Level 5 Apprenticeship - Our Programme - Equalitas

Level 5 Specialist TA Apprenticeship (SEND)

Transforming Education through SEND Support.

Teaching Assistants supporting children with special educational needs have the power to positively impact education. Our Level 5 apprenticeship will give you the professional confidence, knowledge and practical skills to transform the future for those you support.

Our course is designed for experienced Teaching Assistants working with learners who have SEND. It is rigorous, evidence-informed, and intentionally crafted to elevate the everyday expertise that shapes outcomes in classrooms across the country.

A Community of Specialist Educators

Equalitas’ SEND apprenticeship connects you to a community of educators with a shared goal: to raise standards, support inclusion, and make education work for every child.

We’ll help you develop your expertise in key areas like planning for individual needs, leading interventions, and working alongside SENCOs, families and external professionals. You’ll reflect on your practice and apply training within your role, positively impacting the lives of the pupils you support.

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The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship is open to candidates who are employed by a school. If you’re not currently working in one, your next step is to secure a role in a school before you can apply. You can explore current school vacancies on the DfE website here

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INTERNAL USE

"When we invest in the adults working most closely with children, we transform not only their confidence, but the futures of the children they support."

Tracey Maloney
ITE Director, Equalitas

Course Details

Course Length: 18 months + 3-month end-point assessment

Delivery: Online training modules, along with additional tutorials and self-study

Next Start Date: Rolling monthly start dates throughout the year

Location: 100% online

Equalitas’ expert tutors will guide you through practical learning, collaborative discussion, group tutorials, and evidence-based strategies you can apply directly in your setting.

Level 5 Apprenticeship Eligibility

To join this programme, you’ll already be making a meaningful contribution in a school or education setting and ready to take the next transformative step in your career.

You will need:

At least 6 months experience working as a Teaching Assistant, Learning Support Assistant (LSA), or in an equivalent role (full-time equivalent).
A Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification (or equivalent) or 2-3 years relevant experience working with pupils with SEND.

Right to work in the UK and to have lived in England for the last three years.

Employment of at least 16 hours per week, with a minimum of 50% of your working time in England across the duration of the apprenticeship.
If you do not already hold Level 2 Functional Skills in English and maths (or GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above), your employer may require you to complete these qualifications alongside the apprenticeship programme. This is at the discretion of your employing school.

This programme is aligned to foundation degree level study, so an appropriate level of English proficiency is required.

This programme is available to applicants based in England only.

Your Path to Level 5

The programme will guide you through a curriculum that is deliberately sequenced to cover key modules through the lens of your specialist role, which include:

SEND frameworks and school policy
Emotional and social development
Planning, delivering and adapting learning
Building inclusive classrooms and collaborative relationships
Evaluating impact and developing others
Research-informed strategies that improve outcomes

The programme will develop your capacity to lead, supporting colleagues and contributing to school-wide inclusion.

Join our Community of Transformers

When you train with Equalitas, you join a national community of educators, unapologetically ambitious for you and the children you teach, united by a common goal of transforming education for every child.

Our programmes are shaped by Equalitas’ accredited curriculum team: experienced educators with expertise in education, training, inclusion and professional development. Our programmes are connected, supportive and intentionally rigorous to ensure the best possible outcomes for you and the children you support.

Who is the Level 5 Apprenticeship for?

This programme is for support staff who are:

Working directly with children and young people who have SEND
Employed in a primary, secondary, special or alternative provision setting
Ready to lead interventions and build stronger inclusion practice
Looking to deepen their professional knowledge and gain a nationally recognised Level 5 qualification

Level 5 Apprenticeship Funding and Fees

Learn more

Programme cost: £12,000 – fully funded through your school’s Growth and Skills Levy (no cost to the learner)

If schools do not pay into the levy or have used up all of their levy funding they will become co-investors. This means the government will fund up to 95% of the course fees and the school will be directly invoiced for remaining 5%. For Level 5 the maximum employer (school) contributions is £600.

Our admissions team can help your school access the Apprenticeship Levy funding required.

Book a call with our Admissions Team here, or get in touch directly via level5admissions@e-qualitas.co.uk

Featured Content

Level 5 Apprenticeship Programme: Frequently Asked Questions

Our Mission: Transforming the Future for Every Child

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"Our vision is to educate the educators of the future; phase and subject specificity are central to our vision, along with ambitious curriculum choices and innovative collaborations."

Travey Maloney
ITE Director, Equalitas

Take your first step

Whether you’re ready to apply or just have a few questions, we’re here to help.