Charlotte Willoughby
Study Type: Apprenticeship
Study Location: Workplace
Subject Studied: Teacher Training, Coaching and Mentoring
TA apprenticeship helps Charlotte fall back in love with learning
Taking a Teaching Assistant听apprenticeship with Derby College Group has helped TA Charlotte Willoughby fall back in love with learning. 听
Charlotte previously worked in retail for Asda for 15 years but was running a breakfast club at a local primary school when the new opportunity arose.听
She said: 鈥淚t all started when I was doing a 1-2-1 with an autistic pupil听during the pandemic. There was a shortage of teaching assistants at my school 鈥� Cloudside Academy in Sandiacre 鈥� so I was asked if I鈥檇 like to retrain as a TA. 听
鈥淏ecause I had A-levels I went straight onto the Level 3 apprenticeship and completed that with Derby College last November. I can recommend my course 100%.
鈥淚 hated school and decided after sixth form that education wasn鈥檛 for me, but this apprenticeship has made me fall back in love with learning.
鈥淢y tutor Louise has been amazing 鈥� one of the kindest most supportive people I鈥檝e ever met. She believes in me and has inspired me to go on to do the Level 4 TA course once I鈥檝e taken a break from studying.鈥� 听
Charlotte, who is 32, works with seven to 11-year-olds. As well as assisting teachers in the classroom, she is also an ELSA, an emotional literacy support assistant.听
She added: 鈥淚 help听children with their emotional as well as learning needs. Counselling is an area that opened up to me through my course; it would not have happened without college. 听
鈥淭he best part of my job is working with the children. As TAs we take on so many different roles, including first aider and second mum!听
鈥淚 did day release at the Roundhouse and liked everything about my course and the atmosphere at college. I didn鈥檛 find anything boring; it was all interesting听and I learned听a lot. 听
鈥淚t gave me so much confidence. Being observed in the classroom was terrifying the first time听but I soon got used to it and came to really enjoy it. I found it听gave me chance to reflect on the way I work.鈥�听
Initially Charlotte was worried听she would be among the oldest students on her course but found a good mix of ages, with everyone on it keen to learn.听
My tutor Louise has been amazing 鈥� one of the kindest most supportive people I鈥檝e ever met. She believes in me and has inspired me to go on to do the Level 4 TA course once I鈥檝e taken a break from studying.