Taster sessions seal the deal for Portsmouth’s aspiring teaching assistants

An initiative supporting Portsmouth’s aspiring teachers has reported significant progress, thanks to immersive taster sessions held in local schools.

Teach Portsmouth, a service by Portsmouth City Council dedicated to recruiting and retaining education professionals, launched these sessions as part of their employment programme last year.

The sessions aim to build candidates’ confidence and prepare them for roles in education before they apply.

Councillor Suzy Horton, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council said:

“Teach Portsmouth has been on a mission to help schools recruit more support staff. The city is leading the way with recruitment events and taster sessions that connect local people to employers.

“While there is a shortage across the UK for both teaching and learning professionals, we know there are plenty of people out there who can fulfil these rewarding jobs. All you need is the right attitude to help children excel in the classroom.”

Over the last academic year, Teach Portsmouth has successfully recruited 14 teaching assistants and volunteers who initially attended a jobs fair and subsequently signed up for taster sessions.

Magna Lubik attended a Teach Portsmouth event to learn about working in education. She signed up to a taster session with the University of Chichester Academy Trust. She now works at Arundel Court Primary Academy as a teaching assistant. Magna said:

“I always wanted to work in education to make a positive difference in someone’s life. I attended a taster session to find out more about the school and to learn more about the English education system.

“My experience at Arundel Court Primary Academy has been good so far. I learn a lot every day so that I can help children develop their full potential and my own skills. I aspire to become a teacher in the future, using this experience to progress in my career. If you want to work in a school, I recommend signing up!”

Schools who have participated in the scheme have seen more applications and people being appointed.

Gemma Muscat from New Horizons Primary School, part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, has played a key role in recruiting teaching assistants. Her academy offered taster sessions specifically designed to recruit support staff and volunteers. Gemma said:

“Taster sessions are super useful as they help people to hear directly from teaching assistants—what they like about the job, and the challenges too. It gives people a clear idea of what to expect.

“As a result of offering taster sessions, we’ve had lots of people apply to volunteer, which is great because school experience is so important. We’ve also seen applications for teaching assistant positions and apprenticeships, both at our school and others in our academy trust.”

For those interested in exploring their options, Teach Portsmouth’s next event, the Support and Teaching Assistant Jobs Fair, will be held at Cosham Community Centre on Wednesday 20 November, offering two identical sessions from 10am – 11:45am and 12pm – 2pm.

Attendees can watch short presentations about working in a school and participate in a Q&A session. They will also meet exhibitors, including schools, colleges, training providers, and employment specialists.

To attend the event and register for taster sessions, please visit the Teach Portsmouth website to secure a free ticket. For more information, visit www.teachportsmouth.co.uk/TA.