Teaching Assistant Salary

Teaching Assistant Salary

A teaching assistant role is a very important one but extremely hard work. If you have lots of patience and like jobs that are very rewarding, teaching may be for you.

Teaching assistants help the teachers plan the work for the lessons, put those plans into action and complete the administration needed. Planning the lessons needs organisation and creativity to think of ways to deliver key information in an engaging way. Taking part in the lessons involves listening to the child read, working through exercises and games, reading stories and generally supervising activities in the classroom or on field trips.  There are additional factors to consider during the day, for example sorting out children’s squabbles or dealing with any accidents that happen.  You may also have special needs children in class you may need to coach and give extra support to.

Qualifications needed vary according to the LEA but in general you would need the right personality to deal with children and previous experience would benefit you greatly in securing a job as a teaching assistant. There are specific qualifications you can study once you are in a job placement which your employer may help fund or give you time off to attend college.  You can train to become a Higher Level Teaching Assistant and you can work to become a qualified teacher as well.

Starting salary: £12,000 – £17,000
Experienced salary: £16,000 – £21,000
Senior salary:  Qualified teacher