Level 4 Certificate for Higher Level Teaching Assistants

About this course

This qualification is designed to help teaching assistants to expand their skills. If you work in a school environment and want to take the next step in your career, then the Focus Awards Level 4 Certificate for Higher Level Teaching Assistants (QRN – 601/8533/8) is for you.

Teaching assistants provide essential support and feedback in a classroom. With professional training, you can increase your responsibilities and salary by becoming a higher level teaching assistant. As you progress, you can take on the task of teaching lessons, setting learning objectives and managing a class.

What will I learn?

• Find out more about the day-to-day duties of a higher level teaching assistant and requirements for the role.
• Understand child development and the factors that can influence it.
• Support students who need extra help or have special educational needs (SEN).
• Develop the skills you need to react to challenging situations and promote positive behaviour.
• Plan effective learning activities, tailored to both groups and individuals.
• Encourage communication with children, teachers and parents.
• Teach lessons to suit a range of different ability and language levels.

All this and much, much more.

Certificate of completion

Digital certificate - Included

Certificate of completion

Hard copy certificate - Included

How can I study?

Complete this qualification in your free time, from home. Distance learning offers the flexibility to update your skills, while working full-time. Benefit from the support of a personal tutor and connect with our vibrant online community.

On average learners will take between 3 – 5 months to complete this course.

Course units

Unit 1: Understand the Higher Level Teaching Assistant role

Unit 2: Child development and welfare

Unit 3: Awareness of special educational needs

Unit 4: Promoting children and young people’s positive behaviour

Unit 5: Providing support for individual learners and small groups

Unit 6: Developing skills to promote positive working relationships

Unit 7: Curriculum planning, delivery and assessment

Assessment

Our course takes on average 180 hours to finish and is assessed based on a series of written assignments and questions (requiring descriptive answers) that will test your course knowledge on a unit by unit basis. Within these assignments, you will need to be able to demonstrate your knowledge to your personal tutor, as well as be able to reflect on your practice when applied within the workplace.

Requirements

All learners must have a work placement arranged to be able to gather the evidence for the course. The position can be either paid or unpaid in order to complete the qualification in a suitable setting.

You are required to undertake a minimum of 50 hours work experience within a school. The placement will need to be in an infant, primary, junior or secondary school, supporting learners between the ages of 4/5 (reception/EYFS class) and 16. You can support children in academies as well as mainstream, independent or specialist settings.

Please note: the work experience cannot be achieved in any of the following settings:

• Nursery

• Pre-school

• After School Club

• Holiday Club

• College

• University

• Any other external learning sources i.e. open learning colleges, Sunday schools etc.

Developing your career

Following the Focus Awards Level 4 Certificate for Higher Level Teaching Assistants (RQF), you can apply to be a higher level teaching assistant. This challenging and rewarding job will see you play a key role in the classroom.

Have you always wanted to lead your own class and have a direct impact on children’s learning? This respected Level 4 qualification will open up many exciting career opportunities, whilst giving you the confidence to work independently.

In the future, you may decide to go on to further study at Level 5. If you have ambitions to become a teacher, you can apply to university and gain a PGCE. Success in the education industry can also come in many forms. There are numerous opportunities in coaching, community work, administration and assessment.

Qualified teaching assistants or someone who has years of experience.

You must be working as a teaching assistant or be able to obtain voluntary or paid work in a school. You will ideally hold a Level 2 or 3 Teaching Assistant qualification but we will review individuals on a case by case basis. A good level of English is essential.

This recognised qualification is for people looking to obtain a HLTA role in a school.