Support children and young people’s play and leisure — City & Guilds Limited Occupational Qualification Learning Support Revision

    This subtopic focuses on the role of play and leisure in children's development and the responsibilities of a learning support practitioner in facilitating

    Topic Synopsis

    This subtopic focuses on the role of play and leisure in children's development and the responsibilities of a learning support practitioner in facilitating safe, inclusive, and stimulating play opportunities. It emphasizes understanding play theories, balancing risk and challenge to promote resilience, and using reflective practice to enhance personal effectiveness in supporting children’s holistic development.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Support children and young people’s play and leisure

    CITY & GUILDS LIMITED
    vocational

    This subtopic focuses on the role of play and leisure in children's development and the responsibilities of a learning support practitioner in facilitating safe, inclusive, and stimulating play opportunities. It emphasizes understanding play theories, balancing risk and challenge to promote resilience, and using reflective practice to enhance personal effectiveness in supporting children’s holistic development.

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    Learning Outcomes
    4
    Assessment Guidance
    4
    Key Skills
    1
    Key Terms
    4
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools

    Topic Overview

    The City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools is a vocational qualification designed for individuals working or volunteering as teaching assistants, learning support assistants, or similar roles in primary, secondary, or special schools. This qualification covers the essential knowledge and skills needed to support pupils' learning, development, and well-being under the guidance of a qualified teacher. It is a nationally recognised qualification in the UK and forms a solid foundation for career progression in education.

    The course is divided into mandatory and optional units that address key areas such as child development, safeguarding, communication, and supporting literacy and numeracy. Students learn how to contribute to planning and evaluating learning activities, manage behaviour, and promote equality and inclusion. The qualification emphasises practical application in real school settings, requiring students to demonstrate competence through work-based assessments and reflective practice.

    This qualification is crucial for anyone aspiring to work effectively in a school environment. It not only provides the theoretical underpinning for supporting teaching and learning but also ensures that support staff understand their role in safeguarding children, promoting positive behaviour, and fostering an inclusive learning environment. Successful completion can lead to roles such as teaching assistant, learning support assistant, or special educational needs (SEN) assistant, and can be a stepping stone to higher-level qualifications like the Level 3 Diploma.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Child development: Understanding the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development stages from birth to 19 years, and how these impact learning and behaviour.
    • →Safeguarding: Knowing the legal and procedural frameworks (e.g., Keeping Children Safe in Education) to protect children from harm, including recognising signs of abuse and following reporting procedures.
    • →Supporting learning activities: Assisting teachers in planning, delivering, and evaluating lessons, including differentiating tasks to meet individual pupil needs.
    • →Behaviour management: Using positive strategies to promote good behaviour, such as setting clear expectations, using praise, and implementing school behaviour policies consistently.
    • →Equality, diversity, and inclusion: Ensuring all pupils have equal access to learning, respecting differences, and adapting support to meet diverse needs, including those with SEN or disabilities.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Understand the nature and importance of play and leisure, Be able to support children and young people’s play and leisure, Be able to support children and young people in balancing risk and challenge, Be able to reflect on and improve own practice

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for demonstrating understanding of how play supports physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development, with reference to recognised play theories (e.g., Piaget, Vygotsky).
    • Award credit for evidence of planning and implementing inclusive play activities that meet individual needs, including adapting resources for children with additional requirements.
    • Award credit for carrying out a risk–benefit assessment and showing how they supported a child to take calculated risks while maintaining safety.
    • Award credit for a reflective account that honestly evaluates personal practice, identifies specific strengths and areas for improvement, and links actions to professional standards or frameworks.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡Compile a varied portfolio of evidence: include observation records, planning sheets, annotated photographs, witness testimonies, and reflective journals to meet all assessment criteria.
    • 💡Use a recognised reflective model (e.g., Gibbs, Kolb) to structure your written reflections, ensuring you move beyond description to critical analysis of your practice.
    • 💡In risk–benefit assessments, show how you actively involved children in the process, promoting their own risk-awareness and decision-making skills.
    • 💡Integrate terminology from the unit specification—such as ‘playwork principles’, ‘loose parts’, and ‘holistic development’—to demonstrate professional knowledge.
    • 💡When answering questions about safeguarding, always refer to current legislation (e.g., Children Act 2004, Keeping Children Safe in Education) and your school's specific policies. Examiners look for evidence that you understand the procedures, not just the theory.
    • 💡In written assessments, use specific examples from your school experience to illustrate points. For instance, when discussing differentiation, describe a real lesson where you adapted resources for a pupil with dyslexia. This shows practical application of knowledge.
    • 💡For behaviour management questions, emphasise proactive strategies (e.g., establishing routines, positive reinforcement) over reactive ones. Explain how you would de-escalate a situation using techniques like distraction, calm tone, and offering choices, and always link back to the school's behaviour policy.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Over-emphasising structured, adult-led play while neglecting the developmental benefits of free, child-initiated play and leisure.
    • Removing all perceived risk from activities rather than teaching children how to assess and manage risk themselves.
    • Producing descriptive rather than reflective accounts; stating what happened without analysing the impact on children’s learning or identifying personal learning points.
    • Designing play activities without sufficient consideration of the individual child’s interests, cultural background, or developmental stage.
    • Misconception: Teaching assistants only work with one child or a small group. Correction: While TAs may support specific pupils, they often work with whole classes, small groups, and individuals, and their role is to facilitate learning for all pupils, not just those with additional needs.
    • Misconception: Safeguarding is solely the responsibility of the designated safeguarding lead. Correction: Every adult in a school has a duty to safeguard children. TAs must be vigilant, report concerns promptly, and follow school policies, as they are often the first to notice changes in a child's behaviour or appearance.
    • Misconception: Supporting learning means just helping pupils complete worksheets. Correction: Effective support involves scaffolding learning, asking probing questions, modelling skills, and encouraging independence. TAs should work alongside teachers to reinforce learning objectives, not just 'do the work' for pupils.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •Basic literacy and numeracy skills: You need to be able to read and write at a level that allows you to complete written assessments and support pupils in English and maths.
    • •A willingness to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check: This is mandatory for anyone working with children, and you must be cleared to work in a school setting.
    • •Some experience in a school or childcare setting is helpful but not essential. Many students start the qualification while volunteering or working as a teaching assistant, which provides practical context for the theory.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • Understand the nature and importance of play and leisure, Be able to support children and young people’s play and leisure, Be able to support children and young people in balancing risk and challenge, Be able to reflect on and improve own practice

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