Starting out as a Teaching Assistant in a secondary school, Victoria Seren quickly discovered a passion for supporting young people. With growing confidence, personal insight, and strong encouragement from school leaders, she decided to take the next step into a rewarding career teaching maths through the Teacher Apprenticeship route. Hear what she has to say about her experience so far.

What inspired you to pursue a career in teaching? 

I began my career as a Teaching Assistant in my local secondary school. Early on in this role, I discovered a real passion for working with teenagers, particularly ones with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities. 

During this time, I came to recognise that I may be neurodiverse. This gave me a natural empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by many of my neurodiverse students, and I was able to coach and support them in ways I had not experienced as a young person.

With the encouragement and support of my Headteacher and SENCo, I progressed to become a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA), and was later developed into a specialist SEN HLTA with additional responsibilities.Due to unforeseen staffing challenges, my Headteacher asked me to step in and teach the Transition Curriculum in Mathematics. This curriculum supports students with SEND who require an adapted curriculum and teaching approach. I found teaching these students incredibly rewarding, and my passion for maths education grew quickly. In recognition of this, my Headteacher supported my application to the Maths Apprenticeship Programme.

What route did you take into teaching and why did you choose it? 

I chose the Teacher Apprenticeship route following a conversation with my Deputy Headteacher, during which we explored a range of possible pathways into teaching. The apprenticeship was well-suited to my existing experience, as by this point I had been supporting and teaching in school for over ten years. Best Practice Network was highly recommended to my Deputy Headteacher through trusted professional contacts, which further reinforced my decision to pursue this route.

How has the Teacher Apprenticeship helped you to develop your skills? 

Many elements of teaching come quite naturally to practitioners, but I have particularly valued the opportunity to explore why we do these things. Through the intensive training and planning weeks (ITAP), I have been able to research specific aspects of teaching in depth. These weeks provide valuable time to observe experts in practice, engage with educational theory and then apply this learning in the classroom, followed by structured reflection on its impact. This process has supported me in ensuring that my practice is as effective and efficient as possible.

I have also developed significantly as a teacher through the weekly reflection meetings and target-setting opportunities, which have helped me to remain focused, reflective, and continually improving.

'The Best Practice Network team has truly become just that — a team. We support and learn from one another, creating a strong online professional community that is both reassuring and motivating. This collaborative environment has been instrumental in supporting my ongoing professional development'

What advice would you give to someone considering starting the Teacher Apprenticeship? 

I would wholeheartedly recommend the Teacher Apprenticeship route. I loved being a teaching assistant, and the decision to move from a supporting role into an educator role was not an easy one for me. However, I am an ambitious person, and I had reached a point where I had hit a glass ceiling in my TA role, with limited opportunities for further professional development.

The transition to being at the front of the classroom is far less daunting than it may initially appear. The structured support and training provided through the apprenticeship make this step manageable and rewarding. I have already recommended this route to several friends and colleagues, as it offers a supportive and practical pathway into teaching.

For those with personal additional needs I cannot stress enough how invaluable their Neurodiverse support network is. With opportunities to discuss, use each other as sound boards and support each other it has helped me further embrace my differences and learn more about how I can support myself in this chosen career. 

What has been your favourite part of the training, and why ?

My favourite part of the training has been my second placement. It has been incredibly valuable to see how educational theory is applied in a different school context. This placement exposed me to alternative pedagogical approaches, and I found it both rewarding and enriching to share my own knowledge while also learning from the expertise, guidance, and experience of colleagues in another setting.

Interested? Start Your Teaching Career Here

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 Email: teach@bestpracticenet.co.uk

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