Teaching assistants are the backbone of classrooms, playing a crucial role in students' academic achievement and emotional well-being. If you're passionate about making a positive impact on children's lives, a teaching assistant career could be your calling.
This guide explores the path to becoming a teaching assistant, whether you have prior experience or are just starting out. We'll delve into the essential qualities of successful teaching assistants, including resilience, passion, patience, and a love for witnessing children blossom throughout their educational journey.
Do You Need a Qualification to Become a Teaching Assistant?
While qualifications (Level 2/3 Awards in Childcare or Teaching Assistant) provide valuable skills and practical experience, they are not always mandatory for a teaching assistant role. These qualifications are ideal for school leavers seeking vocational training or parents looking for a rewarding teaching assistant job with flexible hours.
Become a Teaching Assistant With No Experience
Many experiences can qualify you for a teaching assistant position. Here's how your background can shine:
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Paid Work with Children: Highlight any paid roles involving children, such as previous teaching assistant experience, childcare work, community programs, or youth/sports clubs.
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Volunteer Work: Volunteering at after-school clubs, youth groups, churches, or sports teams demonstrates your passion and ability to connect with children. (Focus on experiences within the past 5 years where you can provide references.)
Be prepared to provide references for past work or character references for any employment gaps. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and registration with the Early Years Workforce (EWC) may be required.
Why Consider Work as an Agency Teaching Assistant?
Many teaching assistants choose to start by working with an agency, such as Vetro Recruitment. As an Agency Teaching Assistant, you can choose where you want to work, and how often you want to work. You can work at a variety of schools that will give you amazing experiences in different settings, helping you to identify where your passions truly lie. You can work in primary schools, secondary schools, or within SEN schools. Quite often you can be offered long-term placements too if preferred, and many of our agency teaching assistants will go on to be offered a permanent placement.
We are proud of the relationships we have with our schools. Our partnerships are based on mutual values and ethics so we know you are being placed at the best schools.
What Will Be My Roles and Responsibilities as a Teaching Assistant?
Teaching assistants support teachers in preparing the classroom and supervising children during daily activities. This includes supporting their learning but also nurturing their social and behavioural skills.
Become a teaching Assistant with Vetro Recruitment
When you work with Vetro Recruitment, you get the flexibility to choose your work schedule and location. Expand your knowledge and experience by working at various schools, or find a long-term placement for consistency. We cater to your individual needs and goals.
We offer resources and tools to help you excel as a teaching assistant you can be. You'll receive a competitive weekly salary, holiday pay, contributory pension, and free training. We also have a worker of the month scheme and a golden ticket draw for exciting prizes. A dedicated education consultant will provide you with full support.
How Soon Can I Start as a Teaching Assistant?
If you have the relevant experience, we can start your registration process immediately. Depending on how quickly you can complete the registration will determine how soon you can start. In cases where we need to wait for your DBS or references, this process can take several weeks. However, if you already have a DBS on the update service and EWC registration, with references and ID all on hand, we can get you compliant and out to work in 24 hours. It is person-by-person dependent.
Start Your Teaching Assistant Career Today
Are you looking to launch a new and rewarding career as a teaching assistant? We'd love to hear from you!
We also offer a referral scheme. If you have friends or family interested in teaching assistant jobs or supply teaching positions, refer them to us! You can earn up to £250 in high street vouchers per successful referral.
