Many teaching assistants go on to take other roles, in education and elsewhere. It is also common for teaching assistants to go on to gain qualified teacher status, with some training providers allowing you to complete the practical parts of your course in your current school.
Here’s a summary of expectations for a TA at level 4.
Purpose of the Role
To work with teachers to organise and support teaching and learning activities for classes. The primary focus is to undertake specified work with individuals, groups and whole classes under the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher.
Key duties:
- Plan, prepare and deliver specified learning activities to individuals, small groups and/or classes modifying and adapting activities as necessary under the direction and supervision of a teacher.
- Assess, record and report on development, progress and attainment.
- Liaise with staff and other relevant professionals and provide information about pupils as appropriate.
- Use teaching and learning objectives to plan, evaluate and adjust lessons/work plans as appropriate within agreed systems of supervision.
- Assess the needs of pupils and use knowledge and specialist skills to support pupils’ learning.
- Support pupils in social and emotional well-being, reporting problems to the teacher as appropriate.
Teaching Assistants in this role may also undertake some or all of the following:
- Develop and implement Individual Development Plans for pupils (such as Individual Educational Plans), including attendance at, and contribution to, reviews.
- Support the role of parents/carers in pupils’ learning and contribute to meetings with parents/carers to provide constructive feedback on pupil progress/achievement etc.
- Contribute to the development of policies and procedures.
- Provide short-term cover supervision of classes.
- Supervise or manage the work and development of other classroom support staff.
- Be responsible for the preparation, maintenance and control of stocks of materials and resources.
- Liaise with external agencies on a regular basis.
- Provide pastoral care to pupils for example as head of year or tutor group.
- Be responsible for pupils who are not working to the normal timetable.
- Assist pupils with eating, dressing and hygiene, as required, whilst encouraging independence.
- Invigilate exams and tests.
- Be responsible for the presentation of displays.