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Teacher Assistant CV example and template (South Africa)

Many young South Africans get their first classroom job as an education assistant through the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI), the schools part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. Public schools also hire teacher assistants and Grade R or ECD practitioners themselves, often paid by the school governing body, and private schools and ECD centres hire assistants all year. Principals and Foundation Phase heads of department want to see that you are patient with young children, can help a learner read, and can be trusted with marking, registers and admin.

The example below is for a teacher assistant with an ECD qualification, two BEEI contracts and some time in a crèche. If this is your first application, use your matric results (especially your home language and English marks), Sunday school or holiday club work, tutoring younger children and any first aid course. Say which languages you speak, because Foundation Phase learners are taught in their home language and schools need assistants who can read with them in it.

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Teacher Assistant CV example

Mpho Mashaba

Foundation Phase teacher assistant with an ECD certificate and BEEI experience

079 555 0253 · mpho.mashaba@example.co.za · Polokwane, Limpopo

Profile

Teacher assistant with an NQF level 4 ECD certificate and three years supporting Foundation Phase classes in Polokwane, including two BEEI education assistant contracts. Runs small reading groups in Sepedi and English, helps teachers mark and record assessments, and captures learner information on SA-SAMS. Patient, organised and studying towards a Higher Certificate in ECD.

Work experience

Teacher Assistant (Grade R and Grade 1)

Kgomo Kgomo Primary School (SGB post), Polokwane | Jan 2025 – Present

  • Run daily reading groups for Grade 1 learners who need extra help, using phonics cards and graded readers
  • Help the Grade R practitioner with routines, outdoor play and themed activities
  • Mark class work with the teacher's memo and record the marks for her to check
  • Capture attendance and learner information on SA-SAMS

Education Assistant (BEEI)

Mohlakaneng Primary School, Polokwane | Nov 2023 – Aug 2024

  • Supported two Grade 2 teachers with reading groups, marking and classroom routines in classes of over 40 learners
  • Prepared flashcards, charts and worksheets for lessons
  • Supervised learners during breaks and the school nutrition programme

Education Assistant (BEEI)

Mohlakaneng Primary School, Polokwane | Nov 2022 – Mar 2023

  • Read with Grade 3 learners in Sepedi and English and tracked their progress on a reading chart
  • Photocopied, filed learner profiles and helped the office with admin

Education

Further Education and Training Certificate, Early Childhood Development

Accredited ECD training provider, Polokwane, 2024, NQF level 4

Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education (in progress)

University of South Africa (UNISA), NQF level 5

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Capricorn High School, 2021, NQF level 4

Subjects: Sepedi Home Language (74%), English First Additional Language (68%), Mathematical Literacy, Life Sciences, Geography, Life Orientation

Skills

  • Small-group reading support
  • Foundation Phase classroom support
  • Marking and recording marks
  • Preparing teaching aids
  • SA-SAMS data capturing
  • Play-based learning in Grade R
  • Child first aid
  • Microsoft Word and Excel

Certificates

  • First Aid Level 1, St John Ambulance, 2024

Achievements

  • 18 of the 22 learners in the Grade 1 reading group moved up at least one reading level in 2025

Personal details

Nationality:
South African
Languages:
Sepedi (Home language), English (Fluent), Xitsonga (Basic)
Notice period:
One month
Availability:
Available from January for the new school year

References

Mrs Refilwe Mabotja

Foundation Phase Head of Department, Kgomo Kgomo Primary School

015 555 0371

Mr Lucas Ramaphoko

Principal, Mohlakaneng Primary School

015 555 0219

Teacher Assistant CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Teacher assistant with an NQF level 4 ECD certificate and three years supporting Foundation Phase classes in Polokwane, including two BEEI education assistant contracts. Runs small reading groups in Sepedi and English, helps teachers mark and record assessments, and captures learner information on SA-SAMS. Patient, organised and studying towards a Higher Certificate in ECD.

Skills to list on your Teacher Assistant CV

Duties written as strong bullet points

Tips for a stronger Teacher Assistant CV

Name the grades and subjects you supported

"Assisted in Grade 2, mainly reading and Maths" tells a principal much more than "helped teachers". Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase and Grade R each need different skills, so name the phase and the work you did in it.

Show your BEEI contract dates and the school

BEEI posts are short contracts, often with a break between phases. List each phase as its own entry with the school name and months, so it is clear you finished each contract. A letter or certificate of service from the school is worth mentioning.

Mention the languages you can read with

Children in Foundation Phase learn to read in their home language. If you can read with learners in isiZulu, Sepedi, isiXhosa or another language, say so in your summary as well as your languages section.

List admin skills

Assistants often help the school office too. If you have captured data on SA-SAMS, filed learner profiles, typed letters to parents or used Excel, put it on your CV, because it can be the reason a principal picks you.

Questions people ask

Do I need SACE registration to work as a teacher assistant?

No. SACE (the South African Council for Educators) registers qualified teachers, and every teacher must be registered to teach. Education assistants and teacher assistants are not employed as teachers, so you do not need SACE registration. If you are a student teacher, you can register with SACE as a student, which is worth listing.

What is the Basic Education Employment Initiative?

It is the schools part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. It places unemployed young people in public schools as education assistants or general school assistants on short contracts with a monthly stipend. Applications usually open on the SAYouth.mobi platform, and you need to be in the age group the programme sets.

What qualifications help me get a teacher assistant post?

Matric is usually the minimum. An ECD qualification at NQF level 4 (such as a Further Education and Training Certificate in ECD) or level 5 (Higher Certificate in ECD) makes you a strong applicant for Grade R and Foundation Phase. A first aid course and computer literacy also help.

Can working as a teacher assistant help me become a teacher?

Yes. Classroom experience helps when you apply for a BEd or the Funza Lushaka bursary for teaching. Write down what you learned from the teacher you worked with, such as how she planned reading groups, so you can talk about it in an interview or a bursary application.

What should a teacher assistant CV include if I have never worked in a school?

Add any time spent with children, such as Sunday school, holiday clubs, babysitting, coaching a junior sports team or helping younger siblings with homework. Include your matric home language and English marks and say which grades you would like to work with.

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