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• Pupil support
  • > Teaching assistants
  • > Higher Level Teaching Assistants
  • > Nursery nurses
  • > Play workers
  • > Learning mentors
  • > Cover supervisors
  • > Midday/ Lunchtime Supervisors
  • > Library staff
  • > Education Welfare Officer
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Helping children and young people get the most out of their education can be extremely rewarding.

This section covers all the roles involving working directly with pupils and students, whether that's in the classroom working with their teacher, or helping them with broader issues and liaising with their families.

Teaching assistants

Teaching assistants (TAs) usually work with a teacher in their classroom, making sure pupils get the most out of lessons (eg, by helping them find their way around a computer). 

Higher Level Teaching Assistants

Under the direction of a teacher, they often plan, prepare and deliver learning activities with individual pupils, groups and (in the short term) whole classes, and also assess, record and report on pupils' progress.

Nursery nurses

Nursery nurses are specialists who look after the social and educational development of children up to the age of eight years old.

Play workers

Playworkers plan, organise and supervise play and activities for children and young people inside and outside school. 

Learning mentors

Learning Mentors work with school and college students and pupils to help them address barriers (and potential barriers) to learning through supportive one-to-one relationships and sometimes small group work.

Cover supervisors

Cover supervisors are suitably-trained school staff who supervise pupils carrying out pre-prepared exercises when when teaching staff are on short-term absence.

Midday/ Lunchtime Supervisors

Midday supervisors, sometimes called lunchtime supervisors or lunchtime assistants, look after the welfare of school pupils during lunchtimes.

Library staff

School library staff manage all the print, online and e-learning resources that are available in the modern school library, so that pupils and teachers can access all the materials they need to help them learn and teach.

Education Welfare Officer

Education welfare officers (sometimes known as education social workers) work with schools, pupils and families to resolve issues of poor attendance. Closely linked to this job is schools attendance officer.