About this case study
Completing the SWiS qualification gave teaching assistant Adrienne and her colleagues confidence and recognition. Now Adrienne has moved into an exciting new role as an extended schools coordinator.
Adrienne says:
"I gained so much confidence through doing the SWiS qualification. There was a time when I would have hated going to new places and standing up and speaking in front of new people. Now I'm an extended schools coordinator with responsibility for 14 schools in and around Stevenage.
"I first came across SWiS when I was a teaching assistant (TA) supervisor at Marriotts School in Stevenage. The other TAs kept asking me how they could develop their skills and get a qualification. At a training course for TAs, I heard about SWiS from a tutor at Ware Assessment Centre. It sounded a perfect solution – a really practical qualification, with plenty of support for people who might feel a bit nervous about studying – so I asked her to come into the school and tell us more about it.
"Nine of the TAs, including myself, enrolled for the level 2 certificate. I was probably already doing work at that level but I thought, 'If I'm going to be encouraging other people to do this, I should really know what it's about.'
"I think everyone who completed the course found it a hugely positive experience. That's not to say it was easy. Some people really lacked confidence in their abilities. But the tutor came in regularly and we could phone her whenever we wanted to. We also met for weekly group sessions where we could compare notes and the stronger students could help those who were finding it difficult. The school allocated us all an hour per fortnight, which really helped.
"I was so impressed by the course that I decided to train as an assessor. I wanted as many people to benefit from it as possible. It encourages people to work together, so it's great for team-building, and the learning is directly relevant to people's everyday work. Plus it fits around real life. If you're busy, and you can't study for a couple of weeks, it's not a problem.
“But for me the best thing about SWiS is the focus on recognising and valuing the skills you've already got. TAs can be a modest bunch, and this course shows them what they're capable of. I know a lot of people who've gone on to do more learning. Some have improved their numeracy and literacy skills, and one's even doing a foundation degree! For me, it's been a stepping stone to an exciting new role. The confidence SWiS gave me helped make that possible."
