What our previous students think...

"Combined with my work placement and supervision of a teacher, I learned so much!"

Julia Nettleford, Liverpool, studied - Teaching Assistant Level 2

"I love working with children, it’s much more rewarding than my old job which didn’t have any promotion prospects and while the money wasn’t awful I was fed up of going in every day. Working with children means you must have a lot of energy, it’s so much more stimulating than my last job.

When I enrolled on the OCN Teaching Assistant course I was told that it would help me get the job I dreamed about ... and it has. I completed the course at home in around 8 months. I fitted it around my work and family life and the support I received from my tutor was fantastic. It’s great to get help over the phone or by email instead of having to go into a college building every day, that would have been a struggle as I was employed full-time. I’d simply email a question to her, and I’d have a reply for when I got back home from work – problem solved.

If I study another course, I’d definitely study it from home again and Open Study College would be my first call."

"I have the job I want thanks to hard work and this course"

Fiona, Cumbria, studied - Teaching Assistant Level 2

"I just got my Certificate! I'm so happy to have succeeded with my course!"

"A thoroughly enjoyable course, just started my new job!"

Jane Thomson, Ipswich, studied - Teaching Assistant Level 2

"I enrolled on my Teaching Assistant course with the college back in October and I wasn't sure how learning from home would work but I could ask my tutor questions on the phone and by using my hotmail so that was reassuring and convenient as I didn't need to drive over to a college every time I needed to ask a question.

The course pack had everything I needed, with assignments, paper, pens, study guides and a bag. I completed it quite quickly because I wanted to get a teaching assistant job as soon as possible, but I could have taken much more time, so it's probably a particularly useful course if you already have a lot on your plate.

I started my first job as a Teaching Assistant in a primary school at the beginning of last month and I'm really enjoying myself."

"Good course, but I'd have liked it to be a little longer"

Rebecca Taylor, London, studied - Teaching Assistant Level 2

"I enjoyed working through this course but I think it could be improved in a few areas.

In particular I was enjoying learning about supporting the development of reading and writing skills and although the material in the course taught me a lot of things, I found it an interesting area and I wanted to know a little more about it. If this section was a little longer then I'd be even happier. Tutor support was very good."

"A course from home for a job in a classroom"

Imogen Pavlov, Wolverhampton, studied - Teaching Assistant Level 2

"I now work as a classroom assistant and I never stop learning something new about the development of young children. I enjoy witnessing the improvement in literacy and numeracy skills and knowing that I am helping these kids reach their potential makes me happy, and how many people can say they are happy at work?

I am glad I learned the subject at home, it meant I had more time to think about the subject and understand it all better than if I were being whisked through it week by week in a nightschool class."

"Agree to an extent with Rebecca Taylor..."

Jo Martin, Halifax, studied - Teaching Assistant Level 2

"I really enjoyed this but like Rebecca I would have liked a section to have been a little more detailed, but to be honest that's probably because I really enjoyed that particular topic and could easily have read much more about it. I learned enough to get my first job in a school and once you get that role you keep learning more and more."