national pay scale for TA salaries and pay scales are determined locally. However, most schools follow the local government pay scale for support staff, with starting salaries at around £22,366. This varies, however, depending on the type of school. Unlike state-funded schools, independent, academy and free schools don't have to follow LA pay guidelines.
Your salary will rise with experience and increased responsibility. Higher level teaching assistants (HTLAs) and those with additional specialisms or SEN responsibilities may earn up to around £29,000.
Many TAs are employed on part-time, term-time only or casual contracts, so actual take-home pay can be a lot less. According to UNISON, the public service union, in reality the average take home pay for TAs is between £13,000 and £15,000.

Some providers pay term-time only wages, meaning your salary is pro-rata (a proportion of the stated full-time salary). You should still receive a salary every month.

Your teaching assistant salary will vary depending on a range of factors, such as your location (jobs in London typically pay more) and the type of school you work for, as well as your skills, experience, specialist area (such as special educational needs) and level of responsibility.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically during the school day, in term time, Monday to Friday. You may be required to work early mornings or after school if you're supporting additional activities, such as breakfast club and/or after school care. In addition to your hours of work, you may need to attend training days or parents' evenings.

Some schools run activities over the summer that you could get involved in. This would usually be paid in addition to your normal salary.

In general, half-term and summer holidays are counted as part of your holiday allowance. Taking time off during term is usually restricted, and you'll need a good reason for term-time absence to be authorised.

Employment contracts vary. Part-time work or job sharing is common. Permanent contracts do exist, but many schools offer fixed-term or temporary contracts - reviewed annually in line with school or pupil needs. These tend to be common when the focus of your role is supporting a particular pupil.

What to expect

You'll be supporting pupils who may have a range of specific learning needs and/or behavioural difficulties. You will usually work in the classroom or with individual pupils or small groups in a separate room.
You'll be busy with a variety of tasks on any given day and may be asked to offer extra support at short notice. There is an expectation to get stuck in and provide help as and when it's needed.
Depending on your role, you may need to provide personal care to pupils and help with lifting or moving them where required.
The teaching assistant role can be challenging but watching pupils progress can also be extremely rewarding.
Although most of your work will be in the classroom, you may also be involved in lunchtime supervision, outdoor activities (such as PE and forest school) and school trips.

Qualifications

For entry-level positions, you'll need to have basic literacy and numeracy skills, usually GCSE grade 4/C or above, or equivalent (National 4 or 5 qualifications in Scotland), in maths and English, and experience of working with children.

Although you don't need a degree to become a teaching assistant, having one can be an advantage as this shows a competent level of skills. Qualifications and experience in related areas such as childcare, nursery, play or youth work can also be useful.

Although not essential, the following qualifications can provide a useful introduction to the sector and an understanding of the knowledge and skills you need to work with children or young people in primary, secondary or special schools:

Level 1 Award in Preparing to Work in Schools
Level 2 Award in Support Work in Schools and Colleges
Level 3 Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning

These are knowledge-based qualifications, and you can take them without working in an education setting.

For some Level 2 and 3 courses, however, you'll need to be working or on a practical placement in an education setting (either paid or voluntary). These include:

Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning
Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning
Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning

For more information on relevant courses, see NCFE Qualifications.

It's also possible to train to be a teaching assistant through taking an advanced Level 3 (A-level) teaching assistant apprenticeship. You'll work in a school during your training and will be paid a salary. After completing the apprenticeship, it may be possible to move into a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) role or a specialist teaching assistant role. Find an apprenticeship.

Individual schools set their own entry requirements for jobs, so check vacancies carefully to find out what skills, experiences and teaching assistant qualifications they're looking for.

Schools are also interested in what interests and hobbies you have that could be shared with pupils. Relevant hobbies include playing a musical instrument or a sport, art and craft activities, gardening, sign language and other languages.

You'll also need to undergo an enhanced criminal records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (England and Wales) or Disclosure Scotland.

