T Level in Education and Early Years (Assisting Teaching)

Step 1: Apply

Step 2: Interviews and taster events

As part of your application you will be invited to book an interview, to discuss your chosen course, where you will meet with an academic tutor from your chosen area of study for an informal discussion about your course choices, to ensure you have chosen the best course for your future ambitions.

This will give you the opportunity to ask questions and discuss anything about the course that you are unsure about. Please ensure you check your confirmation email for full details, so you do not miss your appointment.

You are initially only able to book an interview for your first choice course, please let us know if you would subsequently like to be able to book interviews for other courses by emailing admissions@paston.ac.uk

Step 3: Offer

This stage provides you with an outcome of your recent interview, which will confirm if you have been made an offer of a place on your chosen course.

All offers are provisional until the point of enrolment and most of our course offers are conditional, meaning there is entry criteria you need to meet before enrolling. This will be outlined in your offer letter.

Sometimes we are unable to offer you a place on your chosen course. If this happens the reasons will be discussed with you at your appointment and we will look at alternative options with you. We will be in contact to confirm the outcome and what to do next. We also have a team of specialist Course Advisers who are more than happy to look at alternative options with you and answer any questions you may have.

Step 4: Enrolment

Enrolment is the final stage before starting your course with us and takes place within the last two weeks of August. We require you to be available to attend your appointment in person at college, so we can complete all the required steps to enrolling you on your chosen course.

We may ask you to bring some documents with you so please read your enrolment invitation carefully.

Are you passionate about working with children and supporting them to develop and thrive? Are you a caring and patient person? The T Level qualification in Education and Early Years (Assisting Teaching) will provide you with extensive knowledge of how children learn and develop, and your role in supporting them.

You will be able to put theory into practice with your two-day a week work placement.

On the Assisting Teaching pathway, you will be placed in a primary school for your industry placement.

There are seven elements of study in the first year, and these will include topics such as:

• Child development
• Working in partnership with other professionals
• SEND (Special educational needs and disabilities)
• Safeguarding

In the second year of the course, you will focus on your occupational specialism, Assisting Teaching

You will continue in your work placement for two days each week. You will need to achieve a minimum of 315 hours in placement across the two years to pass your T Level, with an expectation to far exceed this.

In college you will focus your studies on supporting the five to 16 age group. Your learning will centre around four performance outcomes and grouped into themes such as:

• Planning and assessment
• Managing behaviour
• Supporting maths and English
• Promoting wellbeing

To excel on the T Level, you will need to be prepared to share your thoughts and ideas in lessons and engage with group and individual presentations and tasks. You can expect your lecturers to support you to gain independent study skills to support your success on the course.

You will benefit from:

• Guest speakers sharing their knowledge and expertise of childcare topics
• Support from a dedicated and enthusiastic team of childcare experts
• Local trips to enrich your learning

If this sounds like the course for you, then we would love to receive your application and meet you at interview!

The first-year assessments consist of:

• One written exam assessing you on elements 1-7. There will be multiple choice, short and extended writing questions.
• An employer-set project consisting of a range of tasks including, but not limited to, a presentation, a support plan, activity plan and a reflection.

The second-year assessments for the Assisting Teaching pathway consists of:

• Three structured observations of your practice carried out by an assessor in your placement school. These placement assessments will contribute 50% of your overall mark for the Occupational Specialism year.
• Two written exams applying your knowledge and experience to planning for children’s learning and analysing case studies.

• Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English language and maths.
• Attend an interview with our course team.
• Provide two positive references.
• Successful completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

It is also desirable that you have undertaken some work experience in an education setting.

You can progress onto apprenticeships or higher education courses in fields such as: education, psychology, sociology, social sciences, social work or youth work.

Our higher education provider, City College Norwich Higher Education, can also offer the following relevant undergraduate degrees: BA (Hons) Additional Needs and Disabilities (Children And Young People), BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and BA (Hons) Youth Work.

On successful completion you can also move directly into employment as a Teaching Assistant or into other support roles working with children and young people.

Alternatively, following further study, you may enter employment as a:

• Teacher
• Social Worker
• Youth Worker
• Education Welfare Officer
• Special Educational Needs Coordinator or Specialist