'It’s a great scheme' - The Hartlepool school where teaching assistants can become fully-qualified teachers

Ad Astra Academy Trust, which has four Hartlepool schools among eight primaries under its umbrella, has teamed up with Stockton Teacher Training Partnership to run the programme.

The teaching apprenticeship scheme will see a number of current Ad Astra teaching assistants embark on the one-year programme to become fully qualified teachers.

The apprenticeships are being created at West View Primary School, in Hartlepool, and Ayresome and Sunnyside primary schools, both in Middlesbrough.

Andy Brown, Ad Astra’s chief executive officer, said: “The teaching apprenticeship scheme provides a fantastic opportunity to grow our own talent and enable teaching assistants to progress their education careers.

“It enables teaching assistants and higher teaching assistants to receive high-quality training on the job and become a fully qualified teacher without having to pay course fees.

“The apprenticeship route should also appeal to existing graduates who are considering applying for a teaching assistant role within the trust in the knowledge that they can progress to be a fully qualified teacher.”

Under the scheme, apprentices are assessed against the national Teachers’ Standards framework.

They spend around 70% of the year in school and 30% off-site training at with the Stockton Teacher Training Partnership.

Melissa Wright is a former pupil at West View Primary School and has worked there as a teaching assistant for the past nine years.

She said: “I’ve worked in early years for all of my career so the apprenticeship scheme will enable me to branch out and work with different year groups and get more experience.”

Chris Jackson has been at Sunnyside Academy for 11 years and said: “It’s a great scheme. It enables me to continue in my job and be paid whilst progressing my career. I can’t wait to get started.”

To access the apprenticeship programme in primary schools, teaching assistants need to already hold an undergraduate degree as well as GCSEs in maths, English and science.

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last eight years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for more than 3,500 pupils and 525 employees in Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool.

Its other primary schools in Hartlepool are Barnard Grove, Brougham and West Park.