Jo Handford is a Teaching Assistant at Westcourt Primary School in Gravesend, where she has worked for 13 years. We sat down with her to discuss her professional journey at the school and the amazing work she does every day with pupils.

Please could you tell us a little bit about your pathway into the education system?

“Before I started working in education, I was a stay-at-home mum with two small children, which I loved. Eventually, I realised that I wanted to be doing professional work that involved children and so I started volunteering at a local school near where I live, and I absolutely loved it.

“This motivated me to join another primary school professionally, where I achieved both my Level 2 and Level 3 National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). This is where I got the skills and experience that I needed and soon afterwards, I joined Westcourt Primary School.”

Can you tell me about your role and how long you’ve worked at Westcourt Primary School?

“I am a Teaching Assistant and I’ve been here at Westcourt Primary School for thirteen years now. It is the most rewarding place to work; my job is so diverse, every day I am doing something different to support the wider school and the children we serve.

“A big part of my role is the work I do with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and children with behavioural challenges. I provide support to classroom teachers by offering that additional bit of capacity. A lot of children need some time out from the classroom to help regulate themselves. Every day I spend an hour in the morning doing one-to-one sessions with children with SEND. All of the teaching assistants rotate this so that we do not get overwhelmed.

“I also provide support within the classroom, working with different groups of children all the time. This is an exceptionally rewarding part of the job as I get to push children to learn and grow. Children sometimes need that little bit of extra encouragement for them to engage with their learning. This is where you can watch them develop their knowledge and understanding in real-time, which is always fulfilling and worthwhile.

“Additionally, I run various clubs; I run a yoga group and a beam group, which is similar to yoga but with more pupils, an intervention group, and the breakfast club. The children love the yoga and beam groups as it gives them an opportunity to be mindful and improve their ability to regulate their emotions. It is nice to be part of something that brightens their moods.

“My day always moves so quickly because there are so many elements to the work I do. Every day is completely different, giving me new opportunities and working with different children in different year groups, which is lovely.”

What made you want to work in schooling?

“I come from a large family and have always been the fun auntie in our family. I love children and love spending time with them, I really believe the best medicine is a happy child laughing.

“When a child comes into school 5 days a week, they might spend more time with you than they do their own family, which makes you such an important part of their world. Being able to provide that support is incredibly rewarding.”

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

“Supporting the children to achieve results. Often, you are in a lesson with a child on a Monday as they are being taught a new concept, and they might be struggling a little bit with it, but by Wednesday they are beginning to understand, and by Friday they might even feel confident in their knowledge. You can help a child develop academically and see the results in real-time.

“Similarly, the intervention groups we run are very rewarding. Often on the first day a child is brought into the intervention group they don’t want to be there, but by the end of the week they are enjoying it.

“It is a job where you see the positive change happen right in front of you.”

How does The Primary First Trust support you in your role?

“The Trust organises inset days for every school, where we can network with teachers and teaching assistants at different schools. This is a great way to learn new methods and see how other schools are overcoming challenges that you might be facing in your school.

“Westcourt Primary School is also a fantastic self-contained network as well. I love my work family, the environment that has been created is incredibly supportive and open. I know I always have people I can speak to if I am facing any issues, including our headteacher, Mags Sexton, who provides great guidance and advice. Our school being such a supportive environment is what makes this challenging job enjoyable, and I know that the support from the Trust is a bit part of the cultivation of that environment.”

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt?

“Working with children with SEND can be incredibly challenging, but if you have the right team of people, you can achieve more than you think. Teamwork is so incredibly important working in a school, and we have a great team here at Westcourt Primary School.”

What advice would you give other people considering joining a primary school?

“Make sure you gain some experience working with children. Although it can be challenging at times, if you have the right team around you then it makes it one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.”