Dipolelo Mothoagae
Teaching Assistant · Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
TQUK Level 3 Teaching Assistant Diploma
“The materials are clear and informative, and during the process of writing assignments the tutors give specific, actionable feedback on exactly how to improve. That's what genuine support looks like – not just a grade, but a pathway forward.”
The Challenge
Dipolelo had been working as a teaching assistant in a primary school in Milton Keynes for four years, supporting a Year 4 class and a group of children with additional learning needs. She had built strong relationships with the class teacher and the SENCO, and had naturally taken on more complex responsibilities over time. But without a formal Level 3 qualification, she found she was limited in which schools would consider her for posts and was unable to move onto the school's Teaching Assistant Grade B pay scale. Her headteacher was supportive but clear: the diploma was the next step.
Why learndirect
Dipolelo chose learndirect because the online format allowed her to study in the evenings after her school day – a vital consideration given that school hours left no time for college attendance. What impressed her most was the quality of the assignment guidance and the tutor feedback. “You're not just handed a task and left to get on with it. The guidelines are structured, the marking criteria are explained, and when your tutor comes back to you, they tell you specifically what worked and what didn't.” This approach, she said, felt more genuinely educational than the brief comments she remembered receiving on school essays years before.
The Outcome
Dipolelo passed the TQUK Level 3 Teaching Assistant Diploma and moved onto the Grade B pay scale, increasing her salary to £23,500 pro rata. She is already in conversation with her headteacher about progressing to the TQUK Level 4 HLTA qualification, with a view to taking on whole-class cover responsibilities. “The Level 3 has already changed how my colleagues and the head see me professionally,” she said. “I'm taken more seriously as a practitioner now, and that's directly because of this qualification.”