New Zealand Certificate in Education Support and Care (Teacher Aiding) (Level 3)

Study the New Zealand Certificate in Education Support and Care (Teacher Aiding) (Level 3) to enter the education sector. Develop the skills and knowledge to become a sought after Teacher Aide or Support Worker in early childhood settings, schools, or the disability sector.

Campus
SIT Online
Qualification
Certificate
Level
3
Credits
40
Duration

12 weeks full-time

Up to two years part-time

Intakes are 12 weeks long

Dates
TBC
Tuition Fees

Zero tuition fees

Direct Material Costs

$8.00 per credit (incl. GST)

International Fees

$100 per credit (incl. GST). See International.

Course Outline

Develop the skills and knowledge to become a sought after Teacher Aide or Support Worker helping provide additional educational support for learners, teachers, families and whanau in schools, out of school or after school care, early childhood settings, or the disability sector.

Graduates will be able:

  • Apply professional behaviour and health and safety practices related to education support and care contexts in order to maintain health, safety and wellbeing of children.
  • Communicate effectively to participate within the education support and care community.
  • Apply principles of inclusive practice for diverse students.
  • Apply basic knowledge of learning and human development within specified education and community contexts.
  • Assist in supporting students with their learning, in the education support and care context.
  • Assist in the production of resources in the education support and care context.
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Course Content

ESC3101: Communicating Effectively in an Education Support and Care Context (10 credits) (25 practicum hours)

Note: 25 of the 120 practicum hours should be completed as part of this paper.

This paper introduces learners to the strategies, approaches, techniques, knowledge and skills to communicate effectively with stakeholders, including diverse learners. To assist the learner to communicate effectively to promote own active participation, and learner success, inclusion and engagement within an education support and care context.

Overview of assessment in this paper:

  • Keep a reflective journal of practicum hours discussing your communication strategies with learners, whanau, or colleagues, discuss any challenges, and identify areas (and strategies) for improvement. 
  • Describe how you incorporated, promoted, and respected Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, Mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori when communicating in your practicum context.
  • Develop language and literacy strategies to support teaching and learning and to communicate effectively with learners and other key stakeholders in a one-to-one and a group setting.  

ESC3102: Inclusive Practice in an Education Support and Care Context (10 credits) (25 practicum hours)

Note: 25 of the 120 practicum hours should be completed as part of this paper.

This paper introduces learners to the principles and application of inclusive teaching and learning practice to support and engage diverse learners. This paper also incorporates learner-centred teaching and learning strategies, tools and techniques that are applicable in a diverse education support and care context. 

Overview of assessment in this paper:

  • Describe inclusive teaching and learning principles you applied in your practicum hours. Reflect on the strategies used to address the needs of the learners, collaboration with other educators, support staff or families/whānau, and on lessons learned. 
  • Describe areas where you needed support to enhance your inclusive teaching and learning practice with diverse learners, and potential external and internal support options.

ESC3103: Human and Learning Development in Education Support and Care Contexts (5 credits) (10 practicum hours) 

Note: 10 of the 120 practicum hours should be completed as part of this paper.

This paper provides learners with basic skills and knowledge of learning and human development and assists learners to apply these skills and knowledge in their teaching and learning practice in an education support and care context. 

Overview of assessment in this paper:

  • Describe human development and its relationship to learning development (during the life stages from birth to adolescence). Describe two developmental theories and relate these to practical examples of learning development during your practicum hours. 
  • Describe teaching and/or support strategies that you applied during practicum hours that are informed by your understanding of human development and learning development, how these aligned with the needs of the learner(s) and reflect on the effectiveness of these strategies. 

ESC3104: Education Support and Care Practicum (15 credits) (60 practicum hours)

Note: 60 of the 120 practicum hours should be completed as part of this paper.

This practicum paper provides learners with the skills and knowledge to assist in supporting learners with their learning in the education support and care context, inclusive of resource production. The paper also focuses on professional behaviour, inclusive of health and safety practices and behavioural management practices, to uphold and maintain the health, safety, and wellbeing of children.

Overview of assessment in this paper:

  • Describe examples from your practicum experience of where you applied professional behaviour, health and safety practices, and supportive communication with colleagues and learners.  
  • Describe legislative Acts (external) and internal guidelines that assist with ensuring child health, safety, and wellbeing. Describe examples where you observed the legislation and guidelines in action through the implementation of organisational policies, procedures, and/or practices in your practicum context. 

Explain learner behavioural management approaches that you have applied during the practicum hours, reflect on their effectiveness, and provide recommendations for improvement.

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Career Opportunities

Graduates of this qualification will have the skills and knowledge for roles such as:

  • Education support worker, teacher aide, ICT assistant, librarian assistant, administrator assistant in school and early childhood settings
  • Community support worker in the disability sector
  • Out of school care worker in school holiday programmes and after school care

 

Application Criteria

As part of gaining this qualification, students need to complete a minimum of 120 hours of in class teacher aiding practicum. Some of these practicum hours need to be completed in each paper of the programme (see the Course Content for more detail), but the times may be varied to suit the practicum venue and students’ studies. 

These hours can be completed with schools (primary or secondary), in early childhood settings, out of school or after school care programmes, or in the disability sector. However, you must be supervised by a suitably qualified person. 

All applicants wishing to undertake this programme of study are required to submit a completed Placement & Supervisor Confirmation Form with their application. The form below gives details of the papers and assessments for supervisors to understand what is required of them. Please give your supervisor this information and ask them to complete the Placement & Supervisor Confirmation Form on the last page. 

Important: You need to submit this form to SIT admin prior to the start of the intake to confirm you have a placement venue for your practicum hours.

This form includes confirmation of:

  • A practicum venue
  • Supervisor qualifications
  • Completing a safety check to comply with the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 (the education provider may do this as part of their processes, or may ask you to complete this yourself)

School Leavers
Applicants should be a minimum of 16 years of age, and have attained NCEA Level 2.

Mature Applicants
Applicants over the age of 20 years at time of enrolment will be considered where they can demonstrate the ability to succeed in a programme. Examples of demonstration of ability to succeed are the provision of evidence of successful completion of a programme of study at level 2 or above in a related discipline and/or employment in the related sector for one or more years. They may be admitted subject to programme regulations approved by the Head of Faculty in consultation with the Programme Manager as appropriate.  Personal commitment and a belief in one’s own ability to succeed are important personal traits and will always be taken into consideration during the selection process.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment


IELTS test - General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5 
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 500 (with an essay score of 4 TWE) 
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 35 (with a writing score of 14) 
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 154. No less than 154 in each skill. 
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests 
NZCEL - Level 4 (Academic) 
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 36 with no band score lower than 36 
Language Cert - B1 Achiever IESOL (LRWS) with PASS and no less than PASS in each skill 
Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band

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