Teaching Assistant CV Examples & UK Templates

Whether you’re looking to take the first step into a career in education or land a position teaching English in a foreign country, a job as a teaching assistant can be enriching for both you and your students. Before you can learn how to effectively convey information and manage a classroom, you’ll first need to create a great teaching assistant CV.

CV guide for a teaching assistant CV

Get top marks on your next application with the help of resume.io. We have a range of guides and CV examples, which cover over 170 professions. You can use our CV builder to make it easier than ever to create a winning CV for teaching assistant jobs.

This CV guide and corresponding teaching assistant CV example will cover the following:

• How to write a teaching assistant CV
• Choosing the right CV format for teaching assistants
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your teaching assistant experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right CV design/layout
• What the teaching assistant job market looks like, and what salary you can expect

How to write a teaching assistant CV

Before you can start writing your teaching assistant CV, you will need to know what to include. Your CV should contain the following elements: 

• The CV header
• The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

Whether or not you have previous experience as a teaching assistant, you’ll want to tailor your CV to the exact position you’re applying for by including a number of skills and experiences the employer is looking for.

If this is your first time working as a teaching assistant, your CV should focus on transferable skills in other jobs. You can also choose to highlight your expertise in the area you plan to teach. For example, a physics TA may want to discuss their relevant coursework and physics projects or leadership experience.

Let’s take a look at some extra tips you can use when you’re writing your next CV: 

• Highlight your results. What was the bottom line? Perhaps you helped certain students excel. Maybe you worked with SEN students. Whatever the case, add it here.
• Be sure to use a simple, straightforward CV template that isn’t overly complex. You want the hiring school to be able to understand the information first and foremost.
• Optimise your CV for relevant keywords. This step gives you the best chance of impressing both recruiters and any CV scanning software they may use.

Choosing the right CV format for a teaching assistant

Most teaching assistants will find that the reverse chronological format is the best CV format for their needs. This structure centres around the employment history section, where you’ll be able to list all previous experience. Hiring managers prefer this format because it allows them to quickly evaluate your abilities.

It’s best to use the reverse chronological format whenever possible, even if you need to add volunteer activities to fill in your employment section. However, if this is simply not possible, you may choose to use the hybrid format which starts with the skills section and features a smaller employment history section further down. We do not recommend the skills-based CV format unless you are still in secondary school or have zero work experience to show.

No matter which format you choose, check out the many CV templates in our CV builder. There are plenty of CV examples using each format that you can use as inspiration. 

When it comes to the look of your CV, a simple layout is a great place to start. You want to make things as straightforward as you can for the reader.

Include your contact information

If you wow the hiring manager, they are going to want to contact you pronto. That’s where your CV header comes in. 

This sits at the top of your teaching assistant CV, and includes the following.

• Full name & title. List your first and last name and the title of the role, i.e. ‘Teaching Assistant’.
• Professional email address. A professional email address, such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com. Don’t be tempted to use anything quirky.
• Phone number. Make sure your voicemail message is suitable for work. Include a number that you use regularly, such as your mobile.
• Location. Only add your city and country, not your street address or postcode. Adding a  full address is both outdated and unsafe.
• LinkedIn. Although LinkedIn isn’t overly common in the educational field, if you have an active profile, you can include it here. You should make sure it’s up to date first.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: This isn’t necessary and could potentially lead to age discrimination.
• Personal details: Your marital status, passport number, etc. don’t need to be on your CV.
• Social accounts: You should not include social media accounts, such as TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram.

Make use of a summary

The summary of your teaching assistant CV is the hiring manager’s introduction to you and all you have to offer. These 3-5 sentences should call attention to your skills, relevant experience and even your teaching philosophy while injecting some personality into an otherwise dry document.

If you’re submitting to a large educational institution, it’s also worth mentioning the name of the position and location you’re applying to so that your application can easily be identified. 

Remember, the hiring manager can find out more about your educational background or previous jobs later on, so the summary is the place to give them the highlights and encourage them to keep reading the rest of your CV. 

Include a selection of action verbs in the simple past or present tense. You can use these to showcase the impact you’ve had on students’ education and lives.

Don’t simply repeat information that’s already on your CV. Instead, you need to go a long way to demonstrate your unique value. For example, “Creative and engaging teaching assistant, with experience supporting SEN students through KS1 and KS2.”  This summary shows your specialisms, allowing the hiring manager to instantly see what you’re bringing to the table. 

You can find adaptable teaching assistant example summaries below:

Outline your teaching assistant work experience

The employment history section of your teaching assistant CV is the place to showcase all relevant roles and work experience. If you don’t have any teaching experience, you can place other jobs here and use the bullet points to highlight transferable skills or personality traits.

In this section, you’ll want to create subheadings with the job title, employer name, dates worked and location. Underneath, add 4-5 bullet points which describe the duties assigned to you and your achievements in the role. 

Show off your achievements and impacts in concise bullet point statements. Any learning outcomes, statistics or concrete information can help prove the impact you had on students. Make sure to choose examples that are most relevant to your prospective employer. 

