Identifying the role

There are several options for Teaching Assistant (TA) roles. It's important to choose the right one. It should fit the work and job circumstances of the role. In some settings, the role may have a different name. For example, Learning Support Assistant.  

How to choose the right job description  

The job description contains the main duties and responsibilities of the role: these guide induction, development, and performance goals. If your school is maintained by the Council, it must be from the portal's specifications. They are checked against the Council's pay and grading system.  If your school is, for example, an academy and does not use this system please refer to your local guidance.  

You need to decide if the work you will ask the successful candidate to do is at the same level as in the job description. For example, is it work expected of a Teaching Assistant or a Senior Teaching Assistant?  Similarly, the qualifications and experience you are looking for will be different for different levels of TA. More complex work will require a higher level of experience and/or qualification.  If you are unsure of which level to select, your Human Resource (HR) team or provider will be able to help.  

For council graded roles, the next considerations are the job working circumstances (JWC). The standard JWC score is 30 which broadly means ‘normal’ circumstances. This may increase should the responsibilities of the role change in severity and/or frequency.  Your HR Provider will be able to support you in ensuring you have the right job description for the work that needs to be done.  JWCs are not a permanent pay element and should be regularly reviewed as circumstances either increase or decrease.  

You must select the right level for what the TA will realistically be asked to do and the job circumstances. This ensures staff are paid correctly for their duties. It can help with employee retention and job satisfaction.  

In a competitive job market, you may consider hiring for potential, not perfection. Then, use a ‘grow your own’ strategy. Provide formal training to gain the needed qualifications and experience.  One example of this is through apprenticeships but other options are also available.  

New roles/posts  

If the role is very different from the job descriptions available and doesn’t quite fit into them, you may need to write a new one. It will need to be evaluated by your HR team or provider. Be sure to add the job’s purpose and duties. Say how and where it will be carried out. Also, list the qualifications and experience you want the right person to have.