Focus on Lifelong Learning - Oldham Council

Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people
Develop an understanding of different forms of abuse and raise awareness of safeguarding procedures and key roles
within the safeguarding process.
09/02/2013 Oldham Centre Sat 10am-12.30pm 1 £8.40 £2.65 C620014
18/05/2013 Oldham Centre Sat 10am-12.30pm 1 £8.40 £2.65 C620015
Supporting the curriculum
Exploring ideas to support pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills and those pupils in the Early Years Foundation stage.
13/03/2013 Turf Lane Centre Wed 9.30am-3pm 1 £18.45 £5.80 C620016
Drama, using as a tool for relaxation and stress relief
In this workshop you will gain experience of using a variety of drama based techniques as a tool for relaxation and stress
relief.
16/03/2013 Turf Lane Centre Sat 9.30am-12.30pm 1 £10.05 £3.15 C620197
Supporting pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties
Understand different emotions and how these impact on children’s behaviour. Develop strategies to support emotional
and behavioural difficulties.
12/06/2013 Turf Lane Centre Wed 9.30am-3pm 1 £18.45 £5.80 C620017
Paul Thackeray
I have been fortunate enough to enjoy learning and
development all through my career, in a variety of different
jobs learning a wide range of knowledge and skills.
Immediately prior to starting this course I was
unemployed for several months despite applying for lots
of jobs, including quite a few as a Teaching Assistant.
It was a bit of a step for me getting back into learning,
especially via evening classes.
A robust career assessment highlighted that my range of
skills, experience, and values would be ideal for a career
in teaching, teaching assistant and similar roles.
This assessment confirmed my “gut feeling” about what
I next wanted to do with my career. I secured a voluntary
role in a nursery/primary school to gain experience and
knowledge – before starting to apply for jobs in this sector
– without any success.
Employers were clearly stating in their vacancy adverts
that they wanted people with, or working towards
Teaching Assistant qualifications, and some experience
– which probably explained why I wasn’t having much
success with my applications.
And that is why I started studying on this course.
When I started the course I discovered that there were 19
people on it – 18 women and me. I wondered whether
I was actually wasting my time in what clearly seemed,
and I think is, a female dominated profession. That said,
people were telling me that schools “were crying out for
male teachers/TAs”. I decided to stick at it.
The experience of the course has been excellent. The
tutor has been excellent, keeping the training informal
enough to be enjoyable and fun, but focussed enough
to keep on track and learn. She has worked hard to
make me feel totally included, and even though I was
the only male student (which may be off putting for some
potential male learners) it has been a very good learning
environment for everyone.
Photograph supplied by Jennifer Hopkins and Annette Chadwick -
Level 1 Photography Learners.
The course has changed my life enormously. I have
secured one of, if not the best job I’ve ever had in my
life – and I have had some very interesting and satisfying
jobs during my career. I am now working as a Teaching
Assistant supporting children with special educational
needs in a large secondary school.
I have been on lots of high quality training/development
during my career, some of it provided by some of the
most expensive and professional training consultancies in
the UK. In terms of quality and content, this course is on
a par with some of the best I have experienced.
I would especially recommend it to any men out there
thinking of looking for a job/career as a teaching assistant
or similar role- even though they may be outnumbered by
women on the course.
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