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Summary

This certificate is a work-based qualification for those supporting teaching and learning in any type of school. The course has been developed to reflect the ever-changing support staff environment following implementation of workforce reform and covers the new skills and knowledge candidates need as a teaching assistant but has been adapted and broadened in scope to include new roles and responsibilities.
The emphasis is collecting evidence of what you do as part of your normal working day as you provide support to teachers and learners. It also aims to develop and improve your knowledge and skills in the classroom support.
You will need a work placement for this course, your school will be required to provide a mentor to support you in your studies by helping you source information and provide you with feedback. Whilst in your workplace, your tutor will visit you twice to conduct an observation. You will be required to attend course workshops and assessment tutorials which will be onsite with your tutor.

A number of taster sessions will be held to introduce you to the course and answer further queries you may have. Please contact our department administrator Melissa Jones at [email protected] for dates.

How will I learn?

This course is conducted once a week at our Filton campus, located in South Gloucestershire which is easily accessible from the city of Bristol by train (Bristol Parkway / Bristol Abbey Wood) and bus.

Classes are informal and you are encouraged to talk about your own ideas and experiences. You will be introduced to different ideas about the role of the Teaching Assistant and experience a variety of learning & teaching activities including group work, discussions and presentations.? Come prepared to take part in activities and contribute to discussions and you will get the most from the experience! Should you wish to participate remotely, we have developed this course to be taught via Workshops on Microsoft Teams. This gives you the flexibility to undertake this course through live interactive sessions. If you chose to take our offering remotely, you will have full access to our workshops, resources and 1 to 1 meetings with our tutors For Level 3 you can be working in a voluntary capacity but must be in school at least two days per week, although the more experience you have of supporting in school will benefit your knowledge and understanding.

Each unit of the course is accessed via ‘Smart Assessor’ an online portfolio. Evidence and observations are not graded but are assessed as to whether they meet the set criteria for that unit, or not. To achieve the Level 3 certificate, we require learners to achieve a minimum of 32 credits at Level 3. Learners are encouraged to complete units of competence in one academic year, although you may request additional tuition to complete outstanding work if necessary, up to a maximum of 5 years.

This course is composed of the following mandatory units

• Communication and Professional Relationships with Children, Young People and Adults
• Schools as Organisations
• Support Learning Activities
• Promote Children and Young People’s Positive Behaviour
• Develop Professional Relationships with Children, Young People and Adults
• Support Assessment for Learning
• Understand Child and Young Person Development
• Engage in Development and Health and Social Care or Children and Young People’s Settings
• Understand How to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Children and Young People
• Support Children and Young People’s Health and Safety

Entry Requirements

There are no formal qualification requirements for candidates wishing to enrol on these courses.  However, candidates should be aware that as part of the Government’s agenda for all those who embark on a programme of study to have a level of proficiency in English, Maths and Information Communication Technology (ICT). It is recommended that they should achieve a level 2 in these subjects by the end of their qualification, if they do not have it when they started.  For those candidates without a level 2 in these subject's courses will be offered alongside the qualification.  

You will need to secure a work placement at a primary/secondary school if you are not employed.  It is the responsibility of the student to discuss with their school the requirements for a current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Progression routes

Additional Information

DEPARTMENT CONTACT
For more information about this course please email [email protected].

COURSE FEES
Please be aware that some courses have fees that are payable on enrolment. More information on if this course has a fee can be found in the Availability section below. 

If you require financial support including payment plans, bursaries and advanced learner loans please visit the Money Management Service section of the website.

For more information on fees please view our Fees, Charges and Refunds Policy and our Applications, Admissions and Enrolment Policy and Procedures.

ONLINE ENROLMENT
This course offers simpler and safer online enrolment requests, which means in a matter of minutes you can submit an enrolment request to us. However please be aware that upon submitting your enrolment form you are not guaranteed to be accepted. A number of our courses require assessments, qualification checks or simply a conversation with you before we can confirm your enrolment.

Within 24 hours of enrolment submission you will receive an automated email notification with information on what happens next. Please add [email protected] to your safe sender list. Most email providers allow you to do this withing settings/options. For full instructions simply use your chosen search engine to find instructions on how to make emails as safe.