HLTA - HLTA or trainee HLTA - Case histories

Case study HLTAs in Primary Schools

Stifford Clays Junior School
HLTA

My role as a HLTA
I’m currently employed as an HLTA in a Junior School in Thurrock. I’d worked here for 2 years when our Headteacher approached all of the teaching assistants with information about HLTA status. Eager for a new challenge I completed the application form for funding.

I was given funding for the assessment only route and, along with another TA in the school, gained HLTA status.

In response to this news my Headteacher created a fourth set for year 6 numeracy and literacy – I taught numeracy and the other HLTA taught the literacy set. The additional set meant fewer children in each teaching set so brought benefits across the whole year group.

During my first year as a HLTA I received support from our Deputy Head who mentored me and the other HLTA at the school. He helped us with any issues or problems we encountered and under his guidance we planned lessons.

My role as a HLTA has developed and I now cover whole classes across all types of lessons. I cover lessons four afternoons a week and have the fifth set aside for planning.

The challenges of being a HLTA
I can honestly say that I have not been bored once. The variety of the work is huge; I can be teaching RE to year 3 and Science to year 6 in the same day. I can be supervising controlled chaos during a Design and Technology lesson with plastic bottles, boxes and glue on every surface, and then be sitting quietly listening to relaxing music and joining in with an art lesson.

The workload is extremely exhausting, but also rewarding. Some days I go home feeling that I have really earned my pay, and other days I go home and can’t believe that I get paid for what I do.

What has HLTA status meant?
HLTA status has meant that I can bring my enthusiasm to small groups of children that might otherwise become lost in a larger setting class. A child once told me that she was never going to like maths, but I made it more bearable for her!

The status acknowledges the skills and knowledge I have and allows me to use them to support the staff, school and children.

One of the questions I get asked a lot is “Would you like to be a teacher?” The increase in pay would be appreciated, but apart from that I wouldn’t want to change my job at the moment. Why would I want to be a teacher, when I have the best of both worlds?

Joanne Alleeson
My career path to HLTA.

Going back to work
I’d left a job as a personnel assistant in London to concentrate on being a mum. After a year I started work in the cash office of a large retail store and worked there until offered a position as learning support assistant.

Getting involved at school
I wanted to do more, but not full time, so I became a parent governor at my children’s school. Through this role I began helping out at the school three mornings a week.

Studying again
I was aware of the changing role of TAs, and knew that being a mum wasn’t sufficient experience for this role. So in September 2001 I enrolled on a BTEC Teaching Assistants course Level 3.

Becoming a HLTA
In 2004 my Headteacher shared information about HLTA – keen for a new challenge I signed up.