NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF)

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF)

This Course at a Glance

• Become a Teaching Assistant
• Assist children of all abilities
• Progress your TA career
• Work in schools and colleges as a Teacher Assistant
• No prior experience necessary
• Practical placement in your Teacher Assistant training
• Gain an RQF accredited qualification
• Study the online materials at your pace

About Your Course

If you are good with children and like the idea of taking this interest into a career, an NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF) can help you become a qualified Teaching Assistant.

What’s more, the online Teaching Assistant course is designed to advance your career if you’re already working as a Teaching Assistant. So, you can take on more responsibilities and provide specialist support.

Develop Essential Teaching Assistant Skills

Through a blend of online study and practical learning, you’ll gain the skills needed to work with children and young people in a classroom environment, without the need to go to university.

You’ll study everything you need to know and how to become a TA. During your Teacher Assistant training, you will cover a multitude of topics, including:

• How to develop positive relationships with children
• Relevant legislation and guidelines
• Policies and procedures for safeguarding children and young people

You will also develop advanced supporting skills, such as how to support bilingual learners, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Plus, those who are going through transitional periods in their lives.

Support Child Development

With this knowledge and Teaching Assistant skills, you will be able to assist children of all abilities and backgrounds, so each child can have an enjoyable and engaging learning experience. You will also be able to take these skills into employment within the following:

• Primary schools
• Secondary schools
• Specialist schools and colleges

This gives you an ample range of job opportunities to explore after you complete your Teacher Assistant training.

As part of the assessment for this qualification, you will be required to undergo direct observation in a suitable environment.

Getting Started

learndirect is the leading UK online learning provider having helped more than 4 million students achieve their desired qualifications. This NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF) is a nationally recognised qualification that will help you kickstart or advance your career as a Teaching Assistant.

Benefits of Our Online Training Course

Combining both online study with workplace learning, this Teaching Assistant course, UK learners, equips you with a desirable combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

You can study the online element of the Teacher Assistant course from wherever suits, at your pace, allowing you to progress through this part of the course quickly if you have the capacity to. Just bear in mind that you will need to complete at least 50 hours in a relevant work placement to demonstrate your skills.

The benefits of taking a portion of your Teacher Assistant training online are:

• Flexible learning – Aside from the practical placement, you have control over when you study for qualifications for Teaching Assistant roles. Whether you want to dedicate two days a week or two hours a day to learning, it’s up to you!
• Study from home – You can develop your Teaching Assistant skills from the comfort of your own home thanks to our online training courses. All you need is a computer or laptop and a stable internet connection

Should you need it, you have up to a year to complete our Teacher Assistant courses. You will also benefit from the support of a dedicated professional tutor and flexible payment methods to spread the cost of your learning.

Taking You From Course To Career

Graduates of the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning will benefit from our partnership with the Education Placement Group (EPG), a leading education recruitment specialist.

Whether you're aiming for roles in schools, colleges, or other educational settings, EPG’s recruitment brands—such as justteachers and Supply Desk—will help you secure positions that match your skills and aspirations, ensuring a smooth transition into a rewarding career in education.

+ Free Upgrade	Self-Paced Online Learning With Tutor Support	Self-Paced Online Learning With Tutor Support PLUS On-Demand Content
Access your course materials immediately
Tutor support via our market-leading platform
Study around existing commitments
Progress as quickly as you’d like
Tailored individual learning plan to help you succeed
Engaging content; from videos to interactive quizzes
Industry-leading 7 days marking turnaround
Access to our video library of on-demand content

Modules

The units of our online Teaching Assistant course are broken down into 16 sections. The assignments you complete have been designed so that you can complete multiple tasks together where possible. You will see a different number of assignments in your personal portfolio, which contributes to the whole qualification.

