Teaching assistant skills for your school support CV

By Sophie · Published 30 October 2026

Teaching assistant know-how

Supporting classroom activities

Name an activity planned by the teacher and explain the support you provided.

On your CV • Helped Year 3 pupils complete a teacher-planned measuring activity.

One-to-one support

Describe a practical step you took to help a pupil participate.

On your CV • Used picture prompts to help a pupil follow the morning routine.

Supporting pupils with SEND

Give an example of an adjustment you used for a pupil with special educational needs and disabilities.

On your CV • Broke a writing task into short steps for a pupil with SEND.

Supporting phonics and reading

Explain how you helped pupils practise reading under the teacher’s direction.

On your CV • Heard pupils read individually and noted unfamiliar words for the teacher.

Behaviour support

Describe how you applied an agreed classroom routine.

On your CV • Used the class reward system to reinforce turn-taking during group work.

Safeguarding and reporting concerns

State what safeguarding training you completed or how you reported a concern through the setting’s procedure.

On your CV • Reported a pupil welfare concern to the designated safeguarding lead.

Preparing resources

Name the materials you prepared and the activity they supported.

On your CV • Prepared word cards for a small-group spelling activity.

Qualities for working with pupils

Patience when pupils need time

Describe how you allowed a pupil time to respond or complete a task.

On your CV • Allowed a pupil extra thinking time before repeating a question.

Clear communication with children

Show how you adjusted an instruction so pupils could follow it.

On your CV • Demonstrated the first step of a craft activity before pupils began.

Working with the class teacher

Give an example of information you shared with a teacher after an activity.

On your CV • Told the teacher which words pupils found difficult during reading practice.

Discretion with pupil information

Explain how you handled records in line with the setting’s procedures.

On your CV • Stored completed pupil observation sheets in the school’s designated secure location.

Tools and software

Interactive whiteboards

Describe a classroom task for which you used an interactive whiteboard.

On your CV • Displayed picture prompts on the interactive whiteboard for a vocabulary activity.

Microsoft Teams

Give an example of how you used Teams to support school work.

On your CV • Shared worksheets with the class teacher through Microsoft Teams.

Google Classroom

State what you used Google Classroom to do.

On your CV • Uploaded a teacher’s reading resources to Google Classroom.

Qualifications and training

GCSEs in English and maths

List your subjects and achieved grades in the education section.

On your CV • GCSE English Language, grade 5; GCSE Mathematics, grade 4.

Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning

Give the qualification’s full title and your completion date.

On your CV • Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning, completed 2023.

Paediatric first aid training

Name the course and give the provider and completion date.

On your CV • Paediatric first aid course, completed with a local training provider in 2024.

Choose teaching assistant skills for each vacancy

Read the job description and person specification before deciding which examples to include. A role based in an early years setting may involve different activities from one supporting pupils in secondary school. Note the age group and the support the school expects the assistant to provide.

Check the essential criteria first. If the post involves one-to-one support for a pupil with SEND, describe an adjustment you have used, provided it is relevant to the role. For a vacancy involving reading practice, explain what you did during reading sessions and how you reported back to the teacher.

Experience gained outside a classroom can also be useful. A holiday club volunteer might describe explaining an activity or following the setting’s procedure for a welfare concern. Identify the setting so the recruiter can understand where the experience was gained.

Put evidence in the right places

Use your employment or volunteering history to show what you did. Give each role a title, organisation and dates, then add short bullets about your contribution. Name the activity or age group where that helps explain your responsibilities.

A brief skills section can make relevant experience easy to find. For example, you could list one-to-one support and add a bullet under a role explaining how you used visual prompts. Mention software when you have used it or received training, rather than listing every platform named in a vacancy.

Place GCSEs and relevant courses in an education and training section. Use the qualification title shown on your certificate and include grades if the school requests them. Mark a course as in progress if you have not completed it.

Keep your CV accurate and protect privacy

Make your own role clear when describing classroom work. If a teacher planned an intervention and you helped deliver it, explain the part you carried out. Avoid attributing a pupil’s progress to your support unless you have evidence for that claim.

Leave pupil names and identifying details out of your CV. You can describe using a visual timetable without including a pupil’s diagnosis or personal history. Follow the confidentiality procedures of the setting where you gained the experience.

A DBS check is a check, not a qualification. If you mention one, make sure the statement reflects your circumstances and follow the employer’s instructions during recruitment. Before submitting your CV, check the dates and course titles against your records and remove any example that you cannot substantiate.

Official source on this job: Teaching assistant job profile, National Careers Service