Teaching Assistant Review

I am a teaching assistant working alongside the class teacher and other TAs in the school. My duties include escorting the children to and from the buses which take them to school, changing the ones who need to, working one to one on their classwork as well as other duties such as photocopying, laminating and making class resources. I also assist in the partaking of several activities such as the sensory room and out of school trips.

I have learnt many skills including basic Makaton and sign language, basic behaviour management, flexibility skills, how to communicate on different levels of formality, communication with parents over various mediums, supervision, health and safety as well as PREVENT training, leadership skills, how to operate equipment, how to make resources according to a specific standard, how to engage children, lesson planning and implementation as well as risk assessments, knowledge of EHCP, allergies and basic first aid and working in small knit teams.

I enjoy it very much. Inspire ATA have been incredible and the level of support they have given me is unlike any other employment I have been in. They are very caring and sensitive towards issues such as COVID currently, making sure their employees are taken care of and also listened to. They make you feel that you can speak to them about any problems you have and this in turn makes placement a lot easier and more fulfilling knowing that if it is not going so well, there is someone willing to listen.

Expectations are clearly laid out and there are multiple opportunities to sit down and make sure you are on track. Smart Assessor is a tricky platform to use but there are many people willing to go through it and there is always someone there to answer your questions about it no matter how small. I always felt like i could ask for help and i am very sure of when deadlines are, when my meetings are and what is expected by then and when.

On a day to day basis i have found the other TAs as well as the class teacher to be very helpful and willing to offer support but it is the employer themselves that I am very impressed with. They take their time out of the day to ask how you are, not just with the apprenticeship but as a person too. Knowing that an employer really is invested in you, your physical, mental and emotional health too makes this a wonderful place to work and you feel secure knowing your concerns will be listened to and dealt with fairly.

My tutor is friendly, thorough and always willing to answer questions and/or give resources to help working towards my qualification. We have regular meetings and email correspondence and I really feel like this person is invested in me and wants to to succeed to the best of my ability. This environment combined with the support, makes working towards my qualification much more enjoyable and i feel more motivated to push myself further and do better to make all the investment pay off.

Working on my assignments broke down into the sections that they are means that there is a different area to focus on which i find myself recognising in day-to day work. I have put many of the things ive learned into practise, particularly concerning safeguarding and keeping children safe in education and this in turn has allowed me to become a better team player as i am more familiar with the school's procedures and how I fit into the bigger picture.

Due to covid there have not been many activities to do however, they do run several playschemes that I am interested in that are run during the holidays and very much intend to get myself involved with. Aside from that, a breakfast club runs in the morning and the school has just opened a food bank initiative. The centre that the school is connected to also offers regular classes such as swimming to the general public

Yes

Applying for the apprenticeship was simple, I had tons of support and information at every step of the apprenticeship process, and was rarely lost on what to do next. The company kept amazing correspondence, even answering to repeat information and made it very clear what was expected of us, which really helped when going into placement as i could put my best foot forward. They make you believe that you can succeed at whatever programme you apply to.

Don't be afraid to take risks. Keep in contact with the employers. Take their advice on board, dont be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help. Show that you are willing to show up and stand out. It is okay to feel out of your depth sometimes. Always turn up early for your interviews. Make sure you get extra clarification about the End Point Assessment. Be authentic and genuine! Enjoy your time and take everything you can get from it.