NCFE Level 3 Teaching Assistant Certificate

This unit explores:

The expected pattern of development for children and young people from birth – 19 years

• The factors that influence children and young people’s development and how these affect practice
• How to monitor children and young people’s development and interventions that should take place if this is not following the expected pattern
• The importance of early intervention to support the speech, language and communication needs of children and young people
• The potential effects of transitions on children and young people’s development

This unit explores:

• The main legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding children and young people
• The importance of working in partnership with other organisations to safeguard children and young people
• The importance of ensuring children and young people’s safety and protection in the work setting
• How to respond to evidence or concerns that a child or young person has been abused, harmed or bullied
• Understand how to work with children and young people to support their safety and well-being
• Understand the importance of e-safety for children and young people

This unit explores:

• The structure of education from early years to post-compulsory education
• How schools are organised in terms of roles and responsibilities
• School ethos, mission, aims and values
• The legislation affecting schools
• The purpose of school policies and procedures
• The wider context in which schools operate

This unit explores:

Maintaining high standards within Health & Safety within any classroom.

Teachers can enhance their lessons/courses by creating a safe and supportive learning environment. This can be achieved through the initial assessment process, confidentiality within the classroom, Health & Safety and by being approachable.

This unit must be assessed in accordance with the TDA assessment principles

Policies and procedures of the setting relevant to promoting positive behaviour eg:

• behaviour policy
• code of conduct
• rewards and sanctions
• dealing with conflict and inappropriate behaviour
• anti-bullying
• attendance

Inappropriate behaviour is behaviour which conflicts with the accepted values and beliefs of the setting and society. Inappropriate behaviour may be demonstrated through speech, writing, non-verbal behaviour or physical abuse.

Challenging behaviour may involve:

• verbal abuse (eg. racist comments, threats, bullying others)
• physical abuse (such as assault of others, damaging property)
• behaviour which is destructive to the child/young person
• behaviour which is illegal

This unit must be assessed in accordance with the TDA assessment principles.

Forms of communication eg:

• spoken language
• play
• body language
• sign language

Communication differences between individuals which may create barriers to effective communication between them eg:

• language
• sensory impairment
• speech, language or communication impairment
• cognitive abilities
• emotional state
• cultural differences

Strategies and techniques to promote understanding and trust in communication, eg:

• active listening
• avoiding assumptions
• using questions to clarify and check understanding
• summarising and confirming key points

Information required to support assessment for learning:

• the learning objectives for the activities
• the personalised learning goals for individual learners
• the success criteria for the learning activities
• the assessment opportunities and strategies relevant to own role in the learning activities

Personalised learning goals will reflect the learning objectives of activities and take account of the past achievements and current learning needs of individual learners.

Assessment opportunities and strategies are the occasions, approaches and techniques used for ongoing assessment during learning activities, such as:

• using open-ended questions
• observing learners
• listening to how learners describe their work and their reasoning
• checking learners? understanding
• engaging learners in reviewing progress
• encouraging learners to keep in mind their learning goals and to assess their own progress to meeting these as they proceed
• encouraging learners to review and comment on their work before handing it in or discussing it with the teacher
• praising learners when they focus their comments on their personalised learning goals for the task

Information required to support learning activities includes:

• relevant school curriculum and age-related expectations of learners
• the teaching and learning objectives
• the learning resources required
• own role in supporting the learning activities
• any additional needs of the children or young people involved

Resources to support learning activities including:

• materials
• equipment (including ICT)
• software
• books and other written materials

Learning support strategies to support the needs of learners, for example:

• creating a positive learning environment
• managing behaviour
• encouraging group cohesion and collaborative learning
• prompting shy or reticent learners to ask questions and check understanding
• translating or explaining words and phrases
• reminding learners of teaching points made by the teacher
• modelling correct use of language and vocabulary
• ensuring learners understand the learning tasks
• helping learners to use resources relevant to the learning activity
• providing individual attention, reassurance and help with learning tasks as appropriate to learners? needs
• modifying or adapting activities

Social organisation and relationships, for example:

• learner grouping
• group development
• group dynamics
• the way adults interact and respond to learners

Problems relating to:

• the learning activities
• the learning resources
• the learning environment
• the learners
• assessment

Participation involves:

asking children and young people what works, what doesn’t work and what could work better; and involving them in the design, delivery and evaluation of services, on an ongoing basis.

Equality of access:

ensuring that discriminatory barriers to access are removed and allowing for children and young peoples individual needs

Anti-discriminatory practice:

taking positive action to counter discrimination. This will involve identifying and challenging discrimination and being positive in own practice about differences and similarities between people

Inclusion:

a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging.