Teaching Assistant Certification Level 2
Are you a school administrator looking to upgrade standards or develop skill sets within new starters? This course is designed to provide teaching assistants who are already in the classroom, or new starters, with everything they’ll need, in order to succeed at supporting educators, as well as students.
Using a series of 20 modules, this course programme will give teaching assistants the confidence and tools you want in your classroom, while giving you peace of mind that students are receiving a UK-standard education. Best of all, no prior experience is required, in order to get started!
What’s Covered in the Course?
Have a look at just some of the material covered within the 20 modules:
- An overview of what a teaching assistant is, their role in a classroom and how the role is evolving;
- An understanding of the school system as a whole, including management hierarchy, national curriculum and the various types of schools found within the UK;
- How to provide the best support - best practices, class preparation, understanding and dealing with student behaviour and how to create learning environments;
- Legal issues in the classroom, such as school policies, ensuring child welfare, health and safety rules and regulations and student confidentiality;
- How to improve literacy and numeracy, including alternative tools, the importance of the National Curriculum and how teaching assistants can support teachers in these areas;
- How to provide assistance to students with learning disabilities and inclusive learning strategies;
- A focus on integrating ESL children, building effective learning environments and understanding the challenges that these students may have;
- Behaviour management, including proactive solutions, how to encourage personal development and understanding these negative behaviours;
- An overview of parental engagement, focusing on why it is important, common barriers and how it can improve lifelong learning;
- Curriculum delivery under the direction of the teacher, including understanding different learning styles, the role of the teaching assistant in activity planning and delivery, working efficiently and as part of a team and relationship building.
What are the Benefits of the Course?
Here are the benefits of taking the course:
- It can be completed anywhere, be it during downtime in the classroom or from the comfort of your staff’s own home;
- Your staff can set the pace, with the easy-to-follow course structure;
- The course material focuses on UK standards, meaning that the knowledge acquired relates directly to your classroom, as opposed to just instead of just generic information;
- The recognised certification can be used as a promotional tool, to provide parents with the reassurance that their children are attending a quality educational establishment;
- As they are completed, the modules can be applied to the classroom environment;
- There are no prerequisites required, in order to get started.
Course Modules/Lessons
Module 1: Defining and Explaining the Role of a Teaching Assistant
- To learn how to train as a teaching assistant in the UK
- To understand the different roles a teaching assistant may take on
- To learn about the different ways a teaching assistant can support a classroom
- To learn about how the position of teaching assistant is evolving
Module 2 : Understanding Schools as Organisations
- To learn about why schools need organisation
- To learn about the hierarchy of a school
- To learn about the national curriculum
- To learn about different types of schools
Module 3 : Supporting Development in Pupils: Practice and Policies
- To learn about the most recent research done in education in the UK
- To learn about best practices when working in the classroom
- To learn about best practices when preparing for class
- To learn about best practices when facilitating interventions
Module 4 : Supporting the Teacher and the School
- To learn how to best support the teacher as a teaching assistant
- To learn how to best support the school as a teaching assistant
- To learn how to deal with pupil behaviour
- To learn how to promote learning
Module 5 : Applying Learning Activities to Support the Teaching of the Curriculum
- To understand how learning activities can support the curriculum
- To understand which learning activities might support critical thinking skills
- To understand which learning activities might support creative thinking skills
- To understand how to use learning activities to encourage the development of social skills
Module 6 : Legislation, Legal Obligations and School Policies to Ensure Pupil Wellbeing
- To learn about common law care, statutory care and school policies
- To learn how obligations towards pupil wellbeing have evolved
- To learn about the different laws that govern child welfare in the UK
- To learn about the school's role in ensuring child welfare in the UK
Module 7 : Learning Literacy Skills with Teaching Assistant Support
- To understand the importance of literacy in the National Curriculum
- To have a fuller understanding of what literacy is
- To learn the different roles that teaching assistants play in supporting literacy
- To learn about different methods of supporting literacy
Module 8 : Learning Numeracy Skills with Teaching Assistant Support
- To understand what numeracy is
- To understand the importance of numeracy in daily life
