APPRENTICE SPECIALIST TEACHING ASSISTANT L5

Summary

At Carr Head Primary School, we strive to provide a welcoming, caring and safe environment where everyone feels confident and valued. Where everyone is able, through support and high expectations, to achieve and succeed.

Wage

£13,000 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Training course

Specialist teaching assistant (level 5)

Hours

Monday to Friday - Term time only, working hours TBC

31 hours 15 minutes a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Under the guidance of the Pastoral Lead and SENDco, you will play a vital role in supporting and developing the emotional and social wellbeing of pupils in school
• Your job will involve offering support, guidance, mentoring and practical help to individuals facing personal or academic difficulties
• You will work closely with teachers, parents, and other professionals to create a nurturing environment, helping to address personal barriers such as social skills, attendance, mental health, or family problems
• You may also lead group sessions, deliver workshops and interventions, and signpost to specialist support services when needed
• This role requires excellent communication and empathy skills, a strong sense of responsibility, and the ability to handle sensitive situations confidentially

Where you'll work

Carr Head Lane
Poulton-Le-Fylde
FY6 8JB

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

EAST LANCASHIRE LEARNING GROUP

Training course

Specialist teaching assistant (level 5)

What you'll learn

• Act in line with policies, processes, and procedures related to statutory frameworks and non-statutory guidance, including safeguarding, implementing the setting’s behaviour policy.
• Establish a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment for learners.
• Establish nurturing, effective working relationships with learners, parents or carers and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate understanding of equality and diversity and sustainable development.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessment of the learning environment.
• Respond to and mitigate potential hazards that may adversely affect a learning environment.
• Contribute to the planning of learning and assessment activities.
• Apply teaching strategies to advance learning, for example scaffolding.
• Select and use safely, appropriate equipment and resources to advance learning.
• Apply an appropriate range of assessment methods, including formative, summative and individual needs-based assessments.
• Analyse assessment outcomes to inform reporting and future planning.
• Provide ongoing feedback to learners and support them to respond to feedback.
• Record and report information related to learners’ progress to a range of stakeholders.
• Collaborate with colleagues and other professionals.
• Advocate for and champion the needs of learners.
• Use a range of research to critically evaluate teaching and assessment approaches and practices.
• Critically evaluate a variety of teaching and assessment methods depending on the learning environments and learners’ needs.
• Improve own practice by undertaking continuous self-reflection including seeking and responding to feedback from varied sources.
• Update and maintain their own knowledge and skills as part of managing their own continuing professional development.
• Communicate information and analysis in a variety of forms to reflect the needs of the audience, for example by providing appropriate advice and guidance to parents or carers.
• Support the development of effective practices in others, for example through mentoring and coaching colleagues.
• Identify, action, and challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
• Recognise signs of vulnerability in self or colleagues and the appropriate actions required to minimise risks to professional well-being.
• Implement strategies to support the social and emotional well-being of learners.
• Select and use technologies safely and effectively to promote learning.
• Prioritise and manage own workload, for example recognising the importance of capacity.
• Implement national and local SEND policy, practices, processes, and procedures.
• Apply approaches to the assessment and early identification of SEND.
• Apply strategies to adapt provision and practices to support learners with SEND.
• Implement national and local policies, practices, processes, and procedures related to social and emotional well-being.
• Identify and signpost learners in need of social and emotional well-being intervention.
• Apply strategies to support the social and emotional well-being of learners.
• Implement national and local policies, practices, processes, and procedures related to the specific curriculum provision.
• Adapt planning and assessment to support learning and progress in the specific area of curriculum provision.
• Support colleagues by advocating for the specific curriculum provision.
• Act in line with policies, processes, and procedures related to statutory frameworks and non-statutory guidance, including safeguarding, implementing the setting’s behaviour policy.
• Establish a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment for learners.
• Establish nurturing, effective working relationships with learners, parents or carers and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate understanding of equality and diversity and sustainable development.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessment of the learning environment.
• Respond to and mitigate potential hazards that may adversely affect a learning environment.
• Contribute to the planning of learning and assessment activities.
• Apply teaching strategies to advance learning, for example scaffolding.
• Select and use safely, appropriate equipment and resources to advance learning.
• Apply an appropriate range of assessment methods, including formative, summative and individual needs-based assessments.
• Analyse assessment outcomes to inform reporting and future planning.
• Provide ongoing feedback to learners and support them to respond to feedback.
• Record and report information related to learners’ progress to a range of stakeholders.
• Collaborate with colleagues and other professionals.
• Advocate for and champion the needs of learners.
• Use a range of research to critically evaluate teaching and assessment approaches and practices.
• Critically evaluate a variety of teaching and assessment methods depending on the learning environments and learners’ needs.
• Improve own practice by undertaking continuous self-reflection including seeking and responding to feedback from varied sources.
• Update and maintain their own knowledge and skills as part of managing their own continuing professional development.
• Communicate information and analysis in a variety of forms to reflect the needs of the audience, for example by providing appropriate advice and guidance to parents or carers.
• Support the development of effective practices in others, for example through mentoring and coaching colleagues.
• Identify, action, and challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
• Recognise signs of vulnerability in self or colleagues and the appropriate actions required to minimise risks to professional well-being.
• Implement strategies to support the social and emotional well-being of learners.
• Select and use technologies safely and effectively to promote learning.
• Prioritise and manage own workload, for example recognising the importance of capacity.

Training schedule

Specialist Teaching Assistant Level 5.

You will join a welcoming, caring primary school where training and professional development is highly valued. Each member of the Carr Head family is able, through support and high expectations, to achieve and to succeed. You will learn above and beyond in our nurturing, inclusive and forward thinking school. This experience will make you stand out from the rest and prepare you well for a future working with children and their families.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade Grade 4 and above)
• Maths (grade Grade 4 and above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Organisation skills
• Team working
• Non judgemental