Do I need a qualification to work in a SEND school as a teaching assistant?

What is SEND?

SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. SEND can affect a student’s ability to work at school. How SEND can affect students:

• Reading and writing abilities
• Understanding certain topics
• Concentration levels
• Behaviour
• Socialising with others

SEND students may require extra support to aid their learning. It’s worth noting that children and young people who have special educational needs (SEN) do not necessarily have a disability.

Qualifications

To become a SEN/ SEND teaching assistant, you may need the following qualifications:

• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T level

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

• Some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

To work in SEN you do not necessarily need any specific qualifications as quite often it is about someone’s personality and how they are able to interact with young children who are disengaged with education or have a barrier to learning. There are qualifications that would be beneficial and would make someone more attractive to a school such as training in Team Teach, MAPA, Behaviour Management and Autism Awareness.

Team Teach

Team Teach is a provider of positive behaviour management training. They equip individuals and teams in a variety of settings to deal with challenging situations and behaviours in ways that lead to desirable outcomes and positive relationships at work or in daily life.

MAPA

MAPA stands for Management of Actual or Potential Aggression, it is a highly rated training programme that teaches management and intervention techniques to cope with escalating behaviour in a professional and safe manner. This training prepares teachers for situations that could happen within the classroom.

Behaviour Management

Behaviour management training can be taken by trainees or inexperienced teachers so they can be prepared for classroom environments and maintain order. There are strategies and ways taught to prevent misbehaviour and keep students on track at school.

Autism Awareness

Autism awareness courses give resources to teachers and other jobs to learn more about autism. The resources offer more information about the challenges that autistic people can experience. The programme aims to provide more insight and guidance on what teachers, health care and workers can do to make their services more accessible to people with autism.

 What does a SEND teaching assistant do?

SEND teaching assistants play a vital role in supporting both the lead teachers and students in the classroom.  Below are the key roles and responsibilities of a SEND teaching assistant:

• Liaising with the lead teacher: it’s essential that a line of communication is kept open so that teaching methods and attainment records can be adapted where necessary.
• Conducting small-group interventions: this provides students the chance to work towards a common goal and gives a space for them to freely express ideas and develop critical thinking skills in a more focused environment.
• Preparing tailored learning materials: each student has their own way of learning and will be more receptive to certain types of learning materials than others.
• Looking after the student’s physical, emotional and social welfare: this is vital to ensure a positive classroom environment and helps the lead teacher in their overall classroom management.

Being conscious of students on care or therapy programmes: understanding individual needs and requirements i.e. essential, along with seeking the advice of relevant professionals if necessary.

Working in SEN roles

Working in a SEN role can be one of the most challenging in the teaching profession, however, it can be one of the most rewarding as well when you see your students succeed. Working in SEN includes lots of one-to-one work and unique opportunities that may not be experienced in other teaching roles. Working in a SEN role requires lots of patience and commitment, and using different techniques is a must to meet the pupil’s needs.

To work as a SEND teacher, it is important that you are enthusiastic and passionate about what you do. The difference that you make in these children’s lives will be the rewarding part as you notice the impact and help you have provided them as they excel.

When working in a SEN role, you will typically be working in a smaller group or class size in a one-to-one environment, because of this, you will build a strong relationship with the pupils you work with. You will be able to notice what helps them, and what doesn’t work as well, as every SEN student has different needs and requirements. Working with SEN students will require you to be creative, there is lots of freedom within these roles and every lesson will be different. Some SEN students may need playful, physical tasks to work on and every lesson may have to be different. But other SEN students may require routine and similarity throughout their learning. This is where creativity comes into play as you will have to work and teach around their needs! Make sure to have fun with it and make enjoyable tasks for SEN learning students.

So the answer is Yes, in a way you can become a SEN teaching assistant without any specific qualifications. But like most jobs, you will need basic GCSE grades and some experience would help! If you want to find out more or view our SEND jobs, there is a link below.

Find out more and view our SEN vacancies

Teaching Vacancies