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EPA Standard
Specialist Teaching Assistant
Specialist teaching assistants work alongside colleagues to inspire learners to progress and achieve well. Specialist teaching assistants work across all age ranges, supporting a range of learners.
For the Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship they will specialise in one of three areas:
- special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- social and emotional wellbeing
- curriculum provision.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to assist the education of learners by providing specialist support. Specialist teaching assistants:
- plan, implement, and adapt activities in order to advance learning
- draw on research to develop a critical understanding of their specialist area
- establish relationships with learners, families, other professionals and external agencies to support the education of the learners they work with
- contribute to developing a sense of inclusion and belonging for the benefit of the learners within the communities that they serve
- draw on their specialism to contribute to the evaluation of learning and assessment activities, sustainability in their educational context.
Level 5 
£7,000 
18 months
Why NCFE?
We’re an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) specialising in EPA delivery across health, education, early years, digital, social care, and business apprenticeship standards. We offer flexible and reliable EPA solutions supported by sector expertise, guidance documents and proactive service and support.
End-point assessment
The end-point assessment (EPA) for Specialist Teaching Assistant consists of two assessment methods:
Observation with Questions
The Independent End-Point Assessor (IEPA) will observe the apprentice in their workplace, completing their day-to- day duties under normal working conditions, and then ask questions. The Observations with Questions must last for 2 hours. The IEPA will observe the apprentice for 1 hour 30 minutes and then undertake a questioning session which will last 30 minutes. The IEPA will ask at least six questions as part of the questioning session.
The Observation with Questions is graded fail, pass or distinction
Professional Discussion underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence
The Professional Discussion is a 1 hour two-way discussion which gives the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) mapped to this assessment method. The Portfolio of Evidence will be completed during the onprogramme learning and submitted at Gateway. The apprentice must have access to their Portfolio of Evidence during the Professional Discussion where the IEPA will ask at least 10 questions. The apprentice can refer to and illustrate their answers with evidence from their Portfolio of Evidence; however, the Portfolio of Evidence is not directly assessed.
The Professional Discussion is graded fail, pass or distinction.
Specialist Teaching Assistant
Delivering from 13 October 2024
Download standard PDF Skills England standard