Support

There are various roles in schools, these can include roles such as teaching assistants, caretakers, lunchtime assistants and librarians to name just a few.

Support roles include school office staff who are important to help schools function, they help take care of the running of the school, carry out all the necessary administrative tasks and oversee the health and safety requirements needed to keep all children and staff safe. 

Teaching Assistants are perhaps the most well-known support staff in schools - working as a Teaching Assistant is ideal for those who are beginning their teaching career and wanting to gain more experience and develop their skills. 

There are many career progression options for teaching assistants. With experience you may be able to progress to senior assistant or be assessed for Higher Level Teaching Assistant status (HLTA), and you could also train as a teacher. 

What would being a Teaching Assistant Involve?

Your duties will depend on your experience, training and TA status but will generally involve:

• helping and supporting children who need extra guidance to complete tasks. This can be either a one-to-one basis or in small groups 
• supporting the class teacher prepare for lessons and with administrative tasks such as preparing classroom resources and clearing away afterwards 
• supervising group activities 
• managing challenging pupil behaviour 
• making sure that the pupils that you support are able to engage in learning and stay on task during the lesson or activity 
• supporting the social and emotional development of pupils (i.e. those who are upset or had accidents), reporting any issues as necessary 
• guiding and monitoring pupil progress 
• providing support outside of the normal classes, such as helping during exams, covering absences or going on school trips 
• co-ordinating specific areas of teaching support once you have the right level of experience 

A degree is not required to work as a Teaching Assistant, however, if you do have one it will provide you with an advantage for progression.