Teaching Assistants 03/02

The Role of a Teaching Assistant (TA)

A TA is the most expensive resource, and very important, you will have in the classroom. To utilise their role effectively, teachers must plan carefully for them to ensure they are used appropriately and for the best purpose within the lesson

Teachers want the TA to have an impact on children's learning

Need to make sure TA and teacher can work as part of a team - need to know exactly what their role is in your classroom, and have a good positive working relationship in order to get the most for the children

What do effective teaching assistants look like?

• Well deployed

• Their work makes a real impact

• Well managed

• Able to work collaboratively with the class teacher

Effective Deployment

Team work between teacher and TA

Involved within discussions surrounding planning and next steps

Without these interactions, the teacher's use of a TA can lead to over supporting the class, i.e. working with the same group / child every day. Often in these circumstances, it has been noted that TA's focus more on the completion of a task rather than the child's learning and understanding

Ultimately, teachers must take responsibility for their TA, to ensure they are working how they should be

Planning for TAs

• 1:1 support - be aware of children's IEP targets if working with SEN children

• Group work - i.e. supporting GDS / higher attaining children to challenge and accelerate through lesson tasks

• Whole class support

• Specific, focused interventions for targeted children

• Sometimes TA have a specialism

A teacher's role

Teacher needs to think what TA will be responsible for in class - inform TA with all information necessary, ensure TA's are fully prepared for their role in the classroom

Provide CPD and model

Making them feel like a valued member of the team, i.e. informing them of changes to the day / changes to plans

Lesson observations and Ofsted

Observers and inspectors will not judge individual teaching assistants

They are more interested in how the teacher effectively uses to TA - what impact they have on the progress of learning

TA CPD (Continual Professional Development)

As an outstanding school, all staff deliver outstanding practice. This means training is provided within observations of classroom practice

TA's can see direct correlation between knowledge and impact on learning

Another element of CPD is improving TA subject knowledge - in lessons, TAs are getting experience and gaining subject knowledge themselves - it is important to share subject knowledge with TA

Nicol Mere provide CPD sessions termly where teachers and TAs look at planning and see if there are any gaps in TAs' knowledge - this is within staff meeting times, such as safeguarding, behaviour and first aid