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Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)

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Key Facts

  • Level:

    Further Education

  • Duration:

    2 terms part time

  • Starting:

    Cohorts run each term

  • Location:

    Online

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For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

Overview

This course is designed to support teaching assistants and other school support staff to progress to the role of Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA), recognising your experience and the specialist support you offer to your workplace. HLTA status is recognition of your ability to work at a higher level with increased responsibility. Working towards this goal can be regarded as a natural progression for able and experienced support staff within education.

We cover the East Midlands, Peterborough, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk regions. All taught elements of this programme are online, with six preparation sessions. The timing of preparation sessions are usually between 12.30pm – 3pm unless stated otherwise.

Updated 21/11/2022

Highlights

  • Online facilitated learning (also know as Preparation for Assessment) within the university approved interactive platform.
  • HLTA status approved by HLTA National Assessment Partnership (HNAP)
  • Excellent ongoing tutor support
  • Experienced assessors who receive up to date HNAP feedback
  • Gain recognised HLTA status for your ability to work at a higher level.
  • Earn credits that can be used towards our FdA Learning and Teaching degree.

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Course Content

  • HLTA’s work under the guidance of a teacher within clearly defined roles and responsibilities relevant to their own educational settings. They are experienced practitioners who offer specialist support for learning. A HLTA in a primary school, for example, might give support across the curriculum but with particular expertise to support progress in numeracy, literacy, music or art and design.

    HLTAs are highly skilled and have good knowledge of specific aspects of the curriculum. You will be able to undertake whole class teaching activities under the guidance of a teacher, with teachers remaining the leaders and experts in the classroom. The particular responsibilities of an individual HLTA is decided by the school management.

    The six preparation sessions are designed for candidates that already meet the 33 standards, these sessions support you in preparing for assessment. This will include completion of tasks (the written element) and gathering of supporting evidence. These six preparation sessions are designed to address all the HLTA standards in relation to your work in your own educational setting.

    You will benefit from having the opportunity to share and discuss your practice via our University approved online platform with the support of our expert assessors and tutors. You will have the opportunity to dissect and critically reflect on your practice with likeminded colleagues across a variety of educational contexts.

    Dates for January 2023 Cohort
    • Monday 23 January
    • Wednesday 25 January
    • Monday 30 January
    • Wednesday 1 February
    • Monday 13 March
    • Wednesday 15 March

  • To be eligible for this course you must:

    • have the endorsement of your headteacher 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
    • be able to prove that you have advanced the learning of pupils when working with whole classes without the presence of an assigned teacher, in addition to individuals and small groups
    • have achieved a nationally recognised qualification at level 2 or above in English/literacy and mathematics/numeracy in accordance with Standard 11 of the HLTA Standards
    • a minimum of six months experience teaching in schools is required, with 12 months being preferable within your current role.

    The application process for this course is direct to the University and not via the Student Self Service pages. For questions regarding the application process, or to request an application pack, please email hlta@northampton.ac.uk or telephone on (01604) 893527.

    English Language Requirements

    All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

    • Minimum standard – IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent)
      for study at undergraduate level.

    For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

    How to apply

    The application process for this course is direct to the University and not via the Student Self Service pages. For questions regarding the application process, or to request an application pack, please email hlta@northampton.ac.uk or call 01604 893527.

  • 2023/24 Tuition Fees

    Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 23/24 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    • Preparation and assessment: £820
    • Preparation only: £350
    2022/23 Tuition Fees

    Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 22/23 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    Due to current restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic we are offering HLTA preparation and assessment via online webinars and online tools and therefore there is a temporarily discounted price for this period, whilst we are unable to offer face-to-face sessions.

    • Preparation and assessment: £785
    • Preparation only: £335

    The cost for preparation and assessment is a total of £785. The preparation for assessment fee is £335. The assessment fee, in line with the HLTA National Assessment Partnership, is £450. Please be aware that payment of the programme fee does not guarantee achievement of the HLTA status. There is no Government funding and HLTA Status is not part of the Apprenticeship Levy scheme.

    For more information on fees please contact hlta@northampton.ac.uk or call 01604 893527.

  • How will I be assessed?

    As per the Universities partnership with HLTA National Assessment Partnership (HNAP) all assessments will take place online or via phone. Feedback on our assessment processes continues to compliment our nationally recognised process for HLTA status.

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Staff

Adam Chapman, Senior Lecturer in Education (ECYP)

Adam Chapman

Senior Lecturer in Education (ECYP)

Adam is the Project Manager for the Higher Level Teaching Assistant Status (HLTA) at the University of Northampton, co-ordinating and training Teaching Assistants and Support staff across the East of England. Adam also teaches on the Foundation Degree and BA top up in Learning and Teaching, as well as the BA Inclusive Studies. Prior to coming to the University, Adam has worked extensively across the Education Sector with 15 years of experience working with children and young people. He has been training Teaching Assistants to attain Qualified Teacher Status since 2017.

Special Features

We are recognised as one of the leading national providers of Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) programmes and are the sole Regional Provider of Assessment (RPA) of HLTA candidates in the East Midlands, Peterborough, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk regions. We work closely with the two other regional RPAs within the HLTA National Assessment Partnership (HNAP) to maintain the quality, consistency and continuity of the programme.

Candidates can also benefit from:

  • interactions with colleagues across the East Midlands area (Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland) and Peterborough, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.
  • being awarded National Assessment Partnership HLTA Status

For more information visit the HLTA National Assessment Partnership website.

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