Unit 1: Schools and Colleges as Organisations

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the structure of education from early years to post-compulsory education
• Understand how schools and colleges are organised in terms of roles and responsibilities
• Understand teamwork in schools and colleges
• Understand educational ethos, mission, aims and values
• Understand the purpose of policies and procedures in education

Unit 2: Support health and safety in a learning environment

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how to plan and provide environments that support children and young people’s health and safety
• Understand how to recognise and manage risks to health, safety and security in a learning environment or during off-site visits
• Understand how to support children and young people to assess and manage risk for themselves
• Understand appropriate responses to accidents, incidents, emergencies and illness in the learning environment and during off-site visits
• Understand your own role in assisting in the administration of medication

Unit 3: Understand how to safeguard children and young people

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding children and young people
• Understand how to work in partnership with other organisations to safeguard children and young people
• Understand the need to ensure children and young people’s safety and protection in the learning environment
• Understand how to respond to evidence or concerns that a child or young person has been abused or harmed
• Understand how to work with children and young people to support their well-being

Unit 4: Develop professional relationships with children, young people and adults

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the principles of developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults
• Understand legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection
• Be able to develop professional relationships with children and young people
• Be able to communicate with children and young people
• Be able to develop professional relationships with adults
• Be able to support children and young people in developing relationships
• Be able to support inclusion and inclusive practices in work with children and young people

Unit 5: Understand how children and young people develop

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the expected pattern of development for children and young people from birth to 19 years
• Understand the factors that influence children and young people’s development and how these affect practice
• Understand how to monitor children and young people’s development and interventions that should take place if this is not following the expected pattern

Unit 6: Support positive behaviour in children and young people

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand policies and procedures for promoting children and young people’s positive behaviour in a learning environment
• Be able to promote positive behaviour
• Be able to manage behaviour that challenges in a learning environment

Unit 7: Support children and young people during learning activities

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Be able to contribute to planning learning activities
• Be able to prepare for learning activities
• Be able to support learning activities
• Be able to observe and report on learner participation and progress
• Be able to contribute to the evaluation of learning activities

Unit 8: Support English and maths skills

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Be able to identify learner needs for English and maths support
• Be able to provide English support to help learners access teaching and learning
• Be able to provide maths support to help learners access teaching and learning

Unit 9: Support the use of ICT in the learning environment

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the policy and procedures for the use of ICT for teaching and learning
• Understand how to prepare ICT resources for use in teaching and learning
• Be able to support the use of ICT for teaching and learning

Unit 10: Support assessment for learning

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the purpose and characteristics of assessment for learning
• Be able to use assessment strategies to promote learning
• Be able to support learners in reviewing their learning strategies and achievements
• Be able to contribute to reviewing assessments for learning
• Be able to maintain learner records

Unit 11: Engage in personal and professional development

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand what is required for competence in own work role
• Be able to reflect on organisational practice
• Be able to evaluate own performance
• Be able to agree on a personal development plan
• Be able to use learning opportunities and reflective practice to contribute to personal development

Unit 12: Support children and young people’s speech, language and communication

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the importance of speech, language and communication for children and young people’s overall development
• Understand the role of support staff when supporting speech, language and communication development in the learning environment
• Be able to provide support for the speech, language and communication development of children and young people in the learning environment
• Be able to contribute to maintaining a positive environment that supports speech, language and communication

Unit 13: Understand how to support bilingual learners

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how to contribute to the assessment of bilingual learners
• Understand how to support bilingual learners to access the curriculum

Unit 14: Understand how to support the learning of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the principles of inclusive practice and the rights of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs
• Understand how to obtain information about individual needs, capabilities and interests of disabled children and young people, and those with special educational needs
• Understand the special educational needs of children and young people with cognition and learning needs
• Understand the special educational needs of children and young people with emotional, behavioural and social development needs
• Understand the special educational needs of learners with sensory and/or physical needs
• Understand the kinds of strategies needed to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities

Unit 15: Support children and young people during transitions

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the range and impact of transitions that children and young people may experience
• Be able to recognise and respond to transitions in children's and young people’s lives
• Be able to support children and young people to manage transitions in their lives

Unit 16: Support the role of play, leisure and extra-curricular activities for children and young people

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the nature and importance of play and leisure
• Understand your own role in relation to the requirements of play and leisure activities
• Understand how to balance risk and challenge with the benefits of the play and leisure opportunity

Entry Requirements

There are no entry requirements, however English and Maths Level 2 or higher would be advantageous. A suitable work placement is required.

Minimum Age restriction

16

Average completion timeframe

The average completion time for this course is 12 months.

Assessment requirements

Assessments will be carried out using various evaluation mediums such as, observation of practice, witness statements, reflections, case studies, placement log and written questions.

