Institute of Teaching Assistants

The Nine Modules

1. An Introduction to Being a Teaching Assistant

• What is a teaching assistant?
• Different types of teaching assistant
• Roles and responsibilities
• Pay and conditions
• Personal qualities needed
• Skills needed

2. The UK Education System

• The evolution of the system
• The role of central government
• The role of local authorities
• Types of schools
• Management structure within schools
• Governors
• Ofsted
• PTAs

3. The School

• Policies and procedures of school
• Cultural and moral environment
• Explanation of Key Stages
• Working as part of a team
• Supporting the teacher
• Record keeping

4. The Classroom

• The role of the teacher
• The set-up of a classroom
• The structure of lessons
• How learning takes place – formal and informal
• Types of learners
• What can inhibit learning?
• Working with individual pupils
• Working with groups

5. Supporting Oracy and Literacy

• What is oracy?
• What is literacy?
• Aims of the National Curriculum
• Requirements of the English Curriculum – Key Stages One to Four
• Attainment targets
• Methods and resources assisting achievement

6. Supporting Numeracy and ICT

• What is numeracy and ICT?
• Aims of The National Curriculum
• Key Stages
• How to help children achieve their potential
• Examples of methods and resources for the classroom

7. Resources

• Supporting the teacher
• How to plan resources
• What makes a good resource?
• Identifying their aim
• Identifying their ‘audience’
• Resources for individuals
• Resources for groups of mixed ability
• Keeping records

8. Pastoral Care

• Effectively communicating with pupils
• Managing behaviour
• Creating good relationships with children
• Welfare and wellbeing of children
• Safety and security
• Working with parents
• Special Educational Needs

9. The Next Step

• Choosing your speciality
• Gaining experience
• Applying for a job
• Who to approach
• What to include in your letter
• Preparing for an interview

We supply all the modules at the beginning of the course. That means you can study topics whenever you choose. You don't have to wait weeks to get to a section that you need. Though we recommend you take the modules in the order shown, you can tackle them in any order you choose. To help you get the most from the course, we aim to be completely flexible.