To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we spoke to one of the rising stars in our early years and education curriculum area.

Formerly of Telford Langley School, teaching assistant apprentice Zoe Gray is flourishing in her position at Southall School, Dawley, where she supports students with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

“I originally studied A levels at Telford College before starting my apprenticeship,” says Zoe. “I saw an article on the college’s website about teaching assistant apprenticeships and I was interested to find out more.

“I wanted to be a teaching assistant before I started my studies, I really wanted to explore every option available to me to help me achieve my aspirations.”

The teaching assistant apprenticeship lasts 18 months, giving students the chance to earn while they learn on an industry placement, gaining valuable experience from some of the best the industry has to offer.

“In my day-to-day role, I work in a complex class base, so we must support our students in every way, whether it’s help with eating toast in the morning to helping with resources in their lessons,” Zoe said.

“I love the relationships we make with the children in our care and seeing the results of the work we put in come out at the end; even if it’s slow progress, it’s still great to see that progress.

“I really enjoy spending a day at Telford College each week to help with my studies. All the work to support my apprenticeship is done here on that day, so I can focus solely on my roles at Southall and not have to worry about assignments or coursework. It’s a great work-college balance.”

Zoe was also a finalist in the Early Years & Education category at the Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Apprenticeship Awards last year – find out more about the competition here.

Zoe says she is planning to stay at Southall School, to progress her skills. “I’ve also been researching SEND departments in mainstream schools. A lot of specialist schools don’t have the capacity for all eligible students in the area, so I’d like to offer the same levels of support to students there as if they were in a specialist school.”

Rebecca Mulready, assessor for early years and education, said: “Zoe has made great progress during her apprenticeship and is busy preparing an End Point Assessment portfolio to showcase her knowledge, skills and behaviours.

“She is pro-active and very much a ‘do-er’ in the workplace, completes work to a high standard and makes great contributions to group discussion. She works closely with the teacher to ensure the SEND students she supports receive high quality teaching.

“She is approachable, determined, knowledgeable and able to remain calm when faced with challenges. She is keen to progress her skills in education and study with us at a higher level.”

Interested in starting an apprenticeship? Contact our team today or visit us at our next open event.