SEND Teaching Assistant Lucy Builds a Successful Career in Education Through an Apprenticeship
At Inspire ATA, we provide ongoing support to all our apprentices throughout their programme, helping them develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to succeed in their careers. Through tailored guidance and dedicated support, our learners are empowered to achieve their full potential.
Lucy Clark is currently completing her Level 3 SEND Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship with Inspire ATA while working at Henry Tyndale School. Her apprenticeship has enabled her to grow both personally and professionally as she builds a rewarding career in education.
Read Lucy's inspiring story below.
“I decided to do this apprenticeship because I enjoy working with a variety of individuals and wanted to improve on different approaches to supporting a mix of age groups in a special school.
I chose an apprenticeship because I felt that being able to see what you will be doing in a job role is essential in making sure that you have made the right choice on careers. It is also the route I took to go and see the techniques I learnt from Inspire take shape on students' education.
The main benefits of an apprenticeship programme are being able to learn on the job and being able to take techniques acquired and using them in your job or in your coursework.
I am most proud of being able to support each pupil in my class on a one-to-one basis confidently.
My favourite thing about my job role is watching the students improve throughout the school year knowing you helped to achieve that for them.
Teaching Assistants are important to SEND pupils as they can help support each student’s individual needs. This can include areas such as movement breaks to one-to-one support with their work.
Through my apprenticeship, I have developed a range of skills from interventions to managing behaviours and allowing my students to feel supported through their education.
The most important skill I have learnt, has to be looking at finding different ways to support each pupil based on their likes and needs to help them in their education.
I have had great support from my LMP tutor, having her give me advice on how to keep doing better in my coursework and offering support when needed in my work setting. I have also felt supported by my team at Henry Tyndale Community Special School who has always tried to make sure I felt supported and can do the best that I can do at my job role.
Through Inspire ATA, I have learnt a range of skills from interventions to managing behaviours and allowing my students to feel supported through their education.
My next steps are to keep improving on the skills I have already learnt and covered to make me more confident and capable of working with a range of different pupils.”
Well done Lucy, best of luck in the future!
