Adult Skills and Community Learning

Course content

This course has been designed to give you the knowledge and skills needed when working with children and young people in school or college. It covers a wide range of areas including:

  • children and young people’s development
  • supporting children and young people’s positive behaviour
  • communication and professional relationships

It's aimed if you want to work in roles that support pupils’ learning. This could be in primary, secondary, or special schools, as well as colleges. The course is also suitable if you want to gain a job in this field and or change career roles.

You'll need to be working or on a practical placement for the duration of the course. This needs to either be in a school or college, as you need to be able to show competence in both skills and knowledge. You'll be observed at least three times during your placement. This will be to show that your learning is being embedded into your practice. Successful completion of the course will lead you to gaining the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning.

This course will enable you to:

  • Work well alongside the class teacher to support teaching and learning.
  • Develop your own personal and professional reflective practice.
  • Build a portfolio and tutor assessment of your skills and knowledge.
  • Apply for employment in schools and colleges.
  • Achieve a nationally recognised level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning.
  • Provide you with the skills to progress onto higher levels of study, for example the level 3 diploma.

You'll also develop the following skills for work:

  • Working as part of a team, sharing ideas, working together, problem solving in tasks.
  • Effective and technical language skills.
  • Build onto confidences needed to work at this level
  • Planning and self management.
  • Promote resilience and motivation to achieve your goals.
  • Literacy, numeracy and digital skills will be supported throughout the course.

Course delivery 

Classroom based delivery with blended learning

The duration of the course is 36 weeks in total. This is made up of 3.5 hours classroom delivery per week over 28 weeks. You'll have three placement observations as well as on-to-one tutorials and support totalling no more than 20 hours.

Expectations and support:

  • You'll need to source your own placement in a school or college of your choice.
  • You'll attend your placement one full day or two half days term time. This can be agreed between you and your placement.
  • You'll create a portfolio throughout the duration of your course. This is to evidence your knowledge.
  • Your portfolio will include a minimum of three observations. These will be carried out by your class tutor in the workplace.
  • You'll need to complete reflective accounts of your learning. These should include the impact this has had on you on both a personal and professional level.
  • You can expect five tutorials over the duration of your course with your tutor. During these you can discuss your progress and future learning.
  • In class, support will be achieved through work, discussions, and tutor feedback.
  • You'll receive class materials through Teams for Education and a textbook to support your learning.
  • Assignment briefs will be used to give further guidance.
  • General group discussions will take place via Teams for Education.

What do you need?

  • A mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or computer (with a webcam and sound). Internet to access any agreed online/tutorial sessions (desirable). Other arrangements will be made available if you don't have access to this equipment.
  • Access to a laptop, desktop or like to complete your work (desirable). During your time on the course you'll be given access to Office 365. This is to support completion on your assignment work.
  • Notebook and pen for classes.
  • A placement in school or college.
  • Time and commitment to complete tasks set outside of class and attend placements.
  • Your attendance both in class and in placement must be a minimum of 85% overall. Ideally this should be 100%.
  • A DBS check. We'll carry out this for you before starting your placement. This will be unless you're already employed in a school and they've carried out the right check.
  • If you're already employed in school, you can use your workplace as your placement.

Entry requirements

You'll have already completed the following with us:

  • Information, advice and guidance session and initial assessment on the BKSB software.
  • A level 1 or equivalent in English and maths and be willing to work towards level 2.
  • A placement secured in school or college. If you're already employed in school or college in this role, this will be classed as your placement.
  • Confidence in using emails and Microsoft packages, eg Word, PowerPoint, One Drive (desirable). A short course is available to upskill you in these areas if needed.

Course fees

The cost of the course is £809.75 which includes your tuition, textbook and awarding organisation fees. This can be paid monthly via Direct Debit over the duration of your course.

You may be entitled to fee remission/fee reduction depending on your circumstances. Contact us for more details.

How to apply

Progression

Progression routes include:

  • Level 3 diploma in supporting teaching and learning
  • Employment in this field

For more information

Call (01226) 775270

What our learners say

  • I'm very happy with this course. I've even recommended it to a friend
    Adult Learner
  • I have thoroughly enjoyed the Level 2 Teaching Assistant course and learning new skills. I have learnt a lot of new information with regards to working as a Teaching Assistant and have found this very interesting.
    Adult learner