Higher Level Teaching Assistant Apprentice
St Cuthbert’s RC High School
Rochdale (OL16 4RX)
Closes on Thursday 15 January 2026
Posted on 11 December 2025
Contents
Summary
St Cuthbert’s RC High School is looking for a Level 3 qualified Teaching Assistant to join as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant Apprentice. You’ll support teaching and learning, lead small group sessions, and help with planning and assessment while working towards your HLTA apprenticeship.
- Wage
-
£28,598 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
£14.82 per hour
- Training course
- Specialist teaching assistant (level 5)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday,
term-time only Typical hours: 30+ per week (to be confirmed with school)
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Friday 16 January 2026
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
2
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
As a Higher Level Teaching Assistant Apprentice at St Cuthbert’s, you will work under the guidance of teachers and senior staff to support pupils’ learning, deliver structured interventions and contribute to planning, teaching and assessment activities.
Key Responsibilities:
- Supporting teachers in planning and delivering learning activities
- Leading small group support sessions and targeted interventions
- Covering classes in the absence of a teacher (where appropriate)
- Assisting with assessment of pupils’ progress and recording outcomes
- Working with pupils with diverse learning needs, including SEND and EAL
- Supporting behaviour management and promoting a positive learning environment
- Preparing resources, materials and classroom displays
- Contributing to pastoral care and wellbeing of pupils
- Supporting learning across a range of subjects and year groups
- Working collaboratively with teachers, pastoral teams and support staff
- Taking part in professional development as part of the HLTA apprenticeship
This role is suited to individuals with proven experience working in a school setting who are ready to take the next step in their career.
Where you'll work
Shaw Road
Rochdale
OL16 4RX
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
ROCHDALE TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED
Training course
Specialist teaching assistant (level 5)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Act in line with policies, processes, and procedures related to statutory frameworks and non-statutory guidance, including safeguarding, implementing the setting’s behaviour policy.
- Establish a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment for learners.
- Establish nurturing, effective working relationships with learners, parents or carers and stakeholders.
- Demonstrate understanding of equality and diversity and sustainable development.
- Undertake dynamic risk assessment of the learning environment.
- Respond to and mitigate potential hazards that may adversely affect a learning environment.
- Contribute to the planning of learning and assessment activities.
- Apply teaching strategies to advance learning, for example scaffolding.
- Select and use safely, appropriate equipment and resources to advance learning.
- Apply an appropriate range of assessment methods, including formative, summative and individual needs-based assessments.
- Analyse assessment outcomes to inform reporting and future planning.
- Provide ongoing feedback to learners and support them to respond to feedback.
- Record and report information related to learners’ progress to a range of stakeholders.
- Collaborate with colleagues and other professionals.
- Advocate for and champion the needs of learners.
- Use a range of research to critically evaluate teaching and assessment approaches and practices.
- Critically evaluate a variety of teaching and assessment methods depending on the learning environments and learners’ needs.
- Improve own practice by undertaking continuous self-reflection including seeking and responding to feedback from varied sources.
- Update and maintain their own knowledge and skills as part of managing their own continuing professional development.
- Communicate information and analysis in a variety of forms to reflect the needs of the audience, for example by providing appropriate advice and guidance to parents or carers.
- Support the development of effective practices in others, for example through mentoring and coaching colleagues.
- Identify, action, and challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
- Recognise signs of vulnerability in self or colleagues and the appropriate actions required to minimise risks to professional well-being.
- Implement strategies to support the social and emotional well-being of learners.
- Select and use technologies safely and effectively to promote learning.
- Prioritise and manage own workload, for example recognising the importance of capacity.
- Implement national and local SEND policy, practices, processes, and procedures.
- Apply approaches to the assessment and early identification of SEND.
- Apply strategies to adapt provision and practices to support learners with SEND.
- Implement national and local policies, practices, processes, and procedures related to social and emotional well-being.
- Identify and signpost learners in need of social and emotional well-being intervention.
- Apply strategies to support the social and emotional well-being of learners.
- Implement national and local policies, practices, processes, and procedures related to the specific curriculum provision.
- Adapt planning and assessment to support learning and progress in the specific area of curriculum provision.
- Support colleagues by advocating for the specific curriculum provision.
- Act in line with policies, processes, and procedures related to statutory frameworks and non-statutory guidance, including safeguarding, implementing the setting’s behaviour policy.
- Establish a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment for learners.
- Establish nurturing, effective working relationships with learners, parents or carers and stakeholders.
- Demonstrate understanding of equality and diversity and sustainable development.
- Undertake dynamic risk assessment of the learning environment.
- Respond to and mitigate potential hazards that may adversely affect a learning environment.
- Contribute to the planning of learning and assessment activities.
- Apply teaching strategies to advance learning, for example scaffolding.
- Select and use safely, appropriate equipment and resources to advance learning.
- Apply an appropriate range of assessment methods, including formative, summative and individual needs-based assessments.
- Analyse assessment outcomes to inform reporting and future planning.
- Provide ongoing feedback to learners and support them to respond to feedback.
- Record and report information related to learners’ progress to a range of stakeholders.
- Collaborate with colleagues and other professionals.
- Advocate for and champion the needs of learners.
- Use a range of research to critically evaluate teaching and assessment approaches and practices.
- Critically evaluate a variety of teaching and assessment methods depending on the learning environments and learners’ needs.
- Improve own practice by undertaking continuous self-reflection including seeking and responding to feedback from varied sources.
- Update and maintain their own knowledge and skills as part of managing their own continuing professional development.
- Communicate information and analysis in a variety of forms to reflect the needs of the audience, for example by providing appropriate advice and guidance to parents or carers.
- Support the development of effective practices in others, for example through mentoring and coaching colleagues.
- Identify, action, and challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
- Recognise signs of vulnerability in self or colleagues and the appropriate actions required to minimise risks to professional well-being.
- Implement strategies to support the social and emotional well-being of learners.
- Select and use technologies safely and effectively to promote learning.
- Prioritise and manage own workload, for example recognising the importance of capacity.
Training schedule
- Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Level 5
- Training delivered in partnership with Rochdale Training through structured off-the-job learning and in-school mentoring
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
A Level in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Organisation skills
- Patience
- Classroom Management
- Professional and reliable
- Empathy
Other requirements
- Candidates must have experience working in a school environment.
- Role involves working with pupils with varying needs and behaviours
- You will be required to follow safeguarding procedures at all times
- A DBS check will be required before starting
About this employer
St Cuthbert’s RC High School is a large, inclusive and high-performing secondary school in Rochdale that provides a supportive and ambitious learning environment for all students. The school is committed to academic excellence, strong pastoral support and helping every learner reach their full potential. This apprenticeship offers a rare opportunity for someone with existing school experience and a Level 3 qualification to progress into a Higher Level Teaching Assistant role. Working alongside experienced teachers and support staff, the successful apprentice will gain advanced skills in planning, delivering, and assessing learning within the classroom.
After this apprenticeship
For the right candidate;
- Permanent HLTA role at St Cuthbert’s
- Further progression to pastoral, SEN support or academic intervention roles
- Pathways into teacher training (Schools Direct / PGCE)
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
ROCHDALE TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000004426.
Apply now
Closes on Thursday 15 January 2026
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