The smarter, new and evolved way to become a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA). Enhance your training with our Ofsted approved and online Level 4 Certificate for the Advanced Practitioner in Schools and Colleges. This course has previously been regarded as the Supporting Teaching and Learning Level 4 qualification but has been expanded to include roles and responsibilities in a college workforce as well as a school learning environment.
Build upon existing classroom experience. Learn to mentor children of all ages. Become an Advanced Practitioner with desirable teaching and leadership skills and the ability to work in classroom settings unsupervised. With this qualification, you can potentially earn up to £33,000.
Why it’s better to study STL4 instead of HLTA
| HLTA | Level 4 Advanced Practitioner in Schools & Colleges | |
|---|---|---|
| Work as a Higher Level Practitioner/Teaching Assistant |  |
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| Internationally recognised qualification | |
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| Course credits for University | |
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| Can be assessed solely by your course tutor | |
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| Requires an assessment by your local council | |
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| Limited to practice only in your local LEA area | |
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| No limits on where you can practice | |
The Advantages of a Level 4 Teaching Assistant Qualification
Do you want to push your career as a Teaching Assistant? Gain more responsibility? Recognition? Better salary? Maybe you’re after those all-important leadership skills, so you can mentor others in school and college settings? If you’re nodding your head to those questions, you’ve come to the right place. Delivered by expert tutors, your teacher training expands your knowledge, so you can better support people as individuals. In fact, on our Level 4 Advanced Practitioner course, you’ll develop insight into teaching theories, as well as partnership working, supporting mental health and SEND. Furthermore, you’ll cover the age ranges starting from 5 years old and above.
Learn on the job! As a classroom assistant already working to a level 3 standard, you can continue to earn while you learn. Simply incorporate time for studying online alongside your working day and within a year you’ll be even more qualified. You’ll have a friendly supervisor observing your work so that you can tick off key criteria. We do this to ensure you’re competent across all areas – and we’ll support you to ensure you always are!
Our Level 4 Certificate for the Advanced Practitioner is suitable for TAs:
- Already working in a learning support role in a school – evidence needed of the last 12 months
- Working at Level 3 looking for the next step in their professional development
- Holding (or soon to hold) a Level 3 Teaching Support qualification, please note the STL Level 3 ‘Award’ is not accepted.
- Example of what is accepted: NCFE CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning
- Wanting career progression or improved leadership and coaching skills
- Considering further learning to advance into leadership positions within the education sector
- 18 years of age or above
The final step for teaching assistants looking to maximise their growth with higher level teaching assistant status.
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A formal qualificationThis course is a formally recognised RQF qualification and is recognised throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.
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Study with winnersWe’re an award-winning learning provider and have been recognised for our cutting-edge learning techniques.
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Unlimited Tutor Support™Get as much help and support as you want from your personal course tutor via email and phone.
- Awarding body: NCFE CACHE
- Our course code: X400
- Qualification code: 603/2474/0
- Official Qualification Title: NCFE CACHE Level 4 Certificate for the Advanced Practitioner in Schools and Colleges
CACHE stands for the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education, and are the leading specialist Awarding Organisation for the Care and Education Sector.
Study Hours
It takes around 150 hours to complete this course.
Study Method
Throughout this course, you may be expected to complete assignments, essays, research projects, presentations, video/audio recordings, and practical learning sessions to meet the requirements of your course. This information will be included in your study pack detailing exactly what you need to do to accomplish your goals as a student.
There will be a requirement for you to have a class teacher/mentor/supervisor who will also add evidence of your competence to your portfolio. It’s important that you provide the contact details of these individuals and the schools that they work at to your tutor.
Course Duration
You have up to a year to complete this course. This is usually ample time for learners, even with full-time jobs and other commitments. Don’t worry if you go over the year though, we can organise an extension to your course for an additional fee, which also extends your tutor support.
Assessment
All units will be internally assessed using a range of methods which could include direct observations within the workplace by a tutor, teacher or assessor, as well as written assignments and professional discussions in line with the unit’s learning outcomes.
Coursework
Students are required to compile a portfolio of evidence which demonstrates their learning against each of the assessment criteria of the course. Portfolios are assessed by your tutor.
Working in a School
To be accepted onto this course, you will need to be currently working within a school with up to 12 months experience and evidence to prove this. While there isn’t a placement to study this course, you’ll still need to be working in a Level 3 support role in a learning environment (school or college), to show competence in both skills and knowledge.
This is a regulated qualification that is internally assessed and externally quality assured. Staff involved in the assessment of this qualification are able to demonstrate that they have the relevant occupational knowledge and competence, at the same level or higher as the units being evaluated. However, we can offer training support for assessors in your workplace. Your tutor will provide details if required.
