Longcause Community Special School in Plympton, Plymouth provides high quality education for children on the autism spectrum. The school caters for around 100 children aged between 4-16 years old, and is committed to enhancing their life, well-being, abilities and successes. We sat down with Donna Maclean, one of the teachers at Longcause, to have a chat about how hiring apprentices has benefitted the school and its pupils.
“We have taken on apprentices for the past four to five years and have a group of them starting every year, all training to become Teaching Assistants. We have a tough recruitment process to find the right people – it takes a certain type of person to do this job so we recommend that apprentices have already done some work experience. Once at the school, the apprentices are monitored by the Headteacher’s PA. Teachers also give them feedback, and help them adapt where needed. At Longcause we have five pupils to six staff and some pupils require one-to-one, if not one-to-two attention. Apprentices can help to provide manpower to meet this number”.
Amelia Ward is currently completing a Level 3 Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship through Skills Group at Longcause. Amelia has now been offered a permanent position as a Grade D TA at the school.
“Amelia is brilliant; to see that much confidence in a young girl at her job is amazing. Amelia has been here for 2 years now and is part of a core team around a particular pupil as she’s working really well with him. I rarely have to give her guidance, she is very good at thinking on her feet, remaining calm and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She now has responsibility for running social communication classes or ‘circle time’ with groups of four children, planning the activities and games. As a TA, she can also lead classes in a teacher’s absence. We offered her a full time, permanent position with us as she’s so brilliant!
“We first heard about Skills Group through one of the Training Coordinators, Tim Scott-Lloyd, who used to work here as a Theatre Therapy teacher. Skills Group is very good at slotting into our timetable and guidelines, and working with us. They also visit Amelia regularly and ask us for feedback. We would recommend Skills Group to other potential employers looking to hire an apprentice”.
Pictured (left to right): Anne Thorne, Headteacher at Longcause Community Special School, and Amelia Ward, Teaching Assistant Apprentice at Longcause Community Special School