Placement or Practical required

Direct observation is part of the assessment methodology in this course. Observations may be carried out by appropriately qualified members of staff in work settings. There are specific criteria and guidelines that need to be followed, therefore learners must ensure that a suitable member of staff is able to support them by providing written observation records. The placement is for the duration of the course, with a minimum of 50-200 hours. These hours will need to be spread throughout the duration of the course until the course completion. Your placement must be in a school setting, working with children in a class that follows the National Curriculum, where you are supporting the teacher. Typically, from year 1 and above.

If placement or practical required, when?

From unit 3. A learner will need a mentor who is. willing to be able to complete observations of practice and witness statements to confirm occupational competency. Training on vocational observations will be provided to the mentor. The mentor will be from within the learner's placement environment, and must be suitably qualified- e.g., the class teacher.

Is Membership Required?

No Membership

Observation by us required

Mentor observation is required.

Certification Timeframe

You can expect to receive your certification within 12 weeks of successfully completing the qualification. Please note this can be longer if a EQA sample is required

Course Fees

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

Question paper - After each module in your Teacher Assistant course, there will be a question paper you need to complete and submit to your assessor for marking. You should allow at least 1-2 hours of study to complete each question paper.

Direct observation – As part of the assessment process, you will undergo direct observation, with your assessor supporting you through this when you’re ready.

This method of continual assessment ensures that your assessor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of our online Teaching Assistant course. The approximate amount of time required to complete the course is 310 hrs.

NCFE

On successful completion of our NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF) you will receive a qualification listed on the RQF at level 3 (Qualification Reference Number: 603/2496/X). This course has also been assigned 53 credits.

NCFE is a national Awarding Organisation, passionate about designing, developing and certificating diverse, nationally recognised qualifications and awards. These qualifications contribute to the success of millions of learners at all levels, bringing them closer to fulfilling their personal goals. Last year alone, over 340,000 learners from over 2,000 colleges, schools and training organisations chose NCFE as the Awarding Organisation to help them move their careers forward.

NCFE is a registered educational charity and has a strong heritage in learning, going back over 150 years. With a buzz that sets it apart, NCFE is proud to be recognised for its exceptional customer service and friendly approach. We're a values based company and our values are at the heart of everything we do.

NCFE’s extensive product catalogue includes a wide range of general and vocationally related qualifications in a variety of subject areas, as well as Competence Based qualifications/NVQs, and Functional Skills qualifications.

NCFE is recognised as an Awarding Organisation by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Welsh Government in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA Regulation) in Northern Ireland.

Teaching Assistants are now sought after in most schools, colleges, and specialist education institutions. So, no matter the age bracket of children you would like to support or the type of assistance you would like to provide, there is a Teaching Assistant role to suit.

Teaching Assistant roles span five levels, with additional responsibilities at each subsequent level. There are also three levels of Teaching Assistants who can provide specialist support.

The Teaching Assistant levels are:

• Teaching Assistant Level 1 - 5
• Additional Support Needs Assistant Level 1 - 3

With this NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF), you could pursue or progress to Teaching Assistant and Additional Support Needs Assistant roles at Level 3.

Further Qualifications and Prospects

To progress in your Teacher Assistant role from this point, there are various avenues you could take. You could work your way towards Level 4 or 5 Teaching Assistant status with further study and be awarded Higher Level Teaching Assistant status.

Courses that could help you do this include:

• Advanced Practitioner in Schools and Colleges Level 4 Certificate (RQF)
• Higher Level Teaching Assistants (RQF) Level 4 Certificate
• Level 3 Certificate in the Principles of Special Educational Needs (RQF)
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) - Advanced
• Autism Awareness - Advanced

Many Teaching Assistants also progress to become a Teacher. If this is something you would be interested in, you can do this by undertaking Initial Teacher Education or Training (ITET) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You can achieve this through:

• Straight to Teaching, a school-led QTS development programme
• Studying at university

If your school doesn’t participate in the Straight to Teaching scheme, you’ll be responsible for organising your higher education training. The route you take to getting a recognised teaching qualification depends on the level of qualifications you already have.

If you have a degree that meets the minimum grade, you can apply for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

If you don’t have a degree, you will need to apply for an undergraduate ITET programme at university with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You can do this by studying a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree with QTS. Or by completing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) education degrees with QTS if there is a particular subject you want to teach.

Useful courses to help you meet university entry requirements include:

• An online Access to Higher Education Diploma (Education)
• Access to HE Diplomas relevant to your chosen subject
• Online A Levels
• Online GCSEs
• Functional Skills