- To learn about ways that teaching assistants support numeracy in the classroom
- To learn about different methods for supporting the mathematics curriculum
Module 9 : Supporting the Use of Information and Communication Technology
- To understand the importance of information and communication technology in the classroom
- To understand what constitutes information and communication technology
- To understand the importance of perpetual training in classroom technology
- To learn about health and safety procedures for classroom technology
Module 10 : Supporting Play and Learning
- To understand what play is and how children play
- To understand the importance of play in education
- To understand the role of the teaching assistant in play
- To learn about how teaching assistants can support play
Module 11 : Supporting Pupils with Disabilities and Special Education Needs
- To learn about different types of disabilities
- To learn about how some types of disabilities and needs overlap
- To understand the importance of learning about an individual pupil's disability or needs
- To learn how to support different disabilities and needs in the classroom
Module 12 : Supporting Gifted and Talented Pupils
- To learn about who gifted and talented pupils are
- To learn the teaching assistant's role in identifying gifted and talented pupils
- To learn the teaching assistant's role in supporting gifted and talented pupils
- To learn about designing learning tasks for gifted and talented pupils
Module 13 : Working With Children Who Don’t Have English as a First Language
- To understand the benefits and advantages a bilingual student may have
- To learn how the primary language can help students learn English
- To learn how to effectively teach a student who has English as an additional language
- To learn how to set up an effective learning environment for these students
Module 14 : Managing Behaviour, Providing Pastoral Support and Engaging in Personal Development
- To learn about bad behaviour and where it comes from
- To learn how to proactively deal with bad behaviour
- To learn how you might provide pastoral support to your pupils
- To learn about ways that you can encourage personal development in pupils
Module 15: Engaging Parents in Their Children’s Learning
- To understand what research says about engaged parents and students
- To understand the common barriers of parent engagement
- To learn how students, parents and teachers feel about parent involvement
- To learn how to get past common barriers of parent engagement
Module 16: Planning and Delivering Learning Activities Under the Direction of the Teacher
- To understand what learning activities are
- To learn about different types of learning activities
- To learn what criteria makes a great learning activity
- To learn the role of the teaching assistant in planning learning activities
Module 17: Leading Extracurricular Activities
- To understand why extracurricular activities are important
- To learn about different types of extracurricular activities
- To learn about the role of the teaching assistant in extracurricular activities
- To learn how to interact with pupils outside of the classroom
Module 18: Working Effectively as a Team and Promoting Good Working Relationships
- To learn about the benefits of effective communication with colleagues
- To learn how to define a good working relationship
- To understand how to begin relationships with support and administrative staff
- To learn how to deal with difficult colleagues through communication
Module 19: Confidentiality, Equal Opportunities, Safeguarding, Promoting Equality & Diversity With Students
- To understand the importance of confidentiality and information sharing
- To learn how to provide equal learning opportunities to all students
- To understand best practices in safeguarding students in school
- To know what legislation has been enacted to protect certain individuals
Module 20: Health, Safety and First Aid
- To learn about the reasons health and safety legislation is in place
- To learn about all of the prominent laws about health and safety
- To understand how these regulations apply to teaching assistants
- To know what it takes to be a first aider in a school
FAQ's
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Who can take the Teaching Assistant Certification Level 2 course?
There are no entry requirements to take the course. -
What is the structure of the course?
The course is broken down into 20 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although students are free to spend as much or as little time as they feel necessary on each module. -
Where / when can the course be studied?
The course can be studied study at any time and from any internet connected device -
Is there a test at the end of the course?
Once you have completed all 20 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 20 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing. -
What is the pass mark for the final test?
The pass mark for the test is 70%. -
What happens if a user fails the test?
If the user doesn’t pass the test first time they will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times a test can be taken. -
How long does it take to complete the Teaching Assistant Certification Level 2 course?
We estimate that the course will take about 20 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.