Do I Need Experience to Be a Teaching Assistant?

David Rennie
Nov 5
3 min read

Updated: 18 hours ago

If you're considering a role as a Teaching Assistant (TA), one of the first questions you might ask is:

"Do I need prior experience to get started?"

The short answer? Not always.

While experience can be beneficial, many schools and recruitment agencies (like us at Inspiring Teaching) welcome individuals who are new to education — especially if they bring the right attitude, strong communication skills, and transferable experience from other industries.

Let’s explore what that means in more detail.

What Does a Teaching Assistant Do?

Before we dive in, it’s worth understanding the core responsibilities of a Teaching Assistant (TA).

As a Teaching Assistant, your job is to:

Support pupils with their learning in and out of the classroom.
Assist the teacher with lesson delivery and classroom management.
Help children with additional needs (e.g. SEND support).
Encourage social development, confidence, and independence.
Prepare learning materials and maintain a safe, positive environment.

These tasks require patience, empathy, adaptability, and strong interpersonal skills — qualities that are often developed in many different careers and life experiences.

So, Do You Need Experience?

While formal classroom experience is a plus, it is not always essential — especially when applying through a supportive recruitment agency.

Many schools are open to new Teaching Assistants who:

Are enthusiastic and reliable.
Have a genuine interest in working with children or young people.
Are willing to learn and take direction.
Can bring useful skills from other roles.

In fact, career changers from industries like healthcare, retail, customer service, childcare, hospitality, and admin often make excellent Teaching Assistants.

The Power of Transferable Skills

You might already have more relevant experience than you think. Let’s look at some common transferable skills and how they apply in a school setting:

Transferable Skill	Where You Might Have Gained It	How It Helps in a TA Role
Communication	Customer service, sales, nursing	Giving clear instructions, building rapport with students and staff
Patience & Empathy	Care roles, hospitality, parenting	Supporting children at different learning levels and emotional states
Organisation	Office admin, project work	Helping with lesson prep, managing time and resources effectively
Problem-solving	Management, retail, social work	Handling classroom challenges calmly and creatively
Teamwork	Any collaborative role	Working closely with teachers and other support staff
Adaptability	Fast-paced roles, travel, events	Responding to changing needs in the classroom environment

How a Recruitment Agency Can Help

At Inspiring Teaching, we work with candidates from all walks of life — including those with no classroom experience. If you're the right fit in terms of attitude, reliability, and motivation, we can:

Help you highlight your transferable skills.
Provide access to introductory training (e.g. safeguarding).
Support you through the DBS check and vetting process.
Match you with schools open to new Teaching Assistants.
Offer ongoing guidance and opportunities to build your confidence.

Many of our most successful Teaching Assistants came to us with zero school experience — and are now thriving in long-term roles or even progressing into teacher training.

What You Do Need

Even without prior experience, there are a few essentials to have (or be ready to get):

A valid Enhanced DBS check (we can help with this).
Strong references (from previous jobs, volunteer work, or character references).
A genuine interest in working with children and supporting their development.
A positive attitude and willingness to learn.

Final Thoughts

So, do you need experience to be a Teaching Assistant?

Not necessarily.

If you’re caring, motivated, and eager to make a difference, your skills and life experience may be more relevant than you think. With the right support — and a recruitment agency that understands your potential — your journey into education could start today.

Ready for a Fresh Start?

Working as a Teaching Assistant is a rewarding way to make a difference in young people's lives — and doing it through a recruitment agency (such as Inspiring Teaching) can make the journey smoother, more flexible, and more fulfilling.

From flexible hours to professional support and diverse experience, agencies can open doors that traditional job hunting may not. So, whether you're looking to build your classroom confidence or explore a long-term career in education, partnering with the right recruitment agency can give you the boost you need.

At Inspiring Teaching, we specialise in helping people like you take the leap into education with confidence. Whether you’re ready to get started or just exploring your options, we’re here to guide you.

Check out our Day in The Life and Top Tips blog posts for more information on working as a Teaching Assistant.