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 on Wednesday 15 November 2023. Two identical sessions will run from 10am – 11.45am and 12pm – 1.45pm.

Teach Portsmouth is a Portsmouth City Council initiative to recruit education professionals for schools and academies. Their teaching assistant information events have been relaunched 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.

If you’re interested in supporting pupils, here are Teach Portsmouth’s five top tips to help you get classroom ready as a teaching assistant:

• 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

To find out more and secure your free ticket for the event, visit www.teachportsmouth.co.uk/TA.