Teaching assistants (TAs) support teachers in the classroom and help children with reading, writing and learning activities.
Average salary (a year)
£19000.0 to £26000.0 (starter to experienced)
Typical hours (a week)
16.0 to 37.0 term time
You could work
evenings occasionally
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college course to gain some of the skills and knowledge you need to do this job.
Courses include:
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
You could apply to do a Teaching Assistant Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
This takes up to 2 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and learning with a training provider.
You'll usually need:
5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Volunteering is an excellent way to get experience of working with children and young people. This can also help when looking for jobs.
You can get experience by volunteering in a local school or with a community organisation.
You can apply directly for jobs through schools, local authorities and academy trusts . Each school sets its own entry requirements, though you'll usually need GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths.
You'll also need to show that you can work well with children, teachers and parents. Volunteering, or a qualification in nursery work, childcare, playwork or youth work, may give you an advantage when applying for jobs.
Teaching assistants may specialise in the kind of extra support they give, for example with:
Teaching assistants are employed term-time only. A working week can vary from a few hours up to full time.
Advertised pay rates are often listed as full-time equivalent (FTE). Actual pay will depend on the number of hours worked.
You can search for jobs using the Teaching Vacancies service .
You'll need:
You'll need to:
As a teaching assistant, you could:
You could work at a school or at a special needs school.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
When working as a teaching assistant, your employer will give you opportunities to develop your skills.
For example:
With experience, you could take a course to become a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA).
You might also wish train to become a qualified teacher .
