Free Level 3 Teaching Assistant Course in Barnsley

CostFREE
Duration1 year
LevelLevel 3
DeliveryWork based
StartFlexible
Awarding bodyNCFE awarding body

About this course

Free Teaching Assistant Level 3 Course. Work-based training at your workplace. You study while working in a school or early years setting, building your skills on the job. The course covers planning, delivering, and reviewing support strategies alongside the class teacher, across early years, primary, secondary, and special school environments. It typically takes one year to complete. You'll need to be currently employed, volunteering, or childminding in an Ofsted-inspected setting to enrol.

Who this course is for

This qualication provides an in-depth understanding of the knowledge and skills required when working directly with children or young people in early years, primary, secondary or special schools.

It covers all aspects of Specialist Support including planning, delivering, and reviewing assessment strategies to support learning alongside the teacher.

The QCF allows you to build up credits which are made up of a number of units that have a stated aim. Each unit is made up from learning outcomes and each learning outcome is linked to a number of assessment criteria. Each of the assessments criteria must be completed successfully for a learner to achieve the unit. Each unit has a level and credit value.

The qualification will provide learners with secure understanding of knowledge and skills needed when working with children and young people in school environments. Suitable for teaching assistants, learning support assistants, cover supervisors, parent support advisors or those in similar roles at Level 3 in school environment.

Core Mandatory Units:

•Communication in and professional relationships with children, young people and adults, schools and organisations

•Supporting learning activities

•Promote children and young people’s positive behaviour

•Develop professional relationships with children, young people and adults

•Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in work with children and young people

•Support assessment for learning

•Engage in personal development in health, social care or children and young people’s settings

•Support children and young people’s health and safety

•Understand child and young person’s development

•Understand how to safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people

Optional Units:

•You will choose from a variety of optional unit depending on your own role and responsibility in the workplace. These will build up the remaining credits to achieve the full Level 3 Diploma.

Entry requirements

There are no formal qualifications for this award; however you must be a volunteer, a child minder or currently employed in an OFSTED inspected environment – having experience in an Early Years, Primary, Secondary or Special Schools setting.

•An initial assessment for Numeracy and Literacy will take place on application to the course

•Students will normally take part in an interview prior to being enrolled on the programme

What you will learn

  • You'll learn how to plan and deliver learning support activities alongside a teacher.
  • You'll develop your understanding of assessment strategies for children and young people.
  • You'll learn how to review and adapt support to meet individual learning needs.
  • You'll build knowledge of safeguarding and child development across different school settings.
  • You'll understand how to support pupils with special educational needs.
  • You'll develop communication skills for working with teachers, parents, and other professionals.

How you will learn

You learn through your day-to-day work in a school or early years setting. Assessment is work-based, drawing on evidence from your practice. Before you start, you'll have an initial assessment for numeracy and literacy, and an interview to confirm the course is the right fit. Units cover specialist support, planning and delivering learning activities, and reviewing assessment strategies.

What you will need to bring

The centre will provide most materials. Barnsley College Church Street will confirm anything else you need before you start.

Where next

Jobs you could do

  • Teaching assistant: supporting pupils in primary or secondary school
  • Special educational needs (SEN) support assistant: working with pupils with additional needs
  • Early years practitioner: supporting children's learning in nursery or reception
  • Learning support assistant: helping students access lessons across subjects
  • Classroom assistant: working alongside teachers in day-to-day lessons
  • Higher level teaching assistant (HLTA): taking on more responsibility in the classroom

What you could study next

  • Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET): a route into delivering training or teaching adults.
  • Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training: the next step if you want to move toward a teaching role.
  • Foundation Degree in Teaching and Learning Support: a higher education route for those aiming to become a higher level teaching assistant or progress further in education.