Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) Programme

The Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) programme supports teaching assistants and other school support staff in demonstrating their skills and knowledge in order to achieve the Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) professional standards and therefore gain HLTA Professional Status.

The government funding criteria has recently changed. For the latest information on funding, please contact hlta@northampton.ac.uk or call 01604 893527.

Overview
Content
Additional information
How to apply
Fees and funding

Course level

Undergraduate

Modes of study

Part time

Attendance

Three day preparation route: candidates attend on three separate days over a period of approximately seven weeks.

Location

Park Campus and off-site venues

Entry requirements

The TDA requires that to meet Standard 11 of the HLTA Professional Standards, the candidate must have achieved a nationally recognised qualification at level 2 or above in English/literacy and Mathematics/numeracy. Relevant qualifications are those recognised nationally as being equivalent to level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework.

Acceptable qualifications in line with the National Qualifications Framework include:

GCSEs at grade A*-C in English and Mathematics
Basic Skills Certificates at level 2 in Adult Literature and Adult Numeracy
Key Skills at level 2 in Communication and Application of Number
CSEs at grade 1 in English and Mathematics
GCE O level English and Mathematics with a pass or grade C if taken from 1975

Evidence of qualifications at a higher level are also acceptable, level 3 qualifications include:

GCE A levels in English Language, English Literature or English Language and Literature and Mathematics, Use of Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Statistics
GCE AS levels in English Language, English Literature or English Language and Literature and Mathematics, Use of Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Statistics, Pure Mathematics, Mechanics or Applied Mathematics
Key Skills at level 3 in Communication and Application of Number

Applicants are required to already hold the appropriate original certificate(s) at the time of application, and copies of certificates should be submitted with the application form. Where a certificate is not available, a replacement copy should be obtained from the relevant examination board. Information about how to obtain replacement certificates can be found on the TDA website. In addition, candidates will need written agreement to undertake the programme from their head teacher, before applying.

School

School of Education

Course content

The HLTA Professional Status can offer opportunities to work at a higher level within schools and educational settings. Working towards HLTA Professional Status can be regarded as a natural progression for experienced Teaching Assistants.

HLTA Status is suitable for a range of practitioners who support pupil learning. This includes Science, Art and ICT technicians, Special Educational Needs (SEN) specialists or staff working in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU).

The three core preparation days support candidates in preparing for assessment: Completion of tasks; production of supporting evidence and the assessor visit to setting. These three core preparation days are designed to address all the HLTA standards in relation to candidates' work in their own educational settings.

Special course features

The University of Northampton is recognised as one of the leading national providers of Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) programmes and is the sole Regional Provider of Assessment of HLTA Candidates in the East Midlands region
Attendance and location is designed to meet the training needs of employed teaching assistants
Successful candidates will achieve HLTA Professional Status

To find out more about previous Higher Level Teaching Assistants candidates, see Case studies and films.

Assessment

There is a national assessment system required by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). This includes submission of work-related tasks and an assessment visit to the candidate's place of work.

Career opportunities

HLTA is equivalent, via the process of Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning, to 40 CATS points at level 4. This may be used towards the award of CHESL or against part of year one of the Foundation Degree in Learning and Teaching at The University of Northampton only.

Application notes

Training Needs Analysis

In order to prepare for the programme we suggest that you will find it useful to work through the Training Needs Analysis. This web-based tool will ask you questions relating to your practice and experience in relation to the 33 HLTA Standards. Based on your responses the tool will make suggestions for personal and professional development relating to any Standards identified as requiring additional support.

On the final page of the tool you will be given opportunity to print out your responses and any suggestions made in order that you can retain the results. This tool can be revisited as many times as necessary. The results are only available to you at the time of completion and will not be accessed by anyone else.

Previous experience has shown that some candidates have found it useful to work through the Training Needs Analysis whilst sitting with their mentor and/or line manager or headteacher in order to enhance their understanding of both the Standards and their development needs. Some candidates also find it useful to revisit the tool whilst undertaking the programme in order to judge progress made or re-evaluate their needs.

To be accepted onto the HLTA training you will need:

To have the endorsement of your head teacher who knows that you must have opportunities to take whole classes and that they and a teacher in the school will be interviewed by an assessor about how you meet the HLTA standards in the normal course of your work
To be able to prove that you have advanced the learning of pupils when working with whole classes without the presence of an assigned teacher
To be able to provide the original certificates to prove that you have achieved at least a level 2 in both literacy (English) and numeracy (Mathematics) (Standard 11)

If you are unsure if your qualifications meet the requirements for Standard 11 please refer to the Qualifications Guidance Notes from the TDA.

Applying

Once you have completed the Training Needs Analysis and feel confident that you are meeting all 33 of the Standards, please download and complete the application form and self review and return to: HLTA, School of Education, The University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL.

Applications will be reviewed by the HLTA Project Manager. We will then contact you with a view to you proceeding onto the programme. If successful you will be invited to the first available cohort. Please also enclose copies of your level 2 Maths and English certificates with your application.

For further information, please contact the HLTA team at hlta@northampton.ac.uk or on 01604 893527.