What's new

The latest news and information for school support staff

Supporting Teaching and Learning Qualifications fo

Development of QCF Qualifications

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is a new and more flexible way of recognising achievement through the award of credit for units and qualifications. The QCF replaces the current national qualifications framework (NQF) and, like its predecessor, will be regulated by OFQUAL. All vocational qualifications will need to be redeveloped to meet the QCF regulatory principles by the time the NQF closes for business at the end of 2010. Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), and sector bodies like the TDA, are expected to take the lead role in the vocational reform agenda through the development of a sector qualification strategy and the setting up of a process for approving qualifications intended for their sector.

Getting the Most out of Lunchtimes at School

APSE, in conjunction with Hull University, is pleased to announce a new training and development programme for lunchtime supervisory staff.

UNISON in Schools

For all the latest information on what's happening in your school.

Change the Text Size on Skills4Schools

Did you know that you can increase the size of the text on any page throughout the Skills4Schools website by clicking one button?

Guidance on Deployment of School Support Staff

For school support staff and their managers it can be difficult to know what is expected within their role/s especially with Remodelling sweeping through schools. The government at local and national levels together with unions and other agencies have created a series of guidance notes to help school staff with this. The group is called WAMG and you can see their guidance on the deployment of support staff on their website.

Break the Barriers to e-Learning

We all know that there's never enough time to do all the things we want to do and barely have any time at work to learn new things on the job. This is equally true for school support staff with the time and training constraints they face. Skills4Schools looks at the barriers to e-Learning and how they can be overcome.

Support Staff Little Pocket Book

UNISON has produced a useful guide for support staff in schools. The Little Pocket Book holds a range of information that you will find useful no matter what support role you have in a school.

School Business Manager

Whether you are a school business manager, bursar, office manager, school secretary, head of HR there are a growing family of jobs in schools that need a variety of management skills. Below Skills4Schools outlines these jobs and provides you with ideas for identifying the appropriate training and courses for these roles.

Getting Overseas Qualifications Recognised

UK NARIC is the National Agency responsible for providing information and advice about vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications from all over the world. They are also involved in research, consultancy and training.

The Caretaker's Interview Guide

It's a few years old now but the ever resourceful Caretaker's Website has a useful guide to giving you that extra boost when going for an interview. Written by experienced school caretakers, it give's you the buzz words, the do's and don'ts and things you would never think to ask about at an interview.

Skills4Schools Gets Fatter

Since April 2007 Skills4Schools and UNISON has responded to thousands of enquiries from its members on a range of subjects from pay and conditions for HLTAs to implementing the new Support Work in Schools (SWiS) qualifications.

Librarians Online in London

The first Virtual School Library for London School Librarians has gone live. Rather than being a library for pupils and teachers, this is a resource and collaboration base for those responsible for school lbraries, especially with respect to the use of ICT.

Model Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Andrea Lowe, a former model, UNISON member and working mum, of Northwold Primary School in Clapton, celebrates becoming the 10,000th person to gain higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) status in England.

Support Work in Schools Qualification Level 2 & 3

This qualification recognises existing skills, incorporates the common core and uses units from existing NVQs so that they are transferable. The qualifications have been in high demand so the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) are funding more places under the pilot.

New qualification for school cooks

It is essential that all school catering staff have the training they need to be able to provide healthy meals for school children.