Meet Toby Ciepiela:

Toby Ciepiela has recently completed his Level 3 Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship with a
PE, Health and Wellbeing Focus and is currently undertaking his Level 4 Sports Coach apprenticeship at Whitehill Junior School Whitehill Junior School, Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

Toby talked to us about why he loves his role so much and the important role of sport and physical activity in building belonging.

Toby: It’s been an amazing journey. I actually attended this junior school as a child, so it’s a real full circle moment to come back and work here. My headteacher now was my headteacher then! I had a great time here before moving on to Hitchin Boys’ School for secondary.

Toby: After my GCSEs, I initially took A-Levels in PE, Psychology, and Sociology. However, I
realised the A-Level route wasn't for me. I dropped out and went to college to do a diploma in Physical Education and Sports Coaching, alongside a football academy programme.

I was working a part-time job at Whitehill’s sister school, Highbury Infant School and Nursery, supporting after-school clubs, when one of the assistant Heads approached me
about this opportunity. It bridged the gap between my sports qualifications and a career in education.

I loved my first Level 3 PE Teaching Assistant apprenticeship and am now eight weeks into my Level 4 qualification. I enjoy my role so much - having the ability to manage and influence a class of children is just so rewarding.

Toby: It’s a real mix. My mornings are always classroom-based, working as a Teaching Assistant alongside the teacher. In the afternoons, I switch to PE delivery. We have specific days for
different year groups, for example, Monday is Year 3 and Tuesday is Year 4. Thursdays and Fridays are our main PE lessons which are split between lower and upper school. The lower school’s session take place on a Thursday.

Toby: We cover the National Curriculum but try to keep it varied. Recently, we’ve done football,
netball, and Paralympic Games; involving indoor sitting sports, which have varied from between sitting volleyball, boccia and blind football. I also help out with a huge range of extra-curricular activities.

Toby:  Yes! Pickleball is a big one we are looking to bring in because it’s gaining so much popularity. We are also looking at getting a glow in the dark dodgeball, which should be a fun twist on what we already offer!

Toby: A lot of pupils like to engage in physical activity and extra-curricular sporting activities, so having a positive role model to deliver and prepare those sessions is extremely beneficial for younger pupils. I think it’s really important that they're learning from someone who has both a passion for sports and either has knowledge or good experience working with young
children. Also for the rest of the staff I think it frees up time, reduces stress and creates a really nice team morale.

Toby: It’s hugely beneficial. For this student, physical activity is the part of school he enjoys most.
We’ve found a strong link between physical activity and academic focus - I believe they correlate really nicely. So if he has been active at lunchtime or in a club, he is much better regulated, especially when it comes to transitioning into the first fifteen minutes of the lesson, than if that hadn’t been in place.

Also because I’ve been working with him both within the classroom and in a PE environment, I'm more aware of his needs, and he's aware of my expectations of him.

Toby: It starts with conversation. I ask them what they enjoy. Because we offer such a wide range, from dance and bench ball to tag rugby, there is usually something for everyone. We’ve also spent a lot of time as PE staff collectively coming up with games that are inclusive and accessible and I’ve learned some good ideas on central training days held by ESF Apprenticeships.

When Year 3 pupils come into the school we just focus on teaching teambuilding exercises for the first term. It’s partly because they will likely have followed a slightly different PE provision to the one we offer here, but it also really helps to build their confidence, work on collaboration and building a sense of belonging.

Toby: One hundred percent - yes. I think it’s important to get more men thinking about becoming teachers or teaching assistants. I know that a lot of men and boys look at sport and think that it’s a field they’d like to work in, but they don’t necessarily think about a career applying that
in a school. The fact that this apprenticeship ties in so closely to sport and physical education is a really great draw and it’s a fantastic way to experience what it’s like working in an educational setting.

For some boys, there is a temptation to turn to the online world for connection, so I think having a positive male role model who can deliver engaging sessions in school is vital.

Toby: Absolutely. Regardless of your role in a school, you need to be readily available to listen. We try to drip-feed the importance of mental health into our sessions, teaching them that it’s
okay to talk and that being strong-minded includes looking after your wellbeing.

Toby: Talking from personal experience, I remember how important it was to me to take part in an extra-curricular activity or a club, for example, football, which has always been my sport. The
opportunity to take part in something with like-minded people, that everyone enjoyed together, was really important to me.

If we can provide an in-person sporting activity or extra-curricular club where all children can
feel a sense of belonging and enjoyment, I think they are far more likely to seek out that
connection in the real world.

Toby: The transferable skills are endless - just off the top of my head, confidence and the ability to work off my own initiative, planning has been another big area and making things inclusive.

I’ve also focused on my communication and admin skills, especially now as I’m liaising with parents more as I’m responsible for taking children out for fixtures. The support from my tutor, Henry, and the ESF team has been amazing and the extracurricular events and central training days are always fun.

Toby: I couldn't recommend this apprenticeship enough. If you enjoy sport and want to work in education, it’s the perfect blend of practical work and theory. It’s a great way to learn on the job, and see if this career is for you.

Toby: For now, I’m focused on doing a great job with my Level 4 and taking on more responsibility with school fixtures. Depending on my situation in a year and a half’s time, l'll probably re-evaluate and start looking towards future steps and potentially that might be going into teaching.