Course Outline
This apprenticeship is designed for individuals passionate about providing targeted support to children with diverse needs. Whether they are looking to specialise with whole class cohorts, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties (BESD), or curriculum provision, this apprenticeship will equip the learner with the skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact.
Ideal for teaching assistants, learning mentors, support workers and other school-based staff, this programme will help you take the next step in the learners career while transforming the lives of the children they support.
Specialist Teaching Assistant – Role Profile
This occupation is found in primary, secondary, special schools, alternative provision, further education institutions such as sixth forms and colleges, and a range of other education settings such as music hubs. Specialist teaching assistants will work alongside colleagues to inspire learners to progress and achieve well. Specialist teaching assistants work across all age ranges, supporting a range of learners. In the Early Years, specialisms are achieved through continuing professional development opportunities subsequent to staff achieving a recognised qualification which enables them to work in a setting in accordance with the Early Years qualification requirements and standards. Specialist teaching assistants may support provision related to special educational needs and disability (SEND), the social and emotional well-being, of learners, or within another area of specialist curriculum provision such as forest schools, EAL, subject-based interventions or music education.
Technical overview
Sector
Education – Learning Support
Funding Options
Apprenticeships must be paid for by the employer. We will manage this.
Qualification Level
5
Course Duration
19 months plus up to 3 months for end point assessment
Link to overall specification
Delivery locations
East Midlands, North West, Yorkshire & the Humber, London, South West.
Delivery Model
Blended – classroom, workbased and online
Typical Work Hours and Off the Job Hours
25 working hours and above.
418 off the job hours are required to meet the apprenticeship standard and will take place during your contracted working hours. It includes a mix of e-learning, practical training, webinars and face-to-face training sessions.
Further career opportunities
Job roles could include Higher Level Teaching Assistant, SEND teaching assistant, Social and Emotional Well-being Teaching Assistant, Curriculum Specialist Teaching Assistant. Progression routes include a Foundation degree in Education and Learning Support, progression onto Post Graduate Teacher Apprenticeship (PGTA) and gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Course Information
This course is designed for a wide range of staff from those newly appointed to those with many years’ experience. The course will be tailored to individual needs and will build on their existing experience and knowledge. We will not teach them what they already know, rather we will fill in the gaps and introduce them to new concepts to enable them to reach their full potential in their role.
How is the course delivered and assessed?
The course is delivered through a blended model which means a mix of
- Online face to face delivery
- Observations of practice in your school by the Orange Moon Training tutor
- Mentoring support from the class teacher and other staff
- 1-2-1 support from the class tutor
- Self study to complete assignments set by the Orange Moon Training tutor
- The employer must allocate time for the learner to progress their apprenticeship training. This is 6 hours per week dependent on working hours contracted. This will be supervised and monitored by the tutor.
Funding eligibility and entry requirements
- Must be employed
- Must be aged 18 or over, there is no upper age limit.
- British citizen or resident in the UK for at least 3yrs with the right to work
- It is preferable that the learner has already achieve GCSE grade 4 / 5 in both English and Maths, if not, then to start the course they must have already achieved Level 1 in both English and Maths.
Course completion
All course work and practical observations as set by the tutor must be completed
To complete the learner will need to pass an external “end point assessment”
Apprentices without English at level 2 and Maths at Level 2 at the start of the programme must achieve these prior to taking the End Point Assessment. These qualifications will be delivered as part of the apprenticeship programme if required.
The course will be graded pass, merit or distinction
The learner will be awarded the following certificates of completion of the course
- Apprenticeship certificate from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Qualifications.
- Functional Skills in Maths and English both at level 2 if they have not already achieved these at GCSE
