Welcome to NAPTA
The National Association of Professional Teaching Assistants (NAPTA) has been helping teaching assistants in schools develop as professionals for 20 years. Working in partnership with Anspear, NAPTA delivers the renowned Teaching Assistant Development Programme (TADP), giving TAs personalised opportunities to enhance their classroom performance.
NAPTA is an organisation that has worked with thousands of schools and other education settings across the UK to help realise the potential of teaching assistants. It provides a range of specialist services, including resources and support for performance management and CPD, to help individuals develop in supporting learning and to deliver whole-school improvement.
NAPTA offers a range of benefits designed to make a significant contribution to:
- teaching assistant development
- preparation for inspection
- improving teaching quality and outcomes
- saving time for middle and senior leaders.
In response to requests from around the world, NAPTA has significantly extended its reach through the launch of the Association of International School Teaching Assistants (AISTA) in 2020. AISTA's mission is the same as NAPTA's, but its activities focus on supporting international schools and their staff outside the UK.
TA to teacher - BA in Primary Education
The University of Buckingham, alongside Anspear, runs a three-year online BA (Hons) in Primary Education, tailored for TAs who wish to become teachers.
TAs' existing classroom experience primes them to become brilliant teachers with firsthand knowledge of classroom dynamics and pupil needs.
With a thriving 2024 cohort of 120, the BA programme connects practical aspects of TA work with underlying educational theories. This degree is set apart by its flexibility and accessibility - designed to be supported by TAs' classroom experience, it allows TAs to obtain an academic degree relevant to their career goals whilst staying in work.
Applications are now open for candidates starting in 2025! To find out more about this opportunity and take a sneak peek at the first module of the course, contact us on info@napta.org.uk.