Apprentice Teaching Assistant Level 3 in Bristol

Wage £12,480 to £19,827.60 per annum, depending on age. Salary for over 18 years old: £19,938. For under 18 years old: £15,946.

Hours: 30 hours a week with a day release to college; exact hours to be agreed. Duration: 1 year 9 months.

Work: Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by gaining hands‑on experience.

What you'll do at work:

• You will be required to work with a range of pupils who have severe and profound learning difficulties.
• A large number of our pupils have challenging behaviours and are within the Autistic Spectrum.
• Provide direct support for the learning of individual children or groups of children to achieve defined progression targets.
• Follow planning to support activities.
• Report behaviour observations to a teacher to maintain the school’s standard of discipline and behaviour.
• Facilitate children’s general physical, emotional and educational development through activities and play.
• Supervise and encourage safe behaviour of individuals and groups.
• Reinforce structured learning habits and routines defined by the teacher and support access to the curriculum as set by the line manager.
• Prepare, store, retrieve, sort and display materials, finished work, equipment, topic work plans and assignment documents to assist in providing an effective learning environment as determined by the teacher.

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

Training provider: SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND STROUD COLLEGE

Responsibilities:

• Apply strategies to support and encourage the development of independent learners.
• Adapt communication strategies for the audience and context.
• Apply behaviour management strategies in line with organisational policy.
• Adapt resources to support all learners.
• Communicate with teachers to ensure clarity of the TA’s role.
• Apply teaching strategies to deliver learning activities or interventions.
• Build relationships with learners, teachers, other professionals and stakeholders.
• Comply with legislation, guidance, and procedures for Prevent, safeguarding and health & safety.
• Support the well‑being and mental health of learners.
• Observe, record, and report on learners in line with organisational procedures.
• Apply methods of formative assessment.
• Use up-to-date technology safely to support learning.
• Encourage safe use of technology by learners.
• Adapt teaching strategies to support all learners (e.g., scaffolding, open questioning).
• Identify and respond to pastoral and academic behaviours in learners.
• Provide feedback to learners.

Campus Details: Apprentices will attend the Filton Campus of SGS College one day a week, term time only.

Requirements:

• GCSE in English (grade 4 and above) and Maths (grade 4 and above).
• Share any other relevant qualifications and industry experience.
• The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills:

• Customer care skills
• Initiative
• Non‑judgemental

Other requirements:

• Skills of empathy, listening, communication and responding with appropriate language to build rapport with children from a variety of ages, abilities and backgrounds.
• Aptitude to develop knowledge of the role within an education environment.
• Ability to demonstrate effective working with individual pupils and small groups under the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher.
• Awareness of child protection and safeguarding.
• Ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice and information in accurate spoken English – essential for the post.
• Pass an enhanced background check (DBS).

About this employer: Briarwood is a Bristol School committed to providing high quality education, care and life experiences for children and young people aged 3–19 with Severe and Profound Learning Difficulties, Complex Needs, Autism and Sensory Impairment. The school is based on 3 sites across East‑Central Bristol and is made up of Briarwood Infants, Juniors, Secondary, Sixth Form and The Nexus (a specialist centre for pupils with behaviours that challenge). Our values are that all pupils should enjoy their time with us, so that they can engage and learn to their full potential. As well as ensuring full competency as a Teaching Assistant, this standard provides a foundation for potential progression into a number of career paths in the educational sector including Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Assistant Teacher and Teacher.