Teaching NVQ
The Approved NVQ for Teaching Assistant

An NVQ, (National Vocational Qualification – already established as a important qualification to hold), is becoming more and more sought after as many more employers and professions are specifying them as a prerequisite to meeting employment criteria, and a teaching NVQ in particular is one of the more heavily demanded.

Whereas once, teaching assistants were seen as a just classroom helpers, (more as labourers than skilled technicians), they are now viewed and valued as professional support workers.

Whereas the fundamental skills of teachers as purveyors of knowledge has not radically changed in recent years, the nature of the students, (be they toddlers or teenagers), has changed enormously, and a teaching NVQ addresses this change and seeks to ensure that teaching assistants are fully conversant with today’s students’ demands and needs.

Teaching Assistant NVQ Levels

The NVQ covers you to work with children aged between 5 and 16 years of age. It is suitable for anyone currently employed, or who aspires to be employed, as a classroom or teaching assistant, an invigilator for examinations, or as a mentor. Once you have obtained your teaching assistant NVQ you can then progress to higher grades of teaching assistant employment, social, or training work.

But exactly what does the taking of an NVQ entail? Here is a brief overview of the 2 levels of assistant teaching NVQ:

The Level 2 teaching NVQ covers the following topics:

1. Resources and records in the classroom environment
2. The care and support of students
3. Providing additional support for learning activity
4. Providing support for colleagues

All of the above are mandatory elements, but those listed below, are optional, and you must choose any 3 to qualify.

• Aiding literacy and numeracy in the classroom
• Supporting student behaviour management
• Security of students
• Health and safety of students
• Aiding Information and Communications Technological (ICT) equipment use in the classroom.

The Level 3 Teaching Assistant NVQ is based on the following:

1. Assisting with management of student behaviour
2. Nurturing communications with Students
3. Supporting students while they learn
4. Managing your own professional competence

All of the above are mandatory. Those subjects shown below are optional, but you must select a minimum of 6, choosing at least one from each group

• A1 Assisting with maintaining student records
• A2 Maintenance of the learning environment
• A3 Monitoring student performance
• A4 Helping to plan and evaluate learning exercises
• B1 Helping to promote student safety and security
• B2 Supporting the Health & Safety of students
• B3 Supporting students with multi language skills and needs
• B4 Helping student to interact and communicate with their peers
• B5 Helping students with learning difficulties
• B6 Helping student who are socially, emotionally and behaviourally challenged
• B7 Helping students that are sensory or physically challenged
• B8 Supporting student’s social and emotional progress
• C1 Helping to enable use of ICT equipment in the learning environment
• C2 Supporting students’ literary ability
• C3 Supporting students’ numeracy ability
• C4 Ensuring students have access to the curriculum
• C5 Promoting the ethic and success of work groups
• C6 Cementing professional relationships with colleagues
• C7 Communicating effectively with parents and guardians

The topics covered by either a level 2 or 3 teaching NVQ clearly show how professional this qualification is, and how it will contribute to the professional development of any aspiring teaching assistant. If you are serious about following this career path, you will find a teaching assistant NVQ to be invaluable to your career progression.

Teaching Assistant Courses

There are however other teaching assistant courses (also referred to as classroom assistant courses) you can undertake to up grade your current experience to a Higher Level Teaching Assistant Status (HLTA) or even work towards becoming a qualified teacher status (QTS). They include:

• The NCFE Initial Training for Classroom Assistants

• CACHE Level 2and 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants

• BTEC Level 2 and 3 Certificates for Teaching Assistants

• City and Guilds Certificate For Teaching Assistants

• Higher Level Teaching Assistant Status Certfication

• Specialist Teacher Assistant Certificate in your local university or by distant learning

Your experience as a nursery nurse or teacher, or childminder or even youth worker could be all you need to start your career as a teaching assistant and take up the level two and then three teaching nvq, propelling you into a most rewarding role as a teaching assistant.

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