I was just wondering how many years experience is required before you can train to become a HLTA and are you required to have NVQ TA L2 & L3??

I have just started a FD in 2007 which has a Teaching Assistant specialism but i havent got any NVQs so i am worried that this will prevent me from finding employment as a TA.

So i thought maybe i could train to become a HLTA which will improve my employment prospects. It would be pointless for me to do NVQs now because i am already on a FD.

The only problem is that i only have about 2 months worth of voluntary experience of being a TA. So if i cant do HLTA now, I was thinking maybe i should try for HLTA status in a years time.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks in advance

xx Athena xx

To do HLTA, you have to be working in a school, you have to have the HT
signature on your application. This is because you have to show you reach the standards within your role.

Hi Jay, thanks for you reply. But i am still a little confused

If i got employemnt as a TA could i train for the HLTA at any point or would i need a few years experience first??

I'm assuming that i have to be employed as a TA to get HLTA and i cant get it if i am a voluntary TA.

Sorry for being so annoying about this, lol.

xx Athena xx

no not annoying Athena, just me not answering all your post.
yes you will have to be employed to do the HLTA, you will need to be in the role and fullfilling the standards before you apply and the county you work for will usually fund it
i cant say how long it would take before you reached them, it would depend on the job itself.
perhaps some of the others that have done hlta can tell you how long they were in the role before doing it.
i have been in the same school for 13 years and been a fulltime ta for about 9 of those[ parttime and senior msa before that] but remember HLTA is a fairly new route for PD.

hope that makes it clearer for you,

I have been a TA for 15 years, previously NNEB student (DIP,2years fulltime), nursery/playgroup assistant and childminder as well as mum of four.
I think you are a little confused. The HLTA is meant for Teaching Assistants who through their work have reached a level from knowledge and experience that is suitable to gain the STATUS of HLTA. It is NOT a qualification it is a STATUS. You MUST be whole class teaching.There are 8 Tasks to complete and 33 standards to cover. It is not meant for people that are new to the job or working as a volunteer.You must be working for the school (I think there is a minimum amount of hours) and the HT must put you forward to the LA who then decide if they will fund you. It is a STATUS to recognise the quality of work that TA's often do in school.

to say you have to be a TA to get HLTA status is wrong. It was designed so that anyone who met the requirements can progress their career. I came to it as a technician. But, obviously it is mostly TA's who benefit as they are usually the person who meets the requirements. As for the origional post doesn't your foundation degree include a module to gain HLTA status, mine did but I had already got it through work.

Thank you for your replies.

I'm just confused about the HLTA status and intend to talk to my university lecturer about it but i thought i would see what others had to say about it first.

I haven't got much experience as a TA and was concerned that i wouldn't be able to find employemt by september '08 ( i need the money). So i thought maybe getting HLTA would improve my prospects. But i'm considering maybe doing NVQ 2 in sept 2008 but it feels pointless because i am on a FD.

However, my FD isn't specifially for TAs. It is in 'Children and Young Peoples Services' with a TA pathway, so half the modules are TA based and the other half are based on Childrens Services. But my FD doesn't have a module to gain HLTA.

I think i will just have to talk to my lecturer and maybe enquire at some local schools if they would accept my FD for a job as a TA.

Thank you for all your help

xx Athena xx

i would think there were quite a few careers open to you with that degree Athena, have a look into wider childrens services...Sure start, childrens centres/CIS/ colleges for teaching/lecturing..play schemes/YMCA as well as the social work areas

I would agree with agree with DQ, your FD will open many pathways of employment for you, some of which may be better paid than TA pay.

With my local authority it stated clearly that you had to have been employed in a school a minimum of 2 years before applying for HLTA status. As a previous poster said, you have to be nominated by your head teacher to be considered for funding for the status. I think you would have a problem there as you work in school on a voluntary basis.

As DQ said, there are lots of other avenues to explore with your FD subjects though.

Good luck!

Agree and to be honest I don't think it would help you to get a TA job. HLTA's are usually employed as that.Unless they are encouraged and don't get paid afterwards. And unless you do whole class teaching you would not be eligible.They were very strict on this as we had a prep course and 5 or 6 people didn't return because they didn't fulfil the requirements. Sorry johns I forgot about technicians.....I should have said working in schools.I work in Primary and don't know much about Secondary except from a parent's point of view.

Interesting you mention whole class work Jack. This seems to be very much in the mind of assessors as well. I had lunch with 5 of the people on my preparation days and for each of us the first question was "how often do you work with whole classes?"
I know that both my nominated teacher and HT were asked how often I took whole classes and how I coped with the pressure.
Is that an indication of the way the status is heading?

I think so Lbee.Talking to people on my course reinforced this. A lot do PPA and often fill in for supply. We live in a fairly rural area, although I work in a city school, it is difficult to get good supply teachers. We have some problems with behaviour and some supply don't seem to be able to handle the kids.The same goes for my HLTA friends and HT are putting them in instead. The assessor was agreeing that this is happening a lot.

Our tutor went as far as saying that there have been talks about changing HLTA to the title AT (assistant teacher)
Could save schools a lot of money in supply costs if there is someone 'in house' to step in for absent teacher.........but what role on a day-to-day basis when no one is absent?

or who will miss out when their TA is taken to fulfill class cover due to absence...not the HT thats for sure

i have seen some HLTA ads though where they arent assigned to classes but to year groups/ KS or specific roles (S&L) so probably wont be doing the 1;1 or small group work so it wont be disrupted if they have to do short term cover