Reassessing The Impact Of Teaching Assistants

Over the last decade, teaching assistants (TAs) have become an established part of everyday classroom life. TAs are often used by schools to help low-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. Yet despite the huge rise in the number of TAs working in UK classrooms, very little is known about their impact on pupils. This key and timely text examines the impact of TAs on pupils’ learning and behaviour, and on teachers and teaching. The authors present the provocative findings from the ground-breaking and seminal Deployment and Impact of Support Staff (DISS) project. This was the largest, most in-depth study ever to be carried out in this field. It critically examined the effect of TA support on the academic progress of 8,200 pupils, made extensive observations of nearly 700 pupils and over 100 TAs, and collected data from over 17,800 questionnaire responses and interviews with over 470 school staff and pupils. This book reveals the extent to which the pupils in most need are let down by current classroom practice. The authors present a robust challenge to the current widespread practices concerning TA preparation, deployment and practice, structured around a conceptually and empirically strong explanatory framework. The authors go on to show how schools need to change if they are to realise the potential of TAs. With serious implications not just for classroom practice, but also whole-school, local authority and government policy, this will be an indispensable text for primary, secondary and special schools, senior management teams, those involved in teacher training and professional development, policy-makers and academics.

Teaching assistants are an integral part of classroom life, yet pioneering research by the authors has shown schools are not making the most of this valued resource. Evidence shows the more support pupils receive from TAs, the less academic progress they made. Yet the reason for this has little to do with TAs. It is decisions made about them by school leaders and teachers that best explain this provocative finding. The fully updated second edition of this book draws on the experiences of schools that have put this guidance into action via the Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants programme. Revised to reflect the latest research evidence and changes within education, including the 2014 SEND Code of Practice, this book will help school leaders and teachers in primary and secondary settings to rethink the role, purpose and contribution of TAs, and add real value to what can be achieved in classrooms. Setting out a field-tested process, structured around a coherent and empirically sound conceptual framework, this book: helps school leaders review, reform and reenergise their TA workforce provides practical strategies to implement in the classroom illustrates key points with new case studies provides photocopiable templates and resources to support decision-making and action. Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants provides much-needed and evidence-informed guidance on how to unleash the huge potential of TAs, and is essential reading for all school leaders.

Drawing on the lessons from one of the world’s leading research and development efforts involving teaching assistants (TAs), this book is the authors’ most authoritative text yet on how to design a whole school plan to improve TAs’ deployment, practice and preparedness, and put it into action. The authors use robust theories and original research to explore an innovative and integrated approach to making the most of TAs, and recognising the valuable contributions they make to the classroom and the school. Structured around a unique and empirically sound conceptual framework, this book provides essential principles, practical tools and workable strategies, developed through collaboration with hundreds of UK schools. It focuses on ensuring TAs can thrive in their role, and presents the tools and techniques needed to do so accessibly, and is illustrated with case studies on school and classroom practices. Essential reading for all primary school leaders and SENCOs responsible for training and managing TAs, this book is also a useful resource for teachers and teaching assistants looking to optimise the TAs’ contributions. Used in combination with The Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Effective Interaction, Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools is a comprehensive and unrivalled guide to supporting school workforce improvement.

Teaching assistants have become an integral part of classroom life, yet pioneering research by the authors has shown that school leaders and teachers are not making the most of this valued resource. Results from the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff (DISS) project showed that the more support pupils received from teaching assistants, the less academic progress they made. Yet it is not decisions made by the teaching assistants themselves, but decisions made by school leaders and teachers about how their support staff are used and prepared, which explains these provocative results. Prompted by the wake-up call the DISS project findings provided, this timely book of guidance will help school leaders and teachers in primary and secondary schools improve the way they use teaching assistants, and will add real value to what can be achieved in the classroom. Based on the authors' collaborative work with schools in the Effective Deployment of Teaching Assistants (EDTA) project, this book provides essential, practical tools and classroom-tested strategies that will allow schools to conduct a fundamental review of current practice and provides a framework for reforming teaching assistant deployment and preparation, and the way they interact with pupils. Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistantsprovides much-needed and well-informed guidance on how to unleash the huge potential of teaching assistants working in schools and is essential reading for all school leaders.