Be clear about the impact you had. For example, here’s what not to write:

• "Supported students”
• “Delivered one-on-one interventions”
• “Assisted in the classroom”

By adding more detail and metrics, you can quickly improve the above bullet points. Let’s take a look at how you might do that: 

• "Supported over 30 students per class, with a 15% improvement in literacy and numeracy scores over two terms.”
• “Delivered one-to-one and small group interventions, resulting in 90% of students meeting or exceeding progress goals.”
• “Reduced disruptions by 25% by effectively assisting in the classroom.”

Take a look at the teaching assistant employment history CV sample below:

How to write a teaching assistant CV with no experience 

If you’re new to the realms of education, don’t panic. Everyone has to start somewhere. Be sure to illustrate the education you have, your DBS checks, and any volunteer experience you have.

You should also take the time to highlight your transferable skills. These are competencies you’ve picked up in previous roles. For example, you may want to show off your communication skills or leadership skills on your CV.

If you have any hobbies or interests that align with the syllabus, don’t be afraid to shout about them. For example, you might want to talk about your interest in history and your membership in a history club. These extras could set you apart from the pack.

It can be tough when you lack direct experience. However, the most important thing to remember is that you should show passion. Be honest about why you’ve chosen this path and include any future aspirations—such as becoming a teacher—that you may have.

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great teaching assistant

The skills section can be one of the trickiest parts of your teaching assistant CV to master because it is limited by its bullet-point format. One strategy to approach this section is to create a master list of all the skills you possess. 

Then, choose the top 4-5 for your CV based on the particular opening you are applying to. This is a quick and easy way to customise your CV for the job and increase your chances of beating the ATS. 

Of course, your CV skills list should include both hard and soft skills to illustrate the full range of your teaching abilities. Hard skills align directly with the role and are demonstrable and easy to assess. For example, your knowledge of subject areas or SEN training. Soft skills, on the other hand, allow you to get the job done. These include your attention to detail or listening skills. 

Within our CV builder, you’ll find a litany of pre-selected skills to choose from. You can also upload your own and set your proficiency levels. 

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our CV template for teaching assistants. 

Wherever possible, try to add some context to your skills. You can do this by detailing them throughout your teaching assistant CV, as follows: 

• Showcase your communication skills by talking about how you collaborate with students and help them understand lessons. 
• Demonstrate your leadership skills by detailing small group activities you’ve led in previous roles. 

Not sure where to begin? The job advert is a great place to look if you need extra guidance.

Detail your education & relevant teaching assistant certifications

Education is a vital part of any CV, but it plays an even bigger role when it comes to landing a teaching assistant position. Complete your education section with your degrees and diplomas – if you’ve completed a master’s or higher, there’s no need to include your secondary school.

Here’s what you may choose to include: 

• Maths and English GCSE: You can list your high school education, but be sure to note that you have a full Maths or English GCSE. You may want to include your grades, too.
• Training: If you’ve completed anything about safeguarding or special educational needs (SEN), add it here. Qualifications, like Level 2 or 3 Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools, are highly valuable.
• Awards or memberships: You can also include awards you’ve won and professional memberships you hold here.
• Ongoing development: If you’re a member of any education-focused organisations, such as the National Association of Teaching Assistants (NATA) or The Chartered College of Teaching, that matters. This highlights your commitment to the role and ongoing professional growth.
• Background checks: You’ll likely need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to work with children. Make sure you have this in order before applying.

Pick the right CV layout and design for a teaching assistant CV

The layout and design of your CV instantly convey your seriousness about the position. For candidates with limited previous experience, a great layout can also make your CV stand out and encourage the hiring manager to give it a closer look instead of moving on to the next.

Education is a fairly formal field, so the design of your CV should be professional in tone. A pop of colour may be appropriate in some instances depending on the subject or age group you plan to teach. Choose common font styles like Arial, Helvetica or Georgia and stick with the same selection throughout your CV. You’ll also want to balance the amount of white space to text so that the page is not tiring on the eyes.

Check out our range of CV templates now. We have a range of styles and layouts to suit your professional needs. 

Teaching assistant text-only CV example

Teaching assistant job market and outlook

There is a huge demand for teaching assistants with one in five positions unfilled as of March 2024. If you’re looking for a new job, there are plenty of opportunities available in this sector. Boost your chances of success by getting your CV up to scratch now. 

What type of salary you can expect as a teaching assistant 

You can expect to make between £21,000 and £25,000 per year as a teaching assistant. Work times will generally be in the day. However, there may be some evening work, such as helping out at parents’ evenings in the school.

Key takeaways for building a teaching assistant CV

A teaching assistant position is the perfect stepping stone into the world of education, but you’ll need a great CV to get started. Your summary is the place to showcase both your relevant experience and your approach to teaching, followed up by compelling work history, key skills, and education sections.

If you have no previous experience in education, don’t worry. Highlight transferable skills and experience gained via school, volunteer work, hobbies, or a part-time job as well as your passion for pursuing a career in education.

The first step is to check out our online CV builder. Get started now and create an interview-winning CV to land the perfect TA role.