At Oakley Vale Primary School, Monica Butler has been a TA for over 16 years, supporting every year group from EYFS to Year 6. She says her “heart lies within EYFS,” where she loves helping children take their first steps in learning. “It’s an important part of a TA’s role to make sure each child feels seen as an individual, no matter how young or old they are. We make sure they feel supported, encouraged, listened to, and respected, but most of all, that they can trust you and believe in themselves. All those ‘light bulb’ moments, when a child suddenly gets it and beams with pride, make the job so rewarding. I truly feel it’s an honour to be entrusted with people’s children, and I’d like to think I make a difference.”

Vivienne Wayman, who has worked at Corby Business Academy for 25 years, says she became a TA “to make a difference to the young people I support, making education accessible to all.” For her, success comes in many forms: “seeing one of my students graduate from university, one who gained a level 4 in English, or even hearing a student read fluently. But to me, a personal thank you has to be one of the most rewarding.” She also shares advice for anyone considering the role: “It’s not just sharpening pencils... you need to enjoy working with children, show resilience and patience, and remember that whatever has happened today, tomorrow is another day… a fresh start.”

For Diana Coombes at Corby Technical School, the decision to become a TA was inspired by her own family. “My son is on the autistic spectrum and I saw how much a teaching assistant helped him in class. He was more confident about going to school.” That experience motivated her to support others, and over the past 20 years, including four at CTS, she has loved seeing students grow in confidence, especially through her work teaching phonics. “It’s amazing to see a student go from not being able to read, to finding the confidence to read aloud in class.”

Across our schools, teaching assistants are motivators, advocates, and role models. They celebrate every achievement, help students overcome challenges, and bring energy, patience and kindness to the classroom each day. On this National Teaching Assistants’ Day, we say a huge thank you to Monica, Vivienne, Diana and to every TA across the Trust for everything you do to inspire and support our young people.