Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship
This apprenticeship is ideal if you want to specialise in supporting children in a school or educational setting, taking on roles that require advanced expertise beyond the typical teaching assistant duties. It’s suited for roles such as a specialist in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), social and emotional well-being support, or curriculum provision.
This programme has been developed to provide schools with a high-quality framework for meeting staffing needs and helping staff grow in their careers. It recognises the significance of specialist support roles within the education sector.
Off-the-job-training
This is learning which takes place outside of day-to-day work duties and leads towards the achievement of the apprenticeship. It takes place during normal contracted work hours. The apprenticeship is designed to train for full competence in an occupation rather than just in the individual job they are employed in, so the breadth and depth can be wider than the job.
The off the job training should be aligned to on the job training and work. It must be directly related to the apprenticeship and involves a minimum of 6 hours per week. This could be daily, weekly or done as a block of time and can be delivered by the training provider or by the employer.
About The Course
The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship is a long-awaited development to support educational career advancement. This programme is created to upskill professionals with foundational experience, such as those holding a Level 3 qualification, who wish to further their expertise.
The apprenticeship is designed to be flexible, with training lasting between 12 and 24 months, depending on prior experience and context. Learners will be able to gain specialist knowledge in one of three key areas, ensuring their skills are tailored to meet the demands of children and educational settings.
In addition, apprenticeship funding is available for employers, allowing them to invest in staff development.
What You Learn
As part of this apprenticeship, each student will benefit from core training across five key themes:
- Advancing learning
- Planning and assessment
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Regulation and guidance
By completing this course, learners will become knowledgeable graduates who:
Can advance learning in an informed and enabling manner:
Be able to tailor your teaching to meet all children’s needs using various strategies informed by educational research. You will adapt lessons to ensure all students progress, creating a positive learning environment that fosters growth.
Lead others with thoughtful practices in their specialist area:
You will guide colleagues by sharing specialist knowledge and leading by example in areas like SEND and social-emotional well-being. You’ll collaborate with teams, driving improvements in teaching and supporting the development of best practices.
Communicate effectively with children, parents, colleagues, and external agencies:
You will communicate clearly and professionally with children, parents, staff, and external agencies. You will advocate for students’ needs and ensure effective collaboration to support their well-being and academic success.
Develop a connection between practical experience and research-based knowledge to enhance their work with children and young people:
You will integrate their classroom experience with current research, using insights from educational studies to improve their teaching methods. This balance of theory and practice helps them continually enhance their approach to supporting students.
Learners will also choose from one of the following specialist pathways:
- Specialist Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Social and Emotional Well-being
- Curriculum Provision
Opportunities
This apprenticeship isn’t just for those with “Teaching Assistant” in their job title. It supports a wide range of educational roles that require high-level specialist training. Early Years professionals will also benefit from this standard, extending their knowledge through continuous professional development.
While this apprenticeship is not mapped to Early Years qualifications set by the Department for Education (DfE), it is appropriate for staff looking to develop specialisms beyond their existing qualifications. The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship provides a valuable opportunity to enhance expertise, enabling high-quality support for children and offering personal career growth.
FOLLOW US
Keep up with everything we are doing at JCL Skills Solutions by following our conversations, photo stories and short films on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
