- 88 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
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:
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- 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.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Chapter 1
Appointing, inducting and developing teaching assistants
- Support literacy and/or numeracy or the whole curriculum?
- Support pupils with special educational needs?
- Provide behaviour guidance and support?
- Give individual support to a pupil with a statement of special educational need?
- Provide cover for whole classes when teachers have time for planning, preparation and assessment (PPA)?
- Check job descriptions and qualifications with NJC.
- Check different levels of responsibility for Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 Higher Level Teaching Assistants.
- Check different levels of responsibility for cover purposes between Level 3 and Level 4 TAs.
- Check with LA personnel department.
- Set a start date for the post.
- Allow period of time for notice, usually four weeks.
- Determine times/days.
- The class teacher, the key stage coordinator or subject coordinator.
Advertising, interviewing and appointing
- Advertise locally (in the local press, the LA website, or school website).
- When advertising, set a closing date for applications and date for interviews.
- Request a letter of support with the application form for additional information on interests and experiences; this also gives indicators to support qualifications, especially standards of written English.
- Decide if you want to encourage candidates to visit the school before the interview and allow time for this.
- After the closing date and short-listing, invite candidates for interview.
- Request that candidates provide proof of qualifications and identity for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check at the interview. This reduces time after appointing.
- Plan the interview date and a programme for the day.
- Inform and involve Inclusion/SEN governor in arrangements for the interviews.
- Plan interview questions. (See list below.)
- Following the interview, confirm pay and start date.
- Inform LA personnel of the appointment.
- Organise a CRB check and ensure the teaching assistantās name is added to the school single list.
- Check the new teaching assistantās Child Protection/Safeguarding training needs.
Interview questions for teaching assistants
- Describe an activity that you have carried out with a child and what effect you think it has had on their social or academic development.
- How would you intervene between two pupils having a verbal argument?
- What planning would you do to ensure that higher standards are achieved?
- What information would you need about a child before beginning work with them?
- When taking responsibility for a group of pupils, what are the most important professional standards you have to display?
- What do you see yourself doing in three years time?
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is increasingly important in everyday life. What experience do you have of using ICT, and how would you use ICT to improve learning?
- What in-service training (INSET) requirements do you think this post will need you to pursue?
- What particular strengths or interests are you going to bring to this post?
- Describe a child with special educational needs who you have worked with and a resource that you have used with that child.
- The national aim is to increase inclusion; what are your personal views on this?
- Contributing to and implementing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are part of the work of support staff. What makes a good IEP?
- Some the pupils may have challenging behaviour. What experience have you had of pupils with difficult behaviour, and what strategies would you use to help them moderate their behaviour?
- How might you involve parents with their childrenās education?
- In what ways have you been able to contribute to the life of a school, other than in your support work?
Induction: shadowing, whole-school information and class information
Induction pack
- A list of documents to be made available
- A teaching assistant induction checklist
- Doās for teaching assistants
- Checklist of training requirements for new teaching assistants
- Format for the introduction of new teaching assistants
- Document āRoles and responsibilities of teaching assistantsā to share with staff.
Documents and other information to make available to new teaching assistants
- School policies
- behaviour and attendance
- special educational needs and inclusion
- child protection/safeguarding children
- name of designated senior person (DSP)
- assessment
- health and safety
- hygiene and food
- ICT
- security
- Individual Education Plans (IEPs) of children in own class
- schemes of work for class and/or year group
- National Curriculum levels and data
- individual pupil data
- school and class timetables
- playground and lunchtime duty rotas
- staff lists and staff structures
- list of other professionals working in the school and their roles
- recording and reporting incidents
- Off-site responsibilities, including school trips
- Emergency plans including fire, accident and severe weather
- Names of First Aiders
- Guidance on confidentiality.
Date issued/discussed | Follow-up date | |
Useful Information | ||
Map of school | ||
School prospectus | ||
Staff list | ||
Timings of the day | ||
Staffing meetings and briefings details | ||
Health & Safety arrangements | ||
Behaviour and attendance policy | ||
Special educational needs policy | ||
Introduction to use of ICT | ||
School calendar of events | ||
General Arrangements | ||
Storage of personal belongings | ||
Tea/coffee arrangements | ||
Play and lunchtime rotas | ||
Car parking | ||
Pay | ||
Absence | ||
Security arrangements | ||
Union membership | ||
Role Specific Information | ||
Meeting to talk through the role | ||
Role of teaching assistants | ||
Daily timetable | ||
Pupil information | ||
Record keeping | ||
Professional development revi... |
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- List of figures and tables
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Appointing, inducting and developing teaching assistants
- 2 Different ways of working
- 3 Supporting teaching and learning in the classroom
- 4 Working with teaching assistants to include pupils with additional educational needs
- 5 Understanding effectiveness and impact
- Conclusion
- References and suggested further reading