Portsmouth's become a teaching assistant event returns to Paulsgrove

An event designed to get people ‘classroom ready’ as a teaching assistant in Portsmouth returns to Paulsgrove Community Centre for one of two sessions on Wednesday 15 November 2023 from 10am – 11.45am and 12pm – 1.45pm.

Teach Portsmouth, a Portsmouth City Council initiative to recruit education professionals for schools and academies have relaunched their teaching assistant information events after their popularity last year.

Councillor Suzy Horton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council said:

“After the success of last year’s events, we’re back in the north of the city to reach even more people who might be interested in becoming a teaching assistant.

“Whether you are looking for a job that works around school pick up or want something that’s more flexible, working in a school is a great opportunity to expand your skillset and support children and young people to achieve more.”

After last year’s events, people successfully applied for jobs, became volunteers, and started apprenticeships within primary and secondary schools across the city. The need to recruit qualified professionals remains.

For those interested in supporting pupils, Teach Portsmouth have published five top tips to help people get classroom ready as a teaching assistant. They include:

Volunteer in a school – after a safeguarding check (DBS) has been completed by a school, volunteering is a great way to build up experience
Speak to friends and family – if you know someone who works in a school and you have questions, friends and family are a good place to start
Upgrade your qualifications – if you have not yet got a GCSE (C/4) in English and maths, training providers at the event can support you with functional skills.
Think about school type – consider what age group you would like to work (early years, primary, secondary or specialist)
Talk to a school – while schools are very busy, if you feel you have the right qualifications and they have a vacancy, you can always call them to ask for more information

Mike Stoneman, deputy director, education at Portsmouth City Council said:

“Primary and secondary schools across the city are in urgent need of teaching assistants who can support pupils in the classroom. Teaching assistants play an important role supporting pupils in groups and on a one-to-one basis.

“It’s also a career in its own right with plenty of opportunities to progress into more specialised roles. You could support pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities or become a team leader.”

For more information on Teach Portsmouth’s become a teaching assistant event and to secure your free ticket, visit www.teachportsmouth.co.uk/TA.