Are interested in applying for an apprenticeship at INSPIRE?

We are committed to promoting education opportunities for all staff members.

As part of our pledge we have a longstanding Apprenticeship Scheme for Learning Support Assistants. This provides Apprentices with personalised in-house training from specialist teaching staff. It is an opportunity for Apprentices to experience “real work” in a structured and supportive environment.

What’s in it for you?

• You will be allocated to a specific class within Inspire CCT at one of our schools, based on your location, experiences, interests and aspirations.
• You will complete a highly recognised Level 2 qualification, which will provide you with a Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools.
• You will be allocated an Assessor from the apprenticeship provider who will meet with you at school, talk to your class team, school leaders, to support in planning your learning and assessment.
• You will be allocated a Mentor in school who will meet with you on a regular basis to ensure that you are progressing well and achieving.
• You will attend and receive in-house training in many aspects of education and SEND, to enable you to develop your skills and knowledge.
• You will take part in the school performance monitoring process ensuring that your personal development and training needs are being met.

Is this the right career path for you?

Please find below quotes from candidates who have undertaken apprenticeships with LWF:

“I have worked at the school for a number of years within a variety of roles. I began as an apprentice teaching assistant at 17. This gave me a fantastic opportunity to discover what it was like working within an SEN setting, I was able to learn on the job with a supportive staffing team around me and develop my skillset alongside making decisions on my future career path. The trust then gave me the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant at St Lawrence whilst I worked on my foundation degree and my BA (hons) Professional Studies in Education. I then took on a role as Higher Level Teaching Assistant which further made me want to become a teacher.

I then applied for a Schools training programme within the trust which allowed me to continue my training, learning within a school that had put a lot of time into my development and career. The teacher training programme has been a great experience and has helped me develop my skills further, with a supportive team around me, in a school where I feel comfortable to challenge myself and to develop.”

“Within INSPIRE I have been on my own lifelong learning journey and have been provided with opportunities to develop as a practitioner.

I completed my NVQ level 2 and 3 in learning support whilst working as an apprentice within the setting. The apprenticeship route gave me ‘hands on’ practical experience of the role which went alongside and supported the NVQ work I was completing. This was valuable experience as it enabled me to see and learn about the daily running of a school, what teaching and learning looks like within a school and how other agencies support the pupils with whom I work. It allowed me to see practices in action too, such as following policies and procedures. As well as the apprenticeship route supporting the development of my knowledge, it also developed my confidence too.

I was appointed a mentor who also had the same role as myself, a learning support assistant, with whom I was able to work closely with. This provided me with the opportunities to learn new skills from my mentor. Staff with whom I worked, the class teacher and my mentor, scaffold my learning too. I began by supporting experienced staff leading learning activities, and then progressed to leading one to one groups and then small group activities too. I have since been supported into middle and now leadership roles, with both professional and personal learning “