Level 3 Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship

The course will enhance apprentices’ skills in supporting children or young people’s learning in school or colleges.  It also develops their responsibilities so that they can work independently with groups of children and/or equips them to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs.  Your apprentice will also help to plan, carry out and evaluate a wide range of learning activities.

The apprentice will attend weekly learning sessions to develop skills, professional behaviours and knowledge which are essential for an excellent Teaching Assistant to become occupationally competent in their role. Alongside this professional standard, they can also work towards achieving a Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning and will complete a range of theory-based and practical tasks during their programme of learning which evidence the apprenticeship standard. 

Alongside the apprenticeship standard for Teaching Assistants, the apprentice will study Level 2 Functional Skills qualifications in English and Maths (if these have not already been achieved at point of entry). 

The Maths and English Functional Skills must be achieved prior to the End Point Assessment.

Additional training opportunity

Alongside the apprenticeship standard, DCG will also offer the opportunity for apprentices to complete the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning.  This is made up of 11 units which will embed the behaviours, skills and knowledge expectations of the apprenticeship standards so that the apprentice becomes occupationally competent in their role:

Knowledge

• Understand how pupils learn and develop
• Technology: recognise the importance of using technology to aid learning
• Working with teachers to understand and support assessment for learning
• Curriculum: appropriate knowledge of the curriculum and context they are working in
• Keeping children safe in education

Skills

• Developing strategies for support
• Communication and teamwork
• Working with teachers to accurately assess
• Using technology
• Problem solving/ability to motivate pupils

Behaviours

• Building relationships/embracing change
• Adding value to education
• Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion
• Professional standards and personal accountability
• Team working, collaboration and engagement

Standards are occupation-focused and not qualification-led: they were developed in response to the needs of employers in the sector to raise the standard of apprentices.  This means that the standards are related to what is needed in the workforce so apprentices can become qualified in that future role.

The apprentice must be over 16 years old and have:

• An apprenticeship contract in a school or with another provider, working with children from Year 1 to Year 13
• The qualification entry requirements set by individual employers: typically an apprentice might be expected to have already achieved five GCSEs, including Maths and English at grade 4/5. Some employers will accept other relevant qualifications and experience, including a relevant Level 2 qualification

Apprentices who have not achieved English or Maths will be required to achieve Functional Skills at Level 2.  The length of study will be extended to enable apprentices to build their academic skills to exit at Level 3.  This will be agreed on a bespoke basis with you. 

Apprenticeship contracts must be for a minimum of 16 hours a week.  However, if the contracted hours are less than 30, the length of time to achieve the apprenticeship standard will be extended to enable sufficient workplace learning.

• An Apprenticeship Teaching Assistant role enabling the apprentice to support teaching and learning in a school or college environment.  Over time, the role must provide the apprentice with the opportunity to evidence the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours detailed in the standard
• Allocation of a mentor to support the apprentice’s training and development in school.  Your apprentice must be employed for a minimum of 22 months

Apprentices are entitled to 20% paid off-job training, which must be carried out within working hours. The off-job training requirement is designed to provide dedicated learning time for apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for an excellent Teaching Assistant.

Your apprentice will be required to attend weekly learning sessions at College, for 3 hours per week.  If studying Functional Skills, they will need to attend a weekly session for English and Maths, held on a Thursday. The apprenticeship assessor will review your apprentice’s progress with you every ten weeks and supply progress reports and agreed targets to ensure their success.

• Demonstrate building relationships/embracing change
• Demonstrate adding value to education
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion
• Demonstrate professional standards and accountability
• Demonstrate teamwork, collaboration and engagement with other professionals

• Approved Level 2 in English and Maths (GCSE/Functional Skills)

End Point Assessment (EPA):

In order to evidence the apprenticeship standards and become an outstanding Teaching Assistant, your apprentice must take an End Point Assessment for the apprenticeship standards (conducted by an external End Point Assessment Centre). The EPA involves:

•             Observation with question and answers

•             Professional discussion supported by a portfolio of evidence the apprentice has gathered with support from their assessor and mentor

Apprentices will be prepared for the EPA via formative and mock observations and professional discussions. Your apprentice will also be supported, by yourselves and the College, to gather a portfolio of evidence which shows they have achieved the standards. As the employer, you will decide – with support from the assessor – when your apprentice is ready to take their EPA.

Functional Skills qualifications are achieved through examinations.

The Level 3 Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship is assessed using a variety of techniques, including written work, question and answer, wall displays, reflective learning journals, individual and group presentations, professional discussions and observation of practice in the classroom.  Apprentices build an electronic portfolio of evidence during the course, using OneFile.

Yes, once a week, as part of their off-the-job training.  Your apprentice will study in College for 3 hours per week, 

N/A

• Secure a permanent position as an occupationally competent Teaching Assistant in a school
• Progress to a Level 4 Certificate for Higher Level Teaching Assistants or a Foundation Degree specialising in a specific pathway (Teaching Assistant, Early Years, Children and Young People, or SEND)
• Take the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (post-14)

As well as ensuring full competency as a Teaching Assistant, this apprenticeship standard provides a foundation for potential progression into a number of career paths in the educational sector including Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Assistant Teacher and Teacher.

You may already have someone in your organisation or someone who has come to you directly asking for an apprenticeship. However, if you don’t, we have a free recruitment service to help you hire the best candidate for your organisation from our talent pool and can provide external advertising through social media and the National Apprenticeship Service’s website.

If you are an employer and you would like to know more, please email businessenquiries@derby-college.ac.uk or call 01332 387421