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SEN Teaching Assistant Level 2 Course

Enrol Anytime | Enrolment Fee £245

If you want to start supporting children with special educational needs but aren’t sure where to begin, this Level 2 course is the perfect starting block. We introduce the core concepts of inclusive education, helping you understand different types of learning difficulties and how to offer basic, effective support. It cuts out the heavy academic jargon, focusing purely on the practical skills you need for an entry-level role in an SEN environment.

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Why Study SEN Teaching Assistant Level 2 Course?

SEN Teaching Assistants work alongside teachers in the classroom, assisting pupils with their learning; this can be individually or on a group basis. TAs carry out an important role within the classroom, initially identifying any learning or social issues that may arise with the pupils.

Many people are under the impression that TA’s don’t actually have any input into the classroom and are just there for minor duties assisting the Teacher. This could not be further from the truth and in fact, they have many responsibilities, as follows:

  • Working 1:1 or with small groups of children to help them understand difficult learning tasks, practice reading, pay attention during inputs or complete specific tasks
  • Managing behaviour in the class during input and class tasks
  • Prepare and organise materials for lessons e.g. laminating, trimming, gluing or organising equipment
  • Offering emotional support to various children
  • Break and lunchtime duties
  • Communicating with other colleagues, professionals such as speech and language therapists and parents
  • Attending school trips or extracurricular activities
  • Supporting afterschool clubs or breakfast clubs
  • Completing relevant training

SEN Teaching Assistant Responsibilities

TAs are taking on increasingly important roles and also offer support to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and implementing their support plans, whether this is inside the classroom or taking them for breaks

SEN Teaching Assistants help with:

  • behavioural/social (eg difficulty making friends)
  • reading and writing (eg dyslexia)
  • understanding things
  • concentrating (eg Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
  • physical needs or impairments

As a SEN Teaching Assistant, you will carry out a wide range of duties and this course will provide you with the basics to enable you to pursue a career in this field or provide you with the necessary knowledge to improve your promotional prospects.

Enrol Anytime | Enrolment Fee £245

For the SEN Teaching Assistant Level 2 course you will cover the following content:-

  • Inclusion
  • The Teaching Assistant’s Role
  • Approaches to Teaching and Learning
  • Working as Part of a Team
  • Introduction to Syndromes
  • Assessment and Planning
  • Case Studies and Observations
  • Form Filling and Job Applications

There are no exams at the end of this course and assessments is based purely on coursework only.

You must successfully complete a series of assessments. Once all assessments and activities have been completed and you have met the required outcomes, you will then be awarded your certificate. The good news is, there is no final exam.

Course Outcome

At the end of this course successful learners will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement by Abstract Education and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the details of all of the units you have completed as part of your course).

The SEN Teaching Assistant Level 2 course has been benchmarked at a level 2 which would give you some indication as to the difficulty of this course. I.e., GCSE would be equivalent to Level 2 and A’ Level would be equivalent to Level 3.

Will I need to pay anything else?

You will have no other fees to pay with this course. The course enrolment fee includes access to support, course materials, certification and registration with the awarding body.

What additional training can I do to become a teaching assistant?

There are several routes to becoming a Teaching Assistant. If you are looking to take the SEN Teaching Assistant Level 2 course, you may also want to consider a course in Early Years or a qualification in supporting teaching and learning in schools.

Alternatively, you may want to consider an apprenticeship which would require 5 GCSEs/IGCSEs at grades 9-4. With these grades, you may also apply directly to schools.

Practical training is also great for your CV. You may want to consider volunteering in a local school to get some hands on experience or look into after-school clubs or youth groups.

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FAQs

How can I make payment for the enrolment fee?

You can enrol online right now by Card or PayPal (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express). Alternatively, we also accept BACS transfer or we can send you a payment link.

Is this course online?

If we have given you the option of “online” or “paper” at the top of the page next to the enrolment fee, you will be able to choose one or the other. If no option is available, it means that the course offered is online only.

Do I have to be available at specific times during the day?

With our courses, we have learners from all over the world enrolled. Therefore, if we restricted your learning to certain times, not everyone would be available. All our courses are accessible 24/7 via our online secure portal. Any videos on your portal would be pre-recorded meaning you can work through your course at your own pace.

What if I need longer to complete the course?

We understand that circumstances change and sometimes things can take a little longer. If you go over the course period then talk to us. We can normally extend your support for a small additional fee.

What support do you offer with your courses?

You will have access to a dedicated personal tutor who will be there to help you through your assignments.

Will I need to pay anything else?

You will have no other fees to pay with this course. The course enrolment fee includes access to support, course materials, certification and registration with the awarding body.

What if I still have questions?

Please feel free to contact us by telephone or email with any further queries.

What is it like to be a SEN Teaching Assistant?

As a SEN Teaching Assistant, you will be working closely with pupils and teachers to support the curriculum.

You will need to have an awareness of policies and procedures within the school/college and work with children and young people who have extremely complex needs and, in some instances, life limiting conditions.

You may be involved in pupil record keeping and maintaining their records. You will therefore support the teacher in monitoring, assessing, and recording progress.

Other tasks may involve assisting learners on educational visits, maintaining a clean, safe and tidy environment. Or, Providing basic first aid and administering medicines.

What do I need to become a SEN Teaching Assistant?

In many instances, schools will require GCSEs in English and Maths or Functional Skills in English and Maths.

It is not always the case, that they require you to have a course in this field, however if you want to improve your chances by proving you have the required knowledge, we would recommend one of the following courses:

  • SEN Teaching Assistant Level 2
  • SEN Teaching Assistant Level 3
  • Support Work in Schools Level 2

Once you have established your role, you may want to progress onto Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) .

How would I support a learner with special needs?

You will need to be working directly with the pupil to:

  • Follow their individual learning plan.
  • Checking with the learner to ensure that the activities they have covered within the lesson were understood.
  • Showing how to do something if the learner is struggling to understand.
  • Helping the pupil if there are any physical disabilities, for example, mobility, dressing and getting around the school
  • Working with the learner in a group.

What can you do with SEN Teaching Assistant Level 2?

You may work with a range of ages in a mainstream school or a dedicated special needs school.

With experience, you may take a course to become a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA).

A HLTA takes on a more senior role. They can plan and deliver lessons to classes when Teachers are absent. They can also provide more in-depth, targeted support to pupils as well as mentor other TAs.

With further study you could also become a fully qualified SEN or mainstream teacher.

Teaching Assistant Salary

Salaries for TAs and HLTAs vary depending on location, qualifications and your experience. Entry level salaries for TAs begin at £17,0000-£18,000 per annum. More experienced TAs can earn up to £25,000 a year. TA positions are usually term-time only so you will receive school holidays off, but can not take holiday during term time. You will usually be given set hours to work e.g. 9am-3:30pm, but may be asked to cover after-school clubs or breakfast clubs which you can claim as overtime. HLTAs earn more due to extra responsibilities. HLTAs can earn between £22, 500 to £29,000 a year.