SS&L Apprentice of the Month – June 2026

“Since September I have grown into the role and really started to understand just what being a Teaching Assistant involves. I love learning the skills and knowledge needed for the role throughout this apprenticeship.”

Every day is a school day for June’s Apprentice of the Month, Level 3 Teaching Assistant apprentice, Lily!

Impressed by her work ethic and the quality of her college work, Lily was nominated by her SS&L Tutor Sarah, who says:

“Lily is always positive and brings enthusiasm and fun to her peers in our Bridgwater class. I have seen her shine in a similar way at her school, Northgate Primary. It is clear she is a much-loved member of the school community!”

Finding joy at work

“I applied for this apprenticeship because I knew from a young age that I definitely wanted to work with children,” Lily tells us. “Since being at SS&L, I’ve realised that this is exactly what I want to do! I really enjoy the course and all aspects of being a TA.”

Being able to see Lily flourish has been a rewarding journey for Sarah too. “On a recent observation visit I found her laughing and playing with young children in the playground over lunch time, and afterwards working closely with a child in a 1:1 session. Lily was helping him engage by incorporating his personal interests in the activity.”

It seems that Lily has found her place at Northgate. “I love working here,” she says, “and have really enjoyed getting to know my colleagues and all the children I work with. My favourite thing about the course is getting to work within the school environment.”

Finding time for study

All our apprentices know that balancing work and study can be a challenge. All our tutors do their best to help their learners and their employers find that balance.

“I have found the support from SS&L really good, but the support we have receive from Sarah especially is extra special,” Lily explains. “She’ll give us strategies for all the different things we might see at school to help us prepare. She’ll share funny stories of her past experiences, but they always link back to our learning and prepares us to be more confident and knowledgeable within our roles.”

Lily continues: “I had some idea of what was expected of me at the start of the course. But since September I have grown into the role, and really started to understand just what being a Teaching Assistant involves I have loved learning the skills and knowledge needed for the role.”

Plans for the future

When discussing what comes next for Lily, Sarah has her own ideas:

“I hope that Lily takes her studies further when she completes her apprenticeship as she really is a talented TA. My hope is that she’ll join us on a Level 5 course, or trains to be a teacher!”

Lily however, is much more laidback when it comes to her future plans:

“I’m not too sure what my plans include for the future. But I know I’m going to finish this course with more confidence than I had when I started! I would like to think that I’ll be able to carry on working at Northgate, and continue to enjoy every moment as much as I do now!”

Has Lily’s story inspired you? Give our team a call on 0330 332 7997 or message them here for some careers advice today!