Andy is passionate about the quality of training for all school staff. Currently, he is the Director for CPD at Tarka Learning Partnership in Devon and one of the CPD Directors for SWIFT, the local Teaching School Hub.

He was formerly the Director of Devon Primary Scitt for over ten years and a Headteacher and Primary Advisor for Nottinghamshire Local Authority. He is a NASBTT Trustee.

He has co-chaired the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship over the last two years.

E-mail: andy.ogden@tarkatrust.org.uk

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Session Overview

The new Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship (STAA) at Level 5 could be an opportunity for you to expand and enrich your provision, particularly at the time when the professionalisation of support staff roles is being foregrounded.

The apprenticeship standard specifies knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) which relate to five core areas of: advancing learning , planning, assessment, communication,  professionalism including regulation and guidance. In addition, apprentices develop their specialist knowledge in one of the three areas, SEND,  social and emotional well-being or curriculum provision (e.g. interventions). It comes with  proposed funding and of £12k( subject to final DfE approval) that can be drawn from apprenticeship funding mechanisms. It is an apprenticeship for between 12-24 months, dependent on the prior experiences of colleagues.

Di Swift and Andy Ogden are the Co-chairs of the Trailblazer group that have led to this new apprenticeship for the education sector with an eye to how it might help evolve an 'ecology' of education-based apprenticeships. Di and Andy will outline the basis of the apprenticeship and be available to answer questions on how ITT providers might use it to enhance or diversify their provision.

As training providers, you might wish to develop programmes yourselves or support partnership developments which might align this apprenticeship with a foundation degree. You may be aware of schools that are eager to offer this enhancement for colleagues to aid recruitment, retention and to increase the impact of their work with children and young people.

In the future there could be progression opportunities which could link with the Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship or other degree ‘top up’ courses.