Currently delivering this programme with
Optional pathways
At Months 15–17, apprentices select one specialist option, allowing them to deepen expertise aligned to their job role, employer need and career progression. These units are sequenced to move from policy and theory → identification and application → impact and advocacy, ensuring coherence, depth and applied professional competence.
This specialist pathway is designed for apprentices working closely with learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or those aspiring to progress into SEN-focused roles such as SENCO. Across Months 15–17, learners develop knowledge of SEND legislation, theories, assessment approaches and inclusive strategies that support pupils with a range of additional needs.
The pathway explores areas such as EHCPs, SEN Support Plans, trauma-informed practice, attachment theory and adaptive learning strategies. Apprentices will strengthen their ability to identify needs, support interventions and contribute to inclusive classroom practice through a blend of teaching sessions, workplace activities, research and written assignments.
This pathway is particularly suited to apprentices who support targeted interventions, contribute to SEND assessments or work closely with SENCOs and external professionals.
This pathway focuses on mental health, emotional wellbeing and inclusive support strategies within educational settings. Across Months 15–17, apprentices develop an understanding of wellbeing legislation, emotional development, resilience and the impact wellbeing can have on learning, behaviour and engagement.
Learners explore approaches to identifying and supporting pupils with behavioural, emotional or mental health needs, while developing practical strategies to promote wellbeing and inclusive practice. The programme includes reflective assignments, workplace-based activities and opportunities to evaluate interventions, referral processes and support strategies.
This option is ideal for apprentices working with vulnerable learners, pastoral teams or pupils requiring additional emotional and behavioural support.
This pathway is designed for apprentices who support curriculum delivery, learning progression and classroom practice within specific subject or curriculum areas. Across Months 15–17, learners develop their understanding of curriculum policy, sequencing, assessment approaches and adaptive teaching strategies.
Apprentices will explore how learning develops over time, how to plan and adapt activities for diverse learner needs, and how to support assessment and progress tracking. The pathway also develops leadership and advocacy skills, helping apprentices influence practice beyond their own classroom role.
This pathway is particularly suited to apprentices involved in curriculum planning, subject-specific support or those aspiring to progress into curriculum or pedagogical leadership roles.
What You’ll Gain As A Learner
Through expert teaching, quality resources and ongoing support from industry professionals, you will gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to support children and young people in their most important years. With nearly 20 years of training expertise and a 99% learner success rate, we are your trusted partner in supporting your career growth and helping you empower young lives.
What You’ll Gain As An Employer
Your success is our priority. We provide expert teaching through quality resources and ongoing support to take your staff to the next level. With nearly 20 years of training expertise and a 99% learner success rate, leave the teaching to us as we support the next generation of teaching professionals on their journey to empowering the lives of children and young people.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship is an advanced qualification designed for experienced Teaching Assistants who want to progress into specialist or senior support roles within schools and educational settings.
Specialist Teaching Assistants work alongside teachers to deliver enhanced support for pupils, particularly those with additional needs. You may specialise in areas such as Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), social and emotional wellbeing, or curriculum support. In this role, you will help plan and deliver learning activities, support inclusive education, and contribute to pupil progress across the school.
This apprenticeship is suitable for experienced Teaching Assistants who are already working in a school or education setting and want to develop specialist expertise and progress their career in education.
You will develop advanced knowledge and skills to support children and young people with diverse needs and promote inclusive practice in education. The programme covers areas such as safeguarding, child development, behaviour management, communication, curriculum planning and assessment. You’ll also explore coaching and mentoring, partnership working and professional development. As part of the apprenticeship, you will choose a specialist module to study covering either SEND, social and emotional wellbeing or curriculum provision.
The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship is designed for experienced Teaching Assistants working in a school or education setting.
You will typically already have experience supporting teaching and learning in the classroom and be ready to develop more advanced, specialist skills.
You must be employed in a suitable role that allows you to complete the apprenticeship requirements and apply your learning in practice throughout the programme.
The apprenticeship typically lasts around 21 months. During this time, you’ll complete a mix of face-to-face and online learning while continuing in your job role. Apprentices must also complete a minimum of six hours per week of off-the-job training, which may include online teaching, digital resources, workplace assessments and one-to-one support. The programme ends with an end-point assessment to evaluate the knowledge, skills and behaviours you’ve developed.
Off-the-job training is structured learning that takes place during your paid working hours but is separate from your normal day-to-day duties. You’re required to complete a minimum of six hours per week of this training to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for your apprenticeship. Activities can include online learning, workshops, research, mentoring and other development tasks relevant to your role.
You can also use our Learner Enrichment Calendar to help plan and log suitable off-the-job activities that count towards your training hours, giving you a variety of ways to grow your skills throughout the programme.