Behaviour Management and the Role of the Teaching Assistant draws on the latest research as well as teaching assistants' own views to enable readers to reconsider TA deployment and to maximise the benefits TAs have to offer in supporting children’s behaviour. It considers the difficulties facing TAs, summarises the key stages in the evolution of their role in the classroom and highlights the significant challenges of TAs’ role definition. Using current research findings, this book provides guidance and practical activities to support schools in empowering TAs to work with children whose behaviour challenges. Each chapter considers a range of strategies for working with TAs, as well as the strengths and limitations of these approaches. There are also a range of self-/school-auditing and self-evaluation tasks with key points to consider and practical in-school suggestions at the end of each chapter. This is essential reading for professionals at all levels working in schools wanting to understand how teaching assistants can best be supported to successfully manage behaviour in schools.

Supporting trainee teachers to understand the complex nature of effective learning and teaching in primary schools. A completely new book covering the key skills of primary teaching including: teaching and learning reflective practice in teaching planning assessment behaviour engagement vulnerable groups professional responsibilities and relationships This book supports and challenges primary trainee teachers and their mentors (both school based and university/SCITT based) by offering a range of approaches, strategies and perspectives to aspects of primary teaching, with learning and pupil progress as the focus. It offers thought provoking activities, case studies and reflection tasks for trainees and mentors and supports trainees working towards their professional development targets. The text also explores less common themes such as question and dialogue, EAL and teacher presence. It helps trainees to understand and develop these skills and begin to use them in their teaching. It then supports them in reflecting on their development of these skills and evaluating their impact on learning.

Making the Most of Your Teaching Assistant is an essential handbook for every SENCo and teacher responsible for managing Teaching Assistants. Based firmly in the classroom and focused on supporting pupil progress it provides clear guidance and practical support in deploying, training and monitoring the effectiveness of Teaching Assistants. This easy-to-use book: sets the current context of the development of the role of Teaching Assistants within that of wider workforce reforms advises on how best to advertise, recruit and interview Teaching Assistants proposes a process for the successful induction of new Teaching Assistants explores a variety of ways in which you can deploy your Teaching Assistants, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and defining roles and responsibilities suggests how schools can monitor and evaluate the impact of the work of their Teaching Assistants on the academic and social progress of all their pupils provides forms and other resources that can be photocopied and used immediately to support the work of Teaching Assistants gives many examples of current best practice with scenarios and case studies based on real events in real schools. This book is an invaluable source of information and advice for class teachers and leadership teams who seek to make the most effective use of the teaching assistants in their schools to support the teacher, the learning, the curriculum, and the school as a whole. Trainee and new teachers will find the book an invaluable resource in preparing to work alongside and manage teaching assistants in their classrooms.

This book offers the first collection of international academic writing on the topic of teaching assistants. It serves as an indicative summary of current research and thinking in this field and as a point of departure for future research and development. With contributions from leading researchers, the book draws together empirical work on the deployment and impact of teaching assistants from various perspectives and from a range of methodological approaches. It highlights and celebrates the vital everyday contributions teaching assistants make to their schools and their communities: from their role within classrooms, to their moment-by-moment interactions with pupils and teachers. The book examines the effect that teaching assistants can have on pupils’ learning and wellbeing, and considers issues of over-dependence on classroom paraprofessionals and the unintended consequences to which this can lead. Bringing together work from a journal special issue with brand-new and updated chapters, the contributions offer insight into the liminal space between educator, caregiver, behaviour manager, and facilitator of learning and of peer relations, which characterizes the teaching assistant role. This timely and important book will be essential reading for academics, researchers, and students interested in special educational needs, disability, and inclusion, and those interested in the wider topic of paraprofessionals in labour markets.