Apprentice Teaching Assistant Review

I am working within an SEN primary school, gaining experience and training to become a teaching assistant. Day to day, my role involves supporting a class team and children with various challenges to encourage independence and communication from the children. This covers supporting motor skills, writing, speech and attention skills.

I have learned a variety of new skills since working here, developing my own communication skills and awareness of various special needs that can impact one’s development, such as autism. Additionally, I have gained experience in various areas and using various tools, such as PECs, Makaton, Attention Autism and Intensive Interaction.

I really enjoy my programme as I feel it develops my skills in all areas, both academically, writing module work in my off the job hours as part of my training and practically, getting hands on experience every day at my placement. I feel my role is also very fulfilling as I am granted the opportunity to help people whilst training and developing myself, which is really rewarding.

My programme seems very well organised, giving me new modules to train in every month in my off the job hours and school holidays, which help me develop and further understand my role. Additionally, communication between my placements gives the ability for my day to day role at work to be noticed and observed by my employer and training provider.

I receive a lot of support from employers both in terms of training and emotionally. My employer has been able to give me praise and support, letting me know how well I am doing and areas to improve in,and also taking into account my mental health from when I began, and allowing me to know I have support and people to talk to within the company in that regard.

I receive quite a lot of support when working towards qualifications. This includes formal reviews every three months from my training provider, as well as monthly calls with my tutor from my training providers which allow me to ask any questions I need to for my module work as well as to understand what is needed from me in the following month.

My qualification will give me the chance to develop in my role and in neighbouring fields of work beyond my role. It gives me the chance to support and help children with special needs in various areas, and allows me to feel rewarded, seeing their development across their time in a class or in school.

To my knowledge, Inspire ATA makes monthly newsletters with general knowledge quizzes and various activities to get involved in. Inspire ATA is also able to enlist apprentices on various off the job training courses to assist them in their development, for example they have enlisted me on an ADHD awareness course and epilepsy awareness training.

Yes

As Inspire ATA allows people to begin their career development in different roles, in some cases, with no prior experience in the role needed. It grants you the ability to gain practical knowledge, experience and a qualification within a job role, which can then be applied to a variety of different careers.

My advice to others applying to Inspire ATA would be to get everything you can out of the opportunity, and develop in every way possible. Look for training and courses outside of the ones you’re automatically enlisted on and try to gain as much knowledge and experience as you can within your apprenticeship, to assist you in your development beyond it.