Skills

You'll need to have:

a positive approach to working with children and the ability to motivate, inspire and build rapport
a strong regard for pupil safety and wellbeing
active listening skills
patience, sensitivity and empathy
communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships with pupils, parents and carers, teachers and governors
reading, writing and numeracy skills
excellent team working skills for collaborating with other support staff, classroom teachers and professionals such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, social workers and external agencies
the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to use your initiative
a solutions-based approach to problem solving
a flexible and creative approach to work, as you'll be involved in a range of school-related activities such as cooking, art, science projects, PE and forest school
organisational and planning skills, with the ability to multitask
general IT and administration skills
self-motivation and resilience
respect for diversity, as you'll be working with pupils from a range of backgrounds
a willingness to keep up to date with educational policy, safeguarding regulations and training related to your role.

Fluency in local community languages may be an advantage in roles supporting English as an additional language (EAL) pupils. Skills in areas such as first aid, Makaton and British Sign Language can also be useful.

Work experience

It's useful to have some experience of working with children and young people before taking on a teaching assistant role. Experience may include working in:

childcare
nurseries
schools and colleges
coaching
summer camps and holiday clubs
youth clubs
youth groups such as Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and the Woodcraft Folk
tutoring
youth work.

While very few structured work experience schemes exist, many schools welcome enquiries for volunteer work. Contact them directly, outlining your career ambitions, as well as areas you'd be interested in supporting, such as literacy, numeracy, IT or after school clubs.

Degrees such as education, youth work and childhood studies that have practical work placements can provide useful experience. If you don't have opportunities like this as part of your degree, you could arrange to gain some part or full-time work experience.

Other useful experience can include taking on the role of student ambassador at your university. This typically involves working part time to promote higher education and/or a specific subject area in local schools. Contact your careers service for advice on volunteer or paid opportunities working with children and young people.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Teaching assistant jobs are found in:

colleges and sixth forms
independent schools
nurseries
primary schools
pupil referral units
secondary schools
special schools
specialist schools.

There are many types of state school you can work in. These include academies, community schools, comprehensive schools, faith schools, free schools, foundation and trust schools, grammar schools, and voluntary-aided and controlled schools.

All these schools receive their funding from either government or their local authority, but differ in several ways, for example in terms of who controls school admissions and who employs the teaching and support staff. Make sure you find out about the type of school you are applying to and how it operates.

Look for job vacancies at:

myjobscotland - LA teaching jobs in Scotland.
Teaching Vacancies - job-listing service from the DfE (England only). Includes teaching assistant vacancies.
Tes Jobs
local authority websites
individual school and college websites.

Specialist recruitment agencies such as Eteach and i-teachers also handle vacancies.

Professional development

Once employed you'll typically take an induction course, followed by ongoing teaching assistant training and development. This usually consists of a mixture of in-house and externally-led training courses.

Areas of training can include:

working with pupils with specific learning needs or disabilities, such as dyslexia, autism or poor motor skills
supporting English as an additional language (EAL) pupils
supporting gifted and talented pupils
engaging students with emotional and behavioural difficulties
promoting inclusive learning environments for students
child protection policies and procedures.

Professional development is generally encouraged, and you'll usually be supported to complete the qualifications and training needed to progress. These can include Level 2 and 3 qualifications in supporting teaching and learning, if you don't already have one, which are completed while working in a learning environment.

With experience you can take a Level 4 Certificate for the Advanced Practitioner in Schools and Colleges. This work-based qualification provides opportunities to develop skills in areas such as leadership, mentoring and coaching.

Experienced teaching assistants with the right combination of skills and experience can apply for higher-level teaching assistant (HTLA) status. HLTA status shows that you meet national standards. For more information on how to achieve HLTA status, see the HLTA National Assessment Partnership.

Career prospects

As a teaching assistant you will usually start in an entry-level role. You'll advance by gaining experience and taking appropriate qualifications and training with opportunities to gain HLTA status.

As you progress, you'll take on more responsibility. At HLTA level you will get involved in planning lessons, developing support materials and delivering lessons unsupervised. You may also be responsible for supporting other TAs.

There is also scope to coordinate activities in specialist areas of support or curriculum learning, such as SEN, literacy or IT.

Working as a TA can also act as an excellent stepping stone towards becoming a teacher and provides you with a realistic and practical insight into the role of a teacher. Some schools actively support this transition. See primary school teacher and secondary school teacher for the range of training options.

Teaching assistant