The completion of an ‘Evidence Record’ and ‘Record of Assessment Cycle’ form is mandatory. This will be provided and your tutor will detail exactly what is needed.
Course Outcomes
In 2015, NCFE acquired CACHE. As of September 2017, our CACHE courses will now be known as NCFE CACHE, and you will receive your certificate from both awarding bodies.
This qualification comes with NCFE CACHE Level 4 certification. NCFE CACHE have been developing courses in the childcare, education and healthcare sectors since 1945 and are one of the most reputable awarding bodies for qualifications in the UK and overseas. Practitioners working in these areas are much more employable having gained NCFE CACHE certification and many employers specifically ask for their qualifications when taking on members of staff.
NCFE CACHE is recognised as an Awarding Organisation by the qualification regulators for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who are: The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Welsh Government, and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland.
Learners may progress within the workforce in the following job roles and responsibilities:
- Higher Level Practitioner / Teaching Assistant
- Internal progression at a higher level, including those with management responsibilities
- Leadership, mentoring, supervision and management opportunities
Additional Information
Official Qualification Title - NCFE CACHE Level 4 Certificate for the Advanced Practitioner in Schools and Colleges
Difficulty - Level 4
Entry requirements - Students must be working in learning support in a school and should have completed (or be completing) a level 3 Teaching Support qualification such as: NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools.
Minimum Enrolment Age - 18 years
Credits - 21
Course Content
In this unit, you’ll understand the roles and responsibilities of an advanced practitioner. You’ll gain awareness of the statutory educational frameworks in the UK and how to safeguard people of all age ranges, for example, against drug use or bullying. You’ll also look at how people learn, put the relevant theory into practice, and evidence how to apply new learning to the day-to-day role, reporting on changes to practice in one’s own setting through development of a learner portfolio. In addition, you’ll be expected to consider how the environment and learning activities influence an individual’s development. Finally, you’ll explore various leadership, mentoring and management skills and styles.
2:
Understand How to Support Children and Young People to Improve Their Mental Health and Well-Being
In this unit, you’ll uncover the core components of mental health and well-being, such as happiness, confidence and engagement. You’ll analyse factors that influence individuals from infancy to early adulthood, such as language and academic ability. You’ll also gain insight into current legislation within the UK and how individual perceptions can be shaped by media, cultural or public surroundings. Finally, you’ll explore coping strategies and resilience building to better support and improve individuals’ mental health and well-being.
3:
Working with Others to Support Individuals with Additional Needs and Disability in a School or College
In this unit, you’ll cover current frameworks for inclusive practice, evaluating policies and procedures in relation to statutory frameworks and national guidance. You’ll examine factors that impact those learning with special education needs or disabilities, as well as the level of assistance required to support them. You’ll also discover the role and responsibilities of the Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCo), analysing strategies used by practitioners to help those with additional needs. Finally, you’ll consider aspects that affect families caring for individuals, evaluate partnership working with other professionals, and reflect on a range of policies and procedures to better support individuals with additional or special educational needs or disabilities in one’s own setting.
In this unit, you’ll understand the requirements for partnership working in schools and colleges, such as different strategies to incorporate and barriers to overcome when working with families. You’ll discover the diverse needs of families and how to address them. Finally, you’ll learn how to lead, coach and mentor staff within one’s own setting, using methods and strategies for overcoming challenges in relation to partnership working.
In this unit, you’ll plan a research project from scratch. This will include selecting you research topic and using established methods and techniques to design your project. You’ll perform a literature review of academic research papers exploring ideas for change in one’s own setting. You’ll also use research methods to review an established research paper, summarise its main findings, and provide recommendations for change. In addition, you’ll implement and evaluate any changes in one’s own setting. Finally, you’ll consider the nature of your findings and identify various ways and suitable methods in which to explain and share those findings with others.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have some answers to common student questions, but if you can't find the answer you're looking for then please contact us and we will do everything we can to answer your questions.
You will have access to your personal tutor, via email and telephone, who will mark your assignments and guide you through the course. In addition, you will be supplied with a comprehensive Study Guide which will help you through the study and assessment process. Your personal tutor will be highly experienced in their subject area and qualified to teach.
We provide all the specially written learning materials you require to study this course at home. The course fee also includes tutor support for 12 months.
No, this course is assessed by coursework alone.
No, all of the study materials are supplied within your learning pack.
Most students finish comfortably within the course duration period given. However, if you do need more time, your personal tutor support can be extended for an additional fee.
That’s fine, this course can be studied anywhere and is completed by submitting Tutor marked assignments (TMAs).
Please check our FAQs section or Contact Us, we are happy to answer any questions you have.