Level 3 Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship Standard
Not a spare pair of hands. A second teacher in the room.
An apprenticeship is a real, paid job. The apprentice works for an employer and trains with us at the same time, and comes out with a nationally recognised qualification and the experience to go with it.
The short answer
What an apprentice needs
Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment. Employers may set their own criteria
The employer sets the real bar, so treat this as a guide. If somebody is close but not quite there, it is still worth the conversation.
What they’ll learn
Primary, special and secondary education, across all age ranges, including special educational needs and emotional vulnerabilities.
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They will make sure pupils actually understand the work
Supporting the class teacher to enhance learning in groups or one to one, so pupils understand the work set, know their learning objectives and stay on task.
Covers supporting the class teacher, group and one-to-one support, learning objectives
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They will help pupils access the curriculum
An active role rather than a passive one, including for pupils with special educational needs and emotional vulnerabilities.
Covers curriculum access, special educational needs, emotional vulnerability
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They will contribute to planning, not just delivery
Taking part in team meetings and contributing to planning and class activities, which is where a teaching assistant stops being an extra body.
Covers team meetings, contributing to planning, class activities
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They will build the conditions pupils learn in
Promoting self-belief, social inclusion and high self-esteem, acting with honesty and integrity as a role model, and promoting Fundamental British Values through spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Covers self-belief and self-esteem, social inclusion, behaviour, Fundamental British Values
Nobody springs anything on anyone
All apprentices must undertake an independent endpoint assessment which is an assessment of the knowledge, skills and behaviours which have been developed throughout the apprenticeship. The purpose of the assessment is to make sure the apprentice meets the standard set by employers and are fully competent in the occupation.
Coursework and portfolio
Work launched in class and completed in the job, building the evidence the assessor will look at.
A review with you
The employer, the apprentice and the tutor. Half an hour. Progress, targets, and anything getting in the way.
A full mock
Marked by a tutor who is not theirs, so the feedback is honest and the real thing holds no surprises.
What it takes, on both sides
If you're the employer
- A real role that covers the standard. Your Employer Relationship Officer will check it before anyone enrols.
- Time released for teaching, on a timetable you'll have from day one.
- Half an hour every 8 to 10 weeks for a three-way review.
- Your say-so when the apprentice is ready for their final assessment.
If you want to be the apprentice
- A job. An apprenticeship is employment, so you need an employer before you can start.
- Already working in this kind of role? Your manager can put you forward directly.
- An initial skills scan with us, so we know where you're starting from.
- No employer yet? That's the usual starting point, and finding one is the part we help with.
This is a step, not a destination
Most of our apprentices carry on, usually with the same employer and usually into a wider role. Which route is right depends on the job being done, so it is worth a conversation rather than a guess.
Not sure what comes after this one? Tell us the role and we'll tell you honestly which of our apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships or university-level courses fits next.
Where this course can take you
- Before you start
- This course Level 3
- Further study
Check you have what you need in the entry requirements.
Not sure? Talk to us and we will help you find the right starting point.
- Level 5 FdA Children’s Learning and Development Distance Learning At University Campus North LincolnshireAlso at University Campus Doncaster
- Level 5 FdA Education and Early Childhood Studies At University Campus North LincolnshireAlso at University Campus Doncaster
See all 4 courses
At University Campus North Lincolnshire
At University Campus Doncaster
Careers it can lead to
- Educational Support Assistants £14.50 an hour
- Higher Level Teaching Assistants £17.10 an hour
- Teaching Assistants £14.09 an hour
- Early Education and Childcare Practitioners £12.96 an hour
See all 11 careers
- Early Education and Childcare Assistants £13.30 an hour
With further study or experience
- Teaching Professionals £18.01 an hour
- Nursery Education Teaching Professionals £34,800 a year
- Teachers of English as a Foreign Language £39,800 a year
- Further Education Teaching Professionals £35,500 a year
- Primary Education Teaching Professionals £40,100 a year
- Special and Additional Needs Education Teaching Professionals £32,700 a year
Typical pay is the UK median for each job (Lightcast, October 2026).
How to start this apprenticeship
It takes two, an employer and an apprentice. Pick your side.
Put someone on this programme
Recruiting, or formalising the training of someone already in post? Start with a conversation. We'll check the role, sort the funding, and get them enrolled.
Speak to us today 01724 281111
Or advertise a vacancy through us and we'll handle the recruitment.
You'll need an employer first
An apprenticeship is a job, so an employer has to take you on before you can start. Already employed in this kind of role? Your manager can put you forward directly.
No vacancy that suits? Register your interest and we'll tell you when one comes up.