Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools


Book Description

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.




Children's Learning in Primary Schools


Book Description

The over-arching role of Teaching Assistants is to support teaching and learning in schools. To do this effectively, they need to understand the curriculum content of all the subjects in which they provide support and know what learning outcomes are sought. This accessible book provides an overview of the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes that children learn in each subject in their primary years.




Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants


Book Description

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.




A Teaching Assistant's Guide to Primary Education


Book Description

This jargon-free book has been specially written for teaching assistants taking up posts in primary schools working at NVQ Level 2 and 3 of the National Occupational Standards of Teaching Assistants. It covers every area of primary education, including: an overview of primary education the qualities, knowledge and skills needed the curriculum managing behaviour evaluation and record-keeping professional development. Joan Dean knows primary education inside out and is well known in the field. She uses case studies based on real life scenarios to provide a detailed yet accessible book, making it essential reading for teaching assistants. This guide will also offer support and advice to staff working with teaching assistants and to those who provide their training.




Becoming a Teaching Assistant


Book Description

The authors introduce students to the requirements that their degree programmes will make and explore issues such as behaviour management and national curriculum strategies, helping readers to engage with the material in a way that is appropriate to Higher Education study. The book draws on the experiences of teaching assistants and is grounded in the day-to-day practices of professionals working with young people in schools. Theoretical concepts are explored as being crucial to developing learning support and teaching skills. The authors′ aim is to help students understand essential theory, and to provide a practical support throughout their studies. This book is for teaching assistants working toward High Level Teaching Assistant status in teaching and learning (HLTA), and/or Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It is a teaching resource for Higher Education tutors and school line managers of teaching assistants. The book is also suitable for tutors and mentors as it gives guidance on content and presentation of professional development materials for teaching assistants. This book is a course text for teaching assistants. It helps students make the transition into undergraduate level study, and is also a teaching and learning resource for students and tutors on undergraduate programmes.




Primary Teaching Assistants Curriculum in Context


Book Description

Teaching assistants are uniquely placed to support children's involvement with learning through the curriculum. This book explores those issues that are central to that process. Specifically it examines: strategies for supporting learning and assessment in English, maths and science inclusive and imaginative practices in all areas of learning home and community contexts for learning working practices which support professional development. This book is written primarily for learning support sta.




A Handbook for Learning Support Assistants


Book Description

Written in the context of recent legislation in England and guidance to schools, this is a practical handbook for learning support assistants and teachers working with them. It can be used to ensure that: support assistants know what to expect of colleagues and colleagues know what to expect from support assistants; children are given the best support possible by support assistants who understand the nature of their needs; support assistants and teachers work together effectively to support the child with special needs; and that training is relevant an helpful.




Reassessing the Impact of Teaching Assistants


Book Description

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.




Teachers And Assistants Working Together


Book Description

“Few areas of education can equal the growth rate of that forteaching assistants over the past seven years, doubling to more than133,000 in England between 1997 to 2004. TAs are vital in thedevelopment of inclusive education, yet their status, pay, conditions,qualifications and their relationship with classroom teachers are all ofdeep concern in the majority of cases. This excellent, practical bookis a welcome and much-needed authoritative study of the allimportantrelationship between TA and teacher.†Mark Vaughan OBE, Founder and Co-Director,Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education "This is an excellent book, founded in action research that enables it to go beyond the "seat-of-the-pants" methodology that informs much material on TA/teacher partnerships." TES This book is for teachers and teaching assistants seeking to improve theways in which they work together to meet the needs of children in theirclasses. It outlines the thinking behind the employment of teachingassistants in the classroom and spells out some of the teamworkingopportunities and problems that can arise. Drawing on original research, itexplores ways in which teachers and teaching assistants can worktogether to support children's learning and examines different models ofworking together. This unique book provides: Highly effective models for working together, tried and tested in schools A practical section with activities, hand-outs and photocopiableresources that teachers can use to develop these models in theirown schools This is a key text for classroom teachers, teaching assistants, traineeteachers and postgraduate education students, and those studying forfoundation degrees for teaching assistants. It is also of use to parents,headteachers, educational psychologists, and other support personnel.