Award in support work in schools

Overview

This course is aimed at people interested in, or new to the role of teaching assistant or learning support, in reception, primary and secondary education. If you are currently in a position that supports teaching and learning, this course can help you learn new knowledge and achieve a nationally recognised qualification.

You will gain the knowledge and understanding to effectively provide support for teaching and learning in educational settings. You will develop a range of skills and techniques, personal qualities and attitudes essential for working with children and young people, and school staff. There are 5 units including: communicating and maintaining professional relationships, child and young person development, support safeguarding and equality.

The course is delivered through tutor led face to face and online learning, specialist speakers and independent research. There will be a mixture of tasks and discussions, Q and A, and time to practice your skills. If the session is online, the tutor will use break out rooms for small group work and there will be some e-learning to support your knowledge development. You will be encouraged to share good practice with other learners in group discussions, peer reviews and reflecting on practice.

Entry requirements

You will need to be over 19 and working or volunteering regularly in a school environment or have an interest in this as a future job role. There are no formal entry requirements for this course, but you will need an appropriate level of literacy to complete your qualification and up to 2 hours per week study time. For the online part of the course, you will need to be able to access and use our online teaching platform (we have introductory courses to help you use online meetings or classrooms)

Assessment criteria

Your tutor will review and assess your progress against the qualification criteria. This will be through asking questions to check your understanding of the knowledge and reviewing your assignments. You will be required to complete an assignment for each unit, this can include explanations, case study, reflective practice and presentations.

What do I need?

You will need access to the internet to join the online sessions with an ICT device such as a laptop or tablet. You will need a quiet place to study and agreed time to complete your qualification. Working in an education setting is likely to require a DBS check and will be completed by your workplace if applicable. All course materials with be provided during the sessions, if you are interested to research further, you will need access to the internet or your local library service

For online sessions you will need an ICT device connected to the internet. For all sessions, it’s often handy to have a pen and some paper, or a notebook available, if you want to make notes.

What can I do next?

You could progress onto: L2 Certificate in supporting teaching and learning in schools L3 Certificate in supporting teaching and learning in schools L3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship Start your career as a teaching or support assistant in an educational setting Improve opportunities to expanding your role or to work in different areas of your school.