These standards were developed in 2006 following the review of the TA/CA NOS and were approved by the UK coordinating group in 2007. The name of the standards was changed to reflect their greater scope.
As well as the traditional teaching assistant role, the standards cover the key activities carried out by staff supporting teaching and learning in schools under most of the circumstances they are likely to encounter. There are units that are suitable for cover supervision and pastoral support, as well as more provision for staff supporting inclusion.
The NOS also support transfer and progression across the children’s workforce by including units imported from other NOS developed for other parts of the children’s workforce. The summary on the front page of each unit will help you apply the unit to your role.
The NOS for STL do not directly refer to current policy or initiatives; this is because they apply to all the UK home countries and must remain fit for purpose as things change over time. The standards reflect the six themes of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce. We will be producing guidance to help you use these NOS by early 2008.
The new units can be found on the national database of NOS, a Sector Skills Development Agency website containing all NOS. To find the standards, select ‘find national occupational standards’ from the menu bar on their home page then select ‘suite’ and search for ‘supporting teaching and learning in schools’
You can find out more about the NVQ based on these standards from our website.
