New report finds almost three-quarters of teaching assistants are thinking about changing careers
A new report from the education charity and leading awarding organisation NCFE has found that the majority of current teaching assistants (TAs) are considering leaving the profession.
Findings show that almost three-quarters (72%) of those surveyed indicated they had thought about changing careers, with a quarter (25%) actively looking for a new job.
The report, Exploring the vital, specialist role of teaching assistants, which surveyed more than 150 active TAs, also found that less than one in 10 teaching assistants feel it is a highly respected and valued role, and almost half wouldn’t recommend it as a career.
Angie Rogers, Subject Chair (Education and Early Years) at NCFE, said: “Change needs to happen quickly to stop the knowledge and experience we have from leaving the sector, and to make it an attractive career path for more people.
“We’re still seeing teaching assistants as the first resource to be cut as school budgets become tighter. However, this lack of security is not only detrimental to the teaching assistants themselves, but also to the children and young people they support, as well as the parents who have come to rely on them.
“The value of specialist intervention from experienced teaching assistants is well known within education, and their role is broadly appreciated, but more needs to be done if we are to ensure all children and young people have access to the support they need.”
The report forms part of NCFE’s Why Should I Care? campaign, celebrating those working in education, early years, and social care, and showcasing their importance to everyday life. Marking the 80th anniversary of CACHE qualifications in 2025, it is pushing for further professionalisation and recognition for these essential sectors and the role they play.
Quoted in the report, one teaching assistant who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Our pay is atrocious for what we do, and I even supplement children not having breakfast at home by buying them things to eat before they start their day. At this moment in time, sitting serving customers in a supermarket sounds very appealing.”
NCFE also investigated the role TAs play when it comes to providing support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) - a topic reinforced in a recent Education Select Committee report, which stated that teaching assistants are “integral to the effective delivery of SEND support and resourcing their deployment properly can help reduce the need for expensive specialist placements.”
Nine out of 10 (92%) of teaching assistants surveyed by NCFE felt fairly or very confident when it comes to supporting learners with SEND – that’s despite less than one in five saying they have all the resources they need to support them.
NCFE is recommending that TAs have improved access to training and development opportunities and is calling for a new system that allows schools to prioritise and pay for the development of their existing staff, possibly through devolved responsibilities and ringfenced funding.
Angie Rogers added: “This would improve job satisfaction, career development, and learner outcomes. Since the last report, NCFE has supported the development of the new specialist teaching assistant apprenticeship, which includes a specialism in SEND. We have also seen the Education and Early Years T Level going from strength to strength.
“Additional funding is not the answer alone, however. Educational settings must be more economical and cost-effective at the same time. We must break the cycle of teaching assistants being under threat when budgets are tightened, but to do this, we need to be clearer in evidencing the value TAs bring, particularly to underserved groups with additional needs.
“The Government should also consider a national campaign to help raise awareness of the work teaching assistants do and the vital role they play within the education system, to support understanding, recruitment, and retention.”
Explore our new report today:
We must break the cycle of teaching assistants being under threat when budgets are tightened, but to do this, we need to be clearer in evidencing the value TAs bring, particularly to underserved groups with additional needs.
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