CACHE Level 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants

Deciding on a complete career change, Sinead McLoughlin took advantage of being made redundant from her job at a mobile phone company, deciding to pursue her ambition of working with teenagers and young people. She embarked upon the CACHE Level 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants at Marino College

"I never would have believed I could cope with working with a group of cheeky teenagers! But I really love it!"

"When I was made redundant from my position at a mobile phone company two years ago, I decided it was time to pursue a long standing ambition of working with children," says Sinead. She took the initial small step by enrolling herself onto an evening course which focussed on play and the developing child, which proved to be an enjoyable and confidence boosting experience for her. However, Sinead soon realised that she preferred working with older children, and felt she could combine a natural interest and ability for working with advanced age groups with what she had learnt on her evening course."

"I started applying for Teaching Assistant jobs, and secured one at a local school which was great." After some time, Sinead decided it would be really beneficial to build upon the practical skills she was establishing with a recognised qualification, and enrolled on the CACHE Level 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants at Marino College in Dublin. "It was scary at first when I started work," says Sinead, "but I soon began to relish the challenge of working with teenagers. One of the students in my class has Aspergers Syndrome, which presents challenging behaviour at times, but I was able to apply a lot of what I had learnt at college to working with him, I’ve really enjoyed it and find working with children who have special educational needs very rewarding."

The CACHE Level 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants comprises of two Units. Unit 1- the role of the Teaching Assistant in the Classroom, is a mandatory unit, then learners must choose from two options to complete the qualification. Sinead chose Unit 2- Supporting pupils with particular learning needs, as she felt it would enhance her skills, and was also very relevant to the work she was doing on a daily basis.

Sinead's tutor, Susan Bergin, says she was "an excellent student" and it seems she made an equally positive impression during her work experience placement. "I was working in a class with the first years at Marino Secondary school, and the Prinicipal James Martin has said that as soon as funding decisions are finalised in the new school year, he’d be delighted to offer me a permanent position - I'm thrilled!"

Like Sinead, Susan has a keen interest in topics surrounding children with special educational needs, and says that the CACHE qualifications provide a good 'step into' more specialised courses in that area. Sinead agrees, and also says that completing the qualification has made a big difference to her confidence. "I never would have believed I could cope with working with a group of cheeky teenagers! But I really love it!"

CACHE Level 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants
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