SEND and Inclusion Teaching Assistant Pathway

Whether you're a new starter or an experienced TA, if you are you looking to increase your skills, knowledge and understanding around SEND and inclusion practices in mainstream or specialist provision, the pathway below outlines training and qualifications available, to help you with the potential next step in your journey in this area of growing need within the education sector.

In post or applying to posts as a Teaching Assistant

Level 3 SEND Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship

SEND Teaching Assistants provide individualised support, promote inclusion, and help students with SEND thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.  Funded by the apprenticeship levy, this SEND specific version of the Level 3 TA apprenticeship is ideal for Teaching Assistants working in mainstream or specialist schools who want to achieve a recognised qualification whilst gaining additional support for the SEND responsibilities. Combining practical experience and theoretical knowledge to increase skills to effectively support students with SEND, this role will typically work with small groups of children with SEND to help them get the most out of classroom life and provide a positive impact on their learning outcomes.

Examples of Providers for the Level 3 SEND Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship

• LMP: Teaching Assistant SEND Pathway Apprenticeship
• BPN:Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship Level 3 SEND.

Level 4 SEND Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)

A number of providers now offer SEND specific Level 4 HLTA courses, aimed at those who already work as a Teaching Assistant (TA) within a school and wish to further their career by progressing to become a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HTLA), with a focus on SEND pupils.  

Example of Provider for the Level 4 SEND Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA):

• LMP: Higher Level Teaching Assistant Course SEND Pathway

Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship

Funded by the apprenticeship levy, this qualification, offers TAs the opportunity to specialise in one of three areas:

• SEND - Supporting learners with special educational needs and disabilities
• Social and Emotional Well-being - Focusing on mental health, social and emotional support.
• Curriculum Provision - providing support for learners to advance learning in a specialist curriculum or subject area of expertise. This may include, but is not limited to, early reading or early maths interventions, supporting a specific subject area or forest school provision, or provision for learners with English as an additional language (EAL).

Specialist teaching assistants build relationships with learners, families, and professionals, contributing to the development of inclusive, supportive learning environments. They are responsible for supporting both individual and group learning, ensuring student safety, and assisting with assessment and evaluation processes. Additionally, they may train and support colleagues in their specialist area.

Examples of Providers for the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship:

• LMP : New Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship Launched
• Best Practice Network : Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship Level 5. 
•  Education and Skills Training & Development : Apprenticeship - Education and Skills Training & Development
• Captiva (NCE National College of Education) : Specialist Teaching Assistant Programme
• NITE : Apprenticeships

Becoming a teacher: Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

You need a bachelor's degree to teach in Primary and Secondary education. Once you have your degree (or an equivalent qualification), you can complete postgraduate teacher training, for which there are different routes, both fee paying and funded, salaried or unsalaried. There are SEND options available for all postgraduate options: for example, in terms of an unsalaried fee-paying route, UEA and NESST both offer a Primary SEND focussed  PGCE, while for a salaried route funded by the levy, NITE offer a Level 6 SEND focussed Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship (PGTA) for Primary, while locally, NTTC partner with many special schools for their ITT programmes.

If you do not have a degree, you may be eligible to do a teacher degree apprenticeship (TDA), which is salaried,  with tuition fully funded by the apprenticeship levy which is accessed by the employing school.  Currently, NITE offers the Primary version of this, remotely, to our county.

You do not need a degree and QTS to teach in further education or to teach in Early Years. So, if you want to become a teacher but cannot access a degree, you can explore these options.

Learn more about different routes into teaching, and what's available locally here

To start your career in teaching, register here: Get Into Teaching

In post as a qualified teacher

Once in post as a qualified teacher, there is a wealth of SEND and Inclusion specific roles and related training, which you can access:

• School SENCO: NPQ SENCo (funded by DfE): Special educational needs co-ordinator's (SENCO) national professional qualification
• Teacher for the sensory impaired: Level 7 Teacher for the sensory impaired (funded through the levy): Teacher for the sensory impaired
• Play Therapist: Level 7 Play Therapy Apprenticeship (funded through the levy): Play therapist
• Art Therapist: Level 7 Art Therapy Apprenticeship (funded through the levy): Arts therapist

Whatever your desired destination in this sector, keep up to date with send and inclusion CPD, by accessing the Whole School SEND (WSS) self-serve units, or engaging with their regular Specialist Spotlight Sessions, all accessible here: Online CPD Units, following registration for free.

You may also be interested in NCC's self-serve TA CPD Pathway , as well as NCC's One Minute Guides