A Day in the Life: What to Expect as a Teaching Assistant in Primary and Secondary Schools

The Life of a Teaching Assistant: Supporting Classrooms, Changing Lives

In every successful classroom, there's often a teaching assistant working just out of the spotlight, guiding a small group through a tricky task, calming a child's nerves before exams, or offering one-to-one support that helps unlock a pupil's potential.

At Revised Recruitment Group, we've seen first hand just how important teaching assistants are, not just to students, but to teachers, schools, and families. Whether in a primary classroom filled with picture books and phonics songs or a bustling secondary science room, TAs are vital to the rhythm of the school day.

For those thinking about becoming a teaching assistant, the role is as rewarding as it is varied. You might be helping young children with their reading, offering emotional reassurance, or supporting a Year 11 student with their GCSE work. Some TAs work closely with children who have special educational needs, helping them access learning and feel confident in a mainstream setting. Others move between classes, supporting subject teachers and giving an extra layer of structure for pupils who need it.

In primary schools, you often become part of one class's daily routine, helping to set up activities, lead small group interventions, or work alongside the teacher to keep children engaged and learning. You get to know the students so well that you can spot when they're having an off day, and know exactly how to get them back on track.

In secondary schools, the role can be a bit more varied and subject-based. You might support a student with additional learning needs across multiple lessons, offer in-class support in maths or English, or work with students who are struggling with confidence, motivation, or behaviour. You'll become someone they trust, and sometimes, you're the adult who really helps them believe in themselves.

Teaching assistants aren't just "helping out" in the classroom. They're delivering interventions, leading activities, managing behaviour, encouraging independence, and often acting as a bridge between pupils and teachers. They play a key role in creating inclusive, nurturing environments where every child can thrive, regardless of their background or ability.

And while the job comes with challenges, like supporting students through emotional difficulties, managing different learning needs at once, or juggling a busy school day, the rewards are deeply meaningful. It might be a child finally reading a full sentence on their own, or a student you've supported walking into an exam room feeling confident, or just a quiet "thank you" from a pupil who needed someone in their corner.

Being a teaching assistant is more than just a job, it's a chance to make a real difference in a child's life, every single day.