How to become a teaching assistant
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You don't always need a qualification to become a teaching assistant. Most schools ask for GCSEs in English and maths (or equivalent) and an enhanced DBS check, and experience with children helps. You can apply straight to schools, train on the job through an apprenticeship, or take a college course first.
Right now Vocatia lists 235 UK jobs in schools and colleges that are term time only. The most common are teaching assistant, school cleaner and SEN teaching assistant. (Live figures, 24 October 2026.)
Browse 984 teaching assistant jobs ›
What a teaching assistant does
Teaching assistants (TAs) support the class teacher and help pupils learn. A typical week includes:
- working with individual pupils or small groups
- helping prepare materials and set up the classroom
- supporting pupils who are upset or unwell
- keeping track of pupils' progress and reporting it to the teacher
- leading activities with the teacher's guidance
Many TAs support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in mainstream or special schools. You're on your feet and with pupils most of the day, working alongside the teacher, and the National Careers Service describes the work as physically and emotionally demanding.
Do you need qualifications to be a teaching assistant?
Not always. Each school sets its own requirements. Most ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent. A qualification in childcare, nursery work, playwork or youth work, or time spent volunteering, can give you an advantage.
Teaching assistant qualifications
If you'd like a qualification before you apply, the main routes are:
- A college course, such as supporting teaching and learning in schools, childcare and education, or the T Level in Education and Early Years. Entry requirements vary.
- A teaching assistant apprenticeship (Level 3), where you work in a school and study at the same time, for up to 2 years. You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, including English and maths. If you don't have English and maths yet, you can usually achieve them during the apprenticeship.
Be careful with paid online courses that promise to get you a job. Check with schools near you what they actually ask for before you pay for anything. On Vocatia, we leave out adverts that ask you to pay for training before you can start.
Browse apprenticeships, including teaching assistant ones when they're open.
Becoming a teaching assistant with no experience
Plenty of people start with no paid experience in a school. Things that help:
- volunteering in a school, for example as a reading volunteer, or helping on trips
- helping with children's clubs, sports teams, Scouts or Guides
- childcare, nursery or holiday club work
- bringing up your own children, which counts as experience worth mentioning
Some schools say in the advert that no experience is needed and they'll train you.
School jobs with no experience needed
2,067 jobs
Teaching Assistant
£90–£105 a day
Teaching Assistant
£105–£120 a day
Admin Apprentice
Apprenticeship minimum wage
DBS checks
All teaching assistants need an enhanced DBS check, a background check for people who work with children. The school or agency arranges it when they offer you a job. You can join the DBS Update Service, which lets employers check your certificate is still current, so you may not need a new check every time you move job.
Teaching assistant pay, and how term-time pay works
The National Careers Service gives a typical salary of £19,000 for a new teaching assistant, rising to £26,000 with experience. Actual pay depends on your hours and how many weeks of the year you work.
This is where adverts can be confusing. Most TA jobs are term time only, and many are part-time, so salaries are often shown as a full-time equivalent (FTE): what you would earn working full-time for the whole year. What you actually earn is lower.
An example (figures for illustration only): a job advertised at £24,000 FTE, for 32.5 hours a week instead of 37, paid for about 44 weeks of the year once holiday pay is included:
£24,000 × (32.5 ÷ 37) × (44 ÷ 52) ≈ £17,800 a year
Schools work this out in slightly different ways, so if the advert only gives the full-time equivalent, ask what the actual salary will be. On Vocatia, we label full-time equivalent pay on job cards where the advert says so.
For wider pay figures, see average salary in the UK, including pay by type of job.
Hours
Teaching assistants usually work between 16 and 37 hours a week during term time, with the school holidays off. Part-time posts, such as mornings only, are common, which is why many parents choose the job.
How to find teaching assistant jobs and apply
Jobs are advertised by schools, academy trusts and local councils, and through education recruitment agencies. Our teaching assistant jobs page brings them together, and you can narrow them down by part-time, term time only or location.
When you apply:
- expect an application form rather than a CV, with a personal statement
- use the personal statement to give examples of working with children and what you did
- be ready for questions about safeguarding (keeping children safe) at interview
- check the hours, the actual salary and whether the post is permanent or fixed-term
Teaching assistant jobs near you
1,026 jobs
Teaching Assistant
£90–£105 a day
Teaching Assistant
£105–£120 a day
Apprentice Teaching Assistant
National minimum wage
Where being a teaching assistant can lead
With experience, you can:
- train for higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) status, taking on more teaching and covering classes
- specialise, for example in special educational needs or behaviour support
- move into a cover supervisor role, supervising classes when teachers are away
- train to become a qualified teacher
Other jobs in schools include office, catering, cleaning and site roles. See all school jobs.
Common questions
How long does it take to become a teaching assistant?
It can be straight away. If you have GCSEs in English and maths and some experience with children, you can apply for jobs now. An apprenticeship takes up to 2 years, but you're paid and working in a school while you train.
Can I become a teaching assistant without GCSEs?
Some schools accept equivalent qualifications or relevant experience instead. On an apprenticeship, you can usually work towards English and maths as part of it.
Do you need a degree to be a teaching assistant?
No. A degree isn't needed. Some schools advertise "graduate teaching assistant" roles for people thinking about becoming teachers, but most TA jobs don't ask for one.
Do teaching assistants get paid in the school holidays?
You're paid for the weeks you work plus your holiday entitlement, which is why term-time salaries are lower than the full-time equivalent. Many schools spread that pay across the year, so check with the school how and when you'll be paid.
What's the difference between a teaching assistant and an HLTA?
A higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) is an experienced teaching assistant who takes on more responsibility, such as teaching groups or covering classes. You usually need experience as a TA first, then complete HLTA training and assessment.
Start with how you want to work
See every teaching assistant job on Vocatia, and narrow it down by hours, term time only or where you live.
Browse 984 teaching assistant jobs ›