How to get a Teaching Assistant job

If you’re interested in working as a Teaching Assistant, congratulations – you’ve made a great career choice.

Not only is working as a Teaching Assistant rewarding and enjoyable, but it is a great way to experience life in the classroom if you are considering training to become a teacher. 

A Teaching Assistant is someone who assists teachers in both primary and secondary schools by providing teaching support and helping children with their learning. 

The role and responsibilities will vary depending on the school you work in and the age group you teach, but generally speaking, your main task will be to help teachers and support children. 
If you are wondering how to get a Teaching Assistant job, look no further than The BIG Jobsite. With plenty of education jobs listed daily, we have both full-time and part-time Teaching Assistant jobs available.

Alternative titles for this job include classroom assistant and learning support assistant

If you’re looking for Teaching Assistant jobs, you should also search for classroom assistant and learning support assistant positions, as these are the alternative job titles used for TAs. 

Rest assured, whether your job title is a TA or a classroom assistant, you’ll still be doing the same worthwhile job.

Average salary (a year)

It is incredibly hard to give an average salary for Teaching Assistants in the UK because TAs are paid depending on the pay scale of their local authority. 

What’s more, salaries also vary depending on your level of experience, with higher-level TAs commanding a bigger salary than more junior assistants. 

However, as a general rule of thumb, if you work as a full-time, permanent Teaching Assistant, you could expect to earn between £18,000 and £25,000.

Typical hours (a week)

A Teaching Assistant can expect to work between 32-40 hours a week, but again, this will depend on each individual school and setting. 

Most school days begin at 8.30 am and finish by 4 pm, Monday-Friday – however, you may be required to come in earlier or stay later, again depending on the school you work at. 

One important thing to note when you work as a Teaching Assistant is that you will only work during term time, which equates to 39 weeks of the year. 

In the 13 weeks of school holidays each year, you may be asked to get involved with some activities, especially in the lead-up to term starting – however, you will have most, if not all, of the school holidays off.

You could work as a Teaching Assistant

In order to become a Teaching Assistant, you will need to have qualifications in literacy and numeracy at GCSE level or equivalent, however, each individual school will have their own entry requirements, so it’s important to check before you apply.

So, if you want to work as a Teaching Assistant and are keen to apply for TA jobs, be sure to sign up for email job alerts so that you can be the first to know about the latest jobs as soon as they become available.

With thousands of vacancies available across all major UK cities, there are plenty of opportunities to get your career as a Teaching Assistant started with The Big Job Site – so be sure to contact us today to find out more. 

If you’re considering a future in Teaching down the line, our recently published blog, Becoming a Teacher: Your Complete Guide, is a must-read resource tailored just for you. Explore this guide to gain valuable insights and information that will pave the way for your teaching journey.