DCG Success Stories

Latvian-born teaching assistant Inta Zdanovska is happy to be working in education again after leaving her home country to find new opportunities in the UK.

Inta, who works in a special school in Derbyshire, took the Level 3 Diploma for Teaching Assistants with Derby College Group and is soon to complete the Level 4 course.

She said: “I’ve always liked being in schools, and I already have a bachelor’s degree in education from university in Latvia, but it seemed quite a difficult process to be able to teach in the UK.

“So, once my two children were older, I took entry level pathways to GCSEs then enrolled on the level 3 TA course with Derby College.

“While on the course I got a full-time job at Longdon Park School in Egginton, Derbyshire, where I now teach 12 and 13-year-olds.”

Inta really enjoyed the TA courses and was pleased to be taught by the same tutors for both levels 3 and 4.

She said: “They were lovely; really helpful. Every subject was taught well; the courses opened my mind to the many things I already do in my job and why they make sense.

“We also had external teachers who came in to college to show us education methods that would help our children.

“And our tutors showed us new ways of using technology to support our own learning and for use in school.

“I’d absolutely recommend the Derby College TA courses. I feel very fortunate to be in a permanent role in special education – and glad that I was in the right place at the right time to take it up.”