After being a classroom teaching assistant for four and a half years, Josh Yoane felt like he needed a change. Completing the Level 3 Teaching Assistant apprenticeship with a PE, Health and Wellbeing Focus helped him to transition into a PE Lead role at his school. He also gained his Maths and English functional skills qualifications.

Josh: It’s such a rewarding process to go through. When you see the children progress based on something you’ve put in place to get them there, it’s just amazing. I feel it’s also allowed me to push myself in a certain direction. Doing the apprenticeship helped me land the PE Lead job, so I can focus just on sports and PE. It’s a role I absolutely love doing.

Josh: Differentiation was a huge one. Just because half the class is enjoying an activity doesn’t mean everyone is. The course taught me how to make sessions accessible for every child, so no one feels left out.

It changed the way I thought about even simple things, like equipment use. I used to see a tennis ball as something just for bouncing or hitting; now I see it as a tool for balance, coordination games, and a dozen other skills.

Josh: Communication and organisation, without a doubt. I’ve always been able to work on my own initiative, but the apprenticeship forced me to become proactive rather than reactive.

I also learned the importance of planning, especially scheduling modules and coursework alongside planning warm-ups for the next day. Being on this apprenticeship - it gets you to think in different ways and you see the school day through a completely different lens. It gives you life skills you never knew you needed, or never knew how to apply in a professional environment.

Josh: I think I’ve definitely helped improve the sports profile of the school - of course alongside the fantastic PE teachers we have here. We’ve gone from organising maybe one competition a month to possibly three every week!

Having trained sports specialists does help improve the quality of PE provision. If you looked at what we offer now, fencing, archery, trampolining etc. you’d think we were a private school. We’ve moved far beyond generic football and basketball to offer niche sports that give children a real sense of variety and something for everyone.

Josh: It’s full-on! I’m teaching PE almost every morning and afternoon. Every lunchtime, there’s a different club - tennis today, volleyball or dodgeball tomorrow. Three days a week I run after-school clubs, and the other two days are designated for competitions and fixtures against other schools.

Josh: Seeing children achieve things they didn't think were possible. We have a student with cerebral palsy who was determined to participate in a cross-country competition. He ended up running longer than almost anyone in his class. Just allowing him that ownership and not saying "you can’t do this" was incredible.

We also have achievement assemblies every Monday. Kids come up to share what they’ve done over the weekend, winning gymnastics medals or joining local clubs, competitions their team has done well in etc. It’s amazing to realise they started those sports in our PE lessons and were inspired to take them further.

Josh: I think it plays a huge role. We make our lessons so inclusive that it’s a huge confidence boost for all learners. It also gives the younger pupils more agency and independence - if I’m thinking up creative ways of getting from one side of the room to the other, I’m going to realise I’m capable of doing this, my body can do this - I don’t need someone else to necessarily tell me how to do it.

When they are doing a teambuilding activity, pupils feel more connected and they have to listen to everyone else’s ideas to come up with a solution.

Josh: Yes! Some children just open up more to men and there aren’t enough of us, especially in primary schools. I think really, it comes down to having both genders represented in the range of role models that you are offering, so every child can find someone they feel comfortable talking to. Anyone could start a conversation about sport or cars, for example, but if you’ve got a genuine shared interest it makes it easier. 

Josh: Hiring or upskilling PE apprentices just feels like a massive win for everyone. You get extra staff with fresh ideas and someone to support teachers who might find PE challenging to lead. If you have happy, active children and staff who feel supported, the whole school environment improves.

Josh: I’m really enjoying the PE Lead role right now. Every day feels like a new day again. I’m still considering my options, whether that’s becoming a fully qualified teacher or even looking at the fire service in the future, but the communication, teaching and leadership skills I’ve learned on my apprenticeship will help me no matter which door I decide to go through.