Across the education sector, we face a dual challenge: the increasing complexity of pupil need, particularly in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the urgent requirement to professionalise and retain the crucial staff who provide this frontline support.

This September, we saw the launch of a truly strategic answer: the government’s Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship.

This allows trusts and schools to work with an approved apprenticeship provider to take advantage of the qualification.

Each apprenticeship provider will make the course their own and structure it in their own way, but they would also be willing to seek input from interested employers to make it work for them.

At London East Teacher Training Alliance (LETTA), we’re a registered apprenticeship provider, which means we can build and shape the course directly.

Other trusts and schools could choose to do this, too, and we would be interested in supporting them to take advantage of this opportunity.

A focus on SEND

Addressing our local needs, we decided to take advantage of the new apprenticeship to create our own Level 5 Diploma in Specialist Teaching Assistant for SEND, which began in September this year.

To recruit our first cohort, we engaged in open, informal discussions across the 35 schools in our partnership.

Our approach was deliberate: we didn’t strong-arm applicants, but rather gently identified experienced, curious staff members who were keen to take the next step by gaining in-depth theoretical knowledge they could bring to their role to become part of a highly skilled, retained workforce of in-house SEND specialists.

The interest was clear: 25 candidates in primary, secondary and special schools across our trust in Tower Hamlets, Dagenham, Hackney and Newham signed up - the majority of whom were seasoned teaching assistants keen to grow their careers and expertise.

How it works

Our TAs are busy people, so we had to ensure the course would fit around their workload.

To this end, we have structured the Diploma to run over 19 months, blending face-to-face training (one day per month) with online tutor groups and rigorous on-the-job application, totalling approximately 418 hours of guided learning.

The bespoke curriculum, designed in partnership with Phoenix special school and George Green’s School, is directly tailored to address our local inclusion needs, too.

For example, it dives into high-impact topics such as emotional regulation strategies, trauma-informed approaches, understanding autism and advanced complex communication needs.

There are no fees to study, and candidates continue to earn their full salary. Because the course is underpinned by the new TA apprenticeship, it is entirely funded through the Growth and Skills Levy.

Furthermore, successful candidates accumulate 120 academic credits, which represents a third of a full bachelor’s degree.

This instantly creates a viable, financially accessible pathway for TAs who may aspire to progress to degree-level study or even qualify as a teacher - a route that previously felt impossible for many.

A positive direction

It’s a true win-win: schools invest levy funds directly back into their most valuable staff, and the TAs gain a high-level qualification at no personal cost.

And of course, it means we are ensuring our TAs are better equipped to meet the diverse needs of our pupils, which, in turn, helps us reduce the significant costs and time associated with high staff turnover and recruitment.

Amid endless delays for SEND reforms, the ability to tailor the Level 5 Diploma to help upskill staff in areas like TA SEND skills represents a positive example of how we can actively work to better support pupils.

Jo Franklin is chief executive of LETTA

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