“It was great to collaborate with other students on the course – I learnt as much from them as I did from the tutors.”
Jennifer, a 30-year-old mum of three, was driven by the desire to progress her career when she joined the level 4 Certificate in Teaching Assistant course.
Initially employed as a level 2 Teaching Assistant at local primary school, St Aloysius, she successfully juggled work alongside her course and busy home life. Jennifer has recently achieved Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) status, enabling her to take on more senior responsibilities at work.
Jennifer says, “Straight out of school, my first real job was working at Liverpool John Lennon Airport as a Passenger Service Agent. After six years there and having my second child, I knew it was the right time to change my career.”
She adds, “Supporting and encouraging children to learn and develop new skills is so rewarding and I think having my children and being a crucial part of their development, is what pushed me to explore this further as a career.”
A key course highlight for Jennifer was being able to implement an after-school dance club, a positive change in her workplace, which was initiated by a research module. Jennifer says, “It was such an interesting learning experience for me, as I was not only able to put into practice the knowledge that I was gaining on my course but it also benefitted the school and the children too.”
“It was also great to collaborate with other students on the course – I learnt as much from them as I did from the tutors, as they all worked across a variety of school settings including special needs and learning disabilities.”
Jennifer has secured her place at Liverpool John Moores University to study BA (Hons) Learning, Development and Support.
Follow in Jennifer’s footsteps and discover more about our Teaching Assistant courses.