All off-the-job training hours must be recorded on your e-portfolio system, Aptem, to ensure your progress is tracked throughout your apprenticeship.
For the learner, there is no cost.
For employers, the cost depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy:
- Levy-paying employers: You can use your apprenticeship levy funds to cover the full cost of the programme. These funds are accessed through your digital apprenticeship service account.
- Non-levy employers: The government will fund 95% of the training cost, meaning you only pay the remaining 5%. Based on the £6,000 funding band, this equates to just £300.
This makes apprenticeships a highly cost-effective way to develop your workforce, with the majority of training costs covered through government support.
No prior SEND experience is required. However, many learners choose to specialise in SEND as part of the programme.
You will develop the knowledge and skills needed to support pupils with additional needs, promote inclusive practice and apply effective strategies in a classroom environment.
To undertake this training programme, learners must have been a UK, EEA, or EU resident for at least the past three years.
Additionally, If you are aged 16 to 18 and do not have a Level 2 qualification or equivalent (GCSE grade 4/C), you will be required to work towards achieving these qualifications as part of your apprenticeship.
For those aged 19 and above, completing Maths and English (Functional Skills) is optional and not mandatory to complete your apprenticeship. However, this needs to be discussed and agreed upon with your Employer. Functional Skills is strongly recommended within this role for employability.
Functional Skills are nationally recognised qualifications in Maths and English that help learners develop practical, everyday skills used both in the workplace and daily life. Within apprenticeships, Functional Skills support learners in building confidence with important areas such as communication, problem-solving, reading, writing and numeracy.
If you are aged 16–18 and do not already hold GCSE Maths and English at grade 4/C or above, you may be required to complete Functional Skills as part of your apprenticeship. Some adult learners may also choose to complete Functional Skills to strengthen their knowledge and career opportunities.
The Childcare Company understands that completing Functional Skills in Maths and English alongside your apprenticeship can feel daunting at first, as well as time consuming. That’s why we provide enhanced support to make the process as straightforward and efficient as possible.
We’ve partnered with Pass Functional Skills (PASS) to give you access to a new, improved online learning platform designed to help you achieve your qualifications more quickly and with greater confidence.
Through this platform, you’ll benefit from a clear and structured learning journey, including a diagnostic assessment to identify your starting point, personalised learning pathways, and high-quality interactive resources. You’ll also have access to bite-sized learning modules, practice questions, mock assessments, and progress tracking tools to help you stay on track.
Alongside this, you will continue to receive support from your tutor or development coach throughout your apprenticeship, ensuring you have guidance, feedback and encouragement at every stage of your Functional Skills journey.
Yes. The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification aligned to apprenticeship standards and valued by schools and education providers across the UK.
The Level 3 Teaching Assistant apprenticeship focuses on supporting learning in the classroom, building foundational skills and working under the direction of teachers.
The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship is a higher-level programme designed for experienced practitioners. It focuses on advanced practice, specialist knowledge and leadership of support strategies within education settings.
At Level 5, learners take on more responsibility, develop specialist expertise in areas such as SEND or wellbeing, and contribute more actively to planning, assessment and improvement of learning outcomes.
Salaries for Specialist Teaching Assistants vary depending on experience, location and school setting. Many roles fall within higher-level Teaching Assistant or HLTA pay scales, with opportunities to increase earnings as you take on specialist or leadership responsibilities within schools.
On successful completion of the programme and End-Point Assessment (EPA), learners achieve a Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship standard.
This nationally recognised qualification demonstrates advanced knowledge, specialist skills and the ability to support high-quality teaching and learning within education settings.
After completing the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship, learners can progress into a range of specialist and senior education roles, including:
- Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
- SEN Teaching Assistant / SEN specialist roles
- Behaviour and pastoral support roles
- Curriculum or intervention specialist roles
- Senior Teaching Assistant positions
- School-based leadership support roles
Many learners also progress into further study or higher-level qualifications in education, leadership or SEND specialism.
During Months 15–17 of the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship, learners will choose one specialist pathway aligned to their current job role, employer requirements and long-term career goals.
The three specialist pathway options are:
- SEND Specialist Teaching Assistant
- Social and Emotional Wellbeing Specialist Teaching Assistant
- Curriculum Provision Specialist Teaching Assistant
Each pathway is designed to help learners deepen their expertise within a specialist area of education support while developing advanced knowledge, professional judgement and practical workplace skills.
Learners will work closely with their employer and The Childcare Company to choose the pathway that best supports their day-to-day responsibilities and professional development needs within their school or educational setting.
The specialist pathways also support career progression into more senior or specialist education roles. Depending on the pathway selected, learners may progress into positions linked to SEND support, pastoral care and wellbeing, curriculum support, intervention delivery or wider school improvement and leadership responsibilities.
