Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship – Joanne
Level 3 Teaching Assistant Apprentice
What interested you in doing an apprenticeship and choosing this apprenticeship?
‘I wanted to support teenagers in class. I originally was looking into going into wellbeing and safeguarding and I looked at all of the options and ringing around and I ended up ringing Rotherham and got speaking to a lovely lady who spoke about all these different options and she said what might be really good for me to get into would be to do the teaching assistant course because once you’ve got that you’ve built your skills, then you can see if you want to branch out into that and see if this is for you.’
How did you prepare for your End Point Assessment?
‘I printed out all my work and made lots of notes and kept them readily available. When it came to the end point assessment, we could take an A4 piece of notes in with us, and you had your portfolio with you also.
So, what I did to make it stand out was anything to do with theory I would highlight in one colour, safeguarding another colour, so I wasn’t going in blind and everything was colour coordinated.’
What do you feel has been your biggest achievement whilst on the apprenticeship?
‘Building good teamwork with staff in order to support individual students with certain support issues in safeguarding.’
Joanne“Going from having absolutely no idea to actually being able to do it and do the technology side of things in such a short space of time was nice because I have put in the hard work to get to this point, but I’ve also had the support of everyone around me.”
Do you feel the College fully supported and guided you through your apprenticeship?
‘I had excellent support and guidance throughout all my apprenticeship.’
Flexible Learning Support: To mitigate the impact of coursework/classroom studying noise on her concentration, tutors supported Joanne’s request to complete her coursework from home. This tailored approach empowered her to manage a busy household of five children while dedicating blocks of time for Joanne to crack on and finalise her assignments efficiently.
What knowledge, skills and behaviours did you develop both in the workplace and in college as part of the apprenticeship?
‘I developed so much in everything from using technology, to policies and procedures, to pastoral development with students. When I first started, I’ve got 5 kids, so I ran a business from home, I did my nursing 20 years ago, so when I started this, and it came to the computer side of things, I hadn’t a clue.
Going from having absolutely no idea to actually being able to do it and do the technology side of things in such a short space of time was nice because I have put in the hard work to get to this point, but I’ve also had the support of everyone around me.’
What advice would you give to future apprentices coming onto the programme?
‘Be organised, communicate well with staff and students and enjoy your role. Don’t be scared to ask questions, that’s a massive thing. I like to ask a million questions because I like to know this, this and this. So, I’m finding things out and learning because I am asking. So, it’s not being scared to ask because we don’t all know everything.
Everyone will help you, and everybody goes out of their way to help you in everything. Everybody is so lovely, so it’s not being scared to ask because we don’t all know everything. Gemma and Irene have both been such amazing mentors to me and I cannot thank them enough. They have supported me, encouraged me and built my confidence at times when I really needed it.’
What are your next steps and future plans?
‘I have now got a permanent position and carry on building up my knowledge, skills and behaviour. Plus moving forward onto levels 4 and 5 in the future.’
Find out more about apprenticeships at Rotherham College
Rotherham College recognises that adult education is a powerful tool for personal growth, economic resilience, and social cohesion. Across the region and UK, adults are gaining the skills to progress in their careers, build confidence, and connect with others. The impact reaches far beyond the classroom as employers’ benefit from a more adaptable workforce, communities grow stronger, and society becomes more inclusive.
With the right support, course and training, adults through adult learning can address multiple challenges at once – from closing skills gaps and tackling social isolation to reducing inequality and strengthening communities.
Rotherham College – working to transform lives, empower communities, and drive sustainable growth.
