4 reasons a part-time Teaching Assistant role could be right for you

Are you looking for a role that provides truly unique rewards? Seeing children succeed when supporting them as a teaching assistant gives unrivalled satisfaction, and best of all – you don’t need to work full-time to do it.

Unlike a full-time teaching role, which required complete dedication to life in the classroom, a TA is far better placed to work a reduced number of hours. Below we’ve detailed four reasons why a part-time role as a teaching assistant could be just right for you.

Finding the right work-life balance

Working hours for a teaching assistant are unlike any you’ll find in an office environment, as you may only be required during school terms or during selected school time. As a result, you can plan a healthy work-life balance and are left free to consider summer work opportunities if you wish. While this does come at the price of reduced take-home pay, it does suit those with family commitments or anyone who is keen to complete education courses or any other hobby alongside their time in the classroom.

An ability to make a difference

Teaching assistants provide vital support to teachers during lessons, and they make a huge difference in the lives of pupils too. Each day at work enables you to make a big difference, from helping to boost a child’s confidence to enhancing their knowledge of certain topics. If children enjoy their time at school as a result, the likelihood of them achieving their potential in exams is greatly improved too.

Each day is unique

No day in the classroom is ever the same, and even when working as a part-time teaching assistant, you’ll be there to witness every key moment. The variety in the role ensures that each day is invigorating and engaging – one minute you might be crafting an art display, while the next you might be helping a child overcome maths problems. And even if one day is difficult for some reason, you’ll only have a limited number of working hours to get through before you have time to refocus and recharge.

Progression opportunities

Part-time teaching assistant roles free up opportunities for continued professional development, meaning you enhance your skills and your career as you go. There are various qualifications which can be completed alongside time in the classroom, and some of them may enable you to command greater pay or to consider different types of role as a TA. For example, some of the training options available enable you to progress to be a higher-level teaching assistant, which has greater responsibility or to prepare you for working with children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). Ultimately, you could even progress to be a full-time teacher, assuming that you don’t enjoy working part-time too much!

Let Tradewind help you build a rewarding teaching assistant career

If you're ready to start the search for your next role, we can help. As one of the UK's top teaching assistant agencies, we help candidates all around the UK find an education job that is suited to them. View all teaching assistant careers to find an assortment of roles, including part-time TA jobs, graduate teaching assistant jobs and SEN TA jobs. Or submit your CV and your local education recruitment consultant will get in touch with you shortly.