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1 Professional Values and
Practice
The Government acknowledges the tremendous contribution teacher
assistants can make at all levels from the Foundation Stage
to KS4. In the standards for achieving QTS (Qualified Teacher
Status) they say that teachers should:
"… understand the contribution that support staff
and other professionals make to teaching and learning."
Qualifying to Teach (2002) (TTA & DfES) TTA Standards
1.6
Teaching assistants were known under a variety of titles
such as classroom assistant (CA), general assistant (GA) support
worker (SW) or Special Support Assistants (SSA). The exact
terms varied between different LEA'S. The general term currently
in use is that of Teacher Assistant (TA). This title implies
a change in the role of the classroom assistant in that they
are now much more actively involved in teaching, individuals,
groups, and even whole class. This teaching will be developed
closely with the teacher.
In Nursery and Primary Schools Teacher Assistants (TA) will
be used for a wide range of support roles. The Numeracy and
Literacy strategies have emphasised this role. Many teachers
are realising that in organising practical primary science
the support of a Teacher Assistant is very useful. The Teacher
Assistant can work with a group or groups guide them through
practical work and assist, through direct observation, with
teacher assessment.
In the secondary school teacher assistants are more likely
to have a specialist role, and science departments are also
likely to have science technicians. However whilst the specific
nature of the work may vary the principles of supporting the
teaching of science should remain similar.
Trainee teachers at whatever level will need to understand
how to work with these teacher assistants and be able to use
them in a variety of ways.
"The essence of the successful deployment of TAs lies
in understanding the nature of the support that they can provide.
This can be divided into four strands.
- Support for the pupil
- Support for the teacher
- Support for the curriculum / subject
- Support for the school"
(DfEE (2000) Working with Teacher Assistants a good practice
Guide p. 6 - 8)
Support for the Pupil is support for all pupils with
whom the TA comes into contact. Many TAs are employed with
specific responsibilities to work with individual children
with special educational needs. Others are given more general
duties.
Support for the teacher involves TAs in performing
a number of routine tasks, photocopying, helping with resources
and teaching and assessing groups or i8ndividuals. Additionally,
they can assist in practical sessions by checking children's
safety procedures, and taking an overview of the class when
the teacher is helping individuals; they can usefully assist
in the distribution of apparatus and materials, encourage
clearing up at the end, and generally be of help in the child
management area during practicals in science and technology.
Support for the curriculum involves supporting specific
subjects such as Science or ICT, helping children with tasks,
or rewriting material so that it has an easier readability.
Diagram and worksheet production along agreed guidelines,
and assisting some pupils to interpret these would often be
beneficial.
Support for the school through the TAs being part
of a team working with teachers across the school to support
and enhance learning in a variety of ways. The school or department
equally needs to support the TAs ensuring they know understand
and can do what is expected of them. This may require some
TA training.
2 Working with support workers
- the principles
When working with a teacher and children both the teacher
and TA should be clear on the role and action the TA will
take.
"To perform well you need to know what it is you are
supposed to be doing. Clarity is therefore needed in the deployment
of any member of staff. Because the role of the TA has been
evolving, and as it varies according to the school and the
experience and qualifications of the TA, the task may well
require more thought than it does for other members of staff
whose role is better established. (DfEE 2000 p15)"
Legal responsibilities and Health and Safety
"Health and Safety, Child protection and other forms
of legislation bear on the day to day work of a school. TAs
need to be informed of the provisions of the legislative framework
around schools, and be kept up to date with changes, particularly
on those issues that directly affect their own work with pupils.
(DfEE 2000 p26)"
The TA or Lab technician should be familiar with the ASE
"BE SAFE" publication, CLEAPSS
safety material and any other specific school based material
relating to Health and Safety.
This download provides a checklist of activities that you
might ask support assistants to help with.
3 Working with Support
Staff in Primary Schools
The number and type of support staff in primary schools varies.
Usually in nursery and Reception classes there is the class
teacher and a nursery nurse or Teacher Assistant.
In Y1 and Y2 there is often a teacher assistant for part
of a day or part of a week.
There may also be a teacher assistant for special education
needs.
The frequency of teacher assistants in KS2 appears to be
less than in KS1.
Parent helpers are also often used in nursery and KS1. Often
they are used to help groups with practical work.
Teacher assistants and parent helpers can be used in many
different ways from supporting a lesson led by the teacher
to working independently with a group, perhaps outside the
classroom.
However at KS2 there are booster classes for SATs - so some
liaison with the person doing that is helpful.
Subject Knowledge
Teacher Assistants and laboratory technicians when working
with children will need to have some understanding of the
science they are involved with. It is very important that
the teacher and trainee teacher makes clear to the adults
they work with the subject knowledge and level appropriate
to the age of the children.
The subject knowledge for Science is very broad. It starts
with broad approaches to big ideas through the Knowledge and
Understanding of the world (KuW) in the Foundation Stage moving
towards a knowledge based structure at KS1 and KS2. The KS3
strategy reintroduces forces, materials, and living things
but takes them forward through cells, interdependence, particles,
and energy. The theme energy is not taught at all in KS1 or
KS2. The aim is that big science ideas are gradually expanded
through using Bruners concept of the spiral curriculum. At
KS4 ideas are further developed from KS3 but the detail will
vary with the GCSE course followed. This could be single award
science, double award science, or the three subjects of Biology,
Physics and Chemistry.
The attached download provides advice for teachers to help
them work more effectively with support staff when the subject
knowledge of the helper is not strong. Please read the download
2 above if you need convincing that you need to be aware of
the misconceptions of adult helpers.
4 Working with Support
Staff in Secondary Schools
For help with dealing with technicians at secondary level
there is nothing better than asking trainees to spend a day
works alongside the technician early ion in their first placement.
The attached download provides details of how this requirement
is built into the first assignment on safety and lab management
at the University of Gloucestershire.
Association for Science Education provides excellent support
for technicians, which trainees teachers should be aware of.
Go to the Technicians' pages.
5 References
To support their work with adult helpers there are several
books and resources. The download lists the references and
the links below are to useful websites.
Websites
Downloads in this document:
This section prepared by
Gordon Guest UWE Bristol
Additional material
Peter Skuse
Keith Ross University of Gloucestershire
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