Experience in a classroom setting working with children is the most relevant and valuable. But there might not be any volunteering opportunities available, or you may have other commitments that make volunteering at a school a problem.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to get experience that will be a valuable addition to your teaching assistant CV. The two things that a school or nursery will be looking for are:

• Experience working with children that are the same age as their pupils
• Experience supporting children with specific needs, i.e. special educational needs

It doesn’t matter if the experience you have working with children is through paid or voluntary work. Examples include; working as a sports coach, childminding and volunteering for youth groups. Or, working community organisations that engage with young people.

If the experience has helped you develop transferable skills for working in a classroom setting, it’s valuable. Make sure to bring up any transferable skills you’ve gained from other work or volunteer experience. 

Even having children that are the same age as the pupils you’ll be supporting is valuable experience.