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Back to the classroom with Acorn for teaching assistants
Teaching assistants are essential to modern-day education - they have been referred to as the eyes and ears of the teacher.
They work with teachers, helping with classroom organisation, supporting children with their work and assisting with administrative tasks.
Teaching assistants are known by a number of different titles, including teacher associates, classroom assistants, classroom aides, general assistants and learning support assistants.
As their roles become more formally recognised, so local education authorities are placing increasing emphasis on formal training for these support staff.
This is one of the reasons why from September, Acorn’s Learning Division will be providing full apprenticeships and NVQ Programmes for Learning Support Assistants (LSAs)/Teaching Assistants (TAs) across South Wales.
The Levels 2 and 3 apprenticeships will comprise:
- Children support - supervising small groups of children while they work on a task, helping individual children with their work, listening to them read, helping develop their social skills;
- Teacher support - handling routine classroom administrative duties, helping to manage pupil behaviour around the school, dealing with minor accidents, playground/lunchtime supervision;
- Curriculum support - including supporting children using computers within the school, observing and recording children's progress, supporting children in specific areas of the curriculum;
- School support – including having direct contact with parents and with other professionals.
- The level 2 is suitable for people new to the role or whose responsibilities at work are limited in scope while the level 3 is suitable for experienced teaching assistants whose work role calls for competence across a varied range of responsibilities
Sarah John, Commercial Director of Acorn Group - Learning and Development, said, “Most LEAs will ask new teaching assistants to undergo some form of induction training. This helps make sure they are familiar with the school and are clear about how to support teachers in the vital areas.
“In recognition of this, Acorn’s Learning Division will be providing full apprenticeships and NVQ Programmes for Learning Support Assistants/Teaching Assistants as well as training towards the BTEC Certificate for Teaching Assistants,” said Sarah
Delivery of the Apprenticeship programmes at levels 2 and 3 are structured to include ‘off the job’ learning; the NVQ programme is purely work based.
“In both circumstances we take in to account any prior learning and experience that an individual may have and make use of witness testimonies and other evidence to support achievement. Both programmes can be aligned to the individual and school,” added Sarah.
The Apprenticeship/NVQ is available to all individuals employed for more than 15 hours/week either by a school or via a specialist recruitment agency.*
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