Both as a school leader and in my work at the Research school, I’ve seen first-hand the incredible difference that Teaching Assistants (TAs) can make for pupils, for families, for colleagues and the school community. But I’ve also seen how, without clear direction and shared understanding, their role can become blurred — reactive rather than strategic. That’s why Recommendation 2 of the EEF Guidance Report on Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants strikes such a chord. It challenges us to move beyond timetabling logistics and ask instead: Are we truly deploying TAs in ways that add the most value to learning?
The EEF’s message is clear:
"Use TAs to add value to what teachers do, not replace them.”
When I first read that line in the first iteration of the guidance report, it made me pause. As a former senior leader, I understood immediately what was being asked — but also what we might need to shift in our schools?
The reflective questions on page 6 are provocative:
It’s not enough to have skilled TAs in classrooms. We must create the conditions for their contribution to be high-impact, aligned with classroom instruction, and part of a coherent, school-wide strategy.
In the new suite of materials supporting the new guidance report, I like the Effective teacher – teaching assistant partnerships tool from the EEF. It’s a straightforward, practical document — but one that prompts exactly the kind of dialogue schools need.
This tool helps teams reflect on:
How clear the expectations are between teachers and TAs
Whether roles are defined, purposeful, and consistently enacted
How planning time, communication, and shared goals are structured
This is a practical resource that leaders can use it in phase meetings, SEND reviews, and line management conversations. It isn’t about auditing — it was about building clarity and trust.
It opens up rich, non-defensive dialogue: Where are we getting it right? Where are we defaulting to old habits? Where could we improve? Teachers and TAs themselves often have the clearest insights. They know what works — and where the friction points are. But it takes leadership to create space for that knowledge to surface. By exploring where we have good practice, we can widen the scope and see how consistent it is across our space.
Our questions can become more refined and specific to our context:
Do TAs get regular time to plan or debrief with teachers?
Do they have access to relevant CPD and curriculum information?
Are we enabling them to develop as instructional partners, or simply asking them to “help out”?
Engage and Unite:
Building a Shared Understanding Before Acting
This work sits squarely within the EEF’s Implementation Guidance Report, particularly the Explore phase.
Before making any changes to how TAs are deployed, it’s vital that school leaders pause, engage their teams, and build a shared understanding of current practice. This process is about more than gathering information — it’s about bringing people with us.
The EEF’s guidance is clear: effective implementation is most successful when leaders:
Create a shared purpose Build motivation and understanding Develop a climate of trust and open dialogue
Engaging staff early helps to surface valuable insights and experience. It allows us to spot bright spots of practice and identify areas for refinement — together. And when staff feel heard, valued, and involved, they are more likely to buy into the change, take ownership, and contribute to improvement that sticks.
Tools like the Effective Teacher – Teaching Assistant Partnerships resource offer a structured, evidence-informed way to support these conversations. It helps schools move from assumption to clarity — from isolated practice to a shared vision for how adults work together in the classroom.
By engaging staff from the outset and uniting them around a common purpose, we lay the groundwork for meaningful, sustainable improvement — one that’s rooted in our own school context and guided by evidence.
From Practice to Culture
This isn’t about making TAs “more like teachers.” It’s about creating a professional culture where adults in the classroom are united in purpose, and where support staff are part of the instructional strategy — not an afterthought.
When we get this right, we don’t just improve learning. We boost staff morale, build capacity, and foster a more inclusive approach for all learners — particularly those who need the greatest support.
Next Steps
Leadership Actions That Make a Difference
If you’re considering this work in your own setting, here are three starting points I’ve found effective in my leadership and in supporting others:
Ask the Right Question Use “To what extent do our TAs supplement, rather than supplant, our teachers?” as a touchpoint in leadership meetings, CPD, and learning walks. It reframes thinking without blame.
Create Time for Dialogue Build in space — however small — for teachers and TAs to discuss, plan, and reflect. Use the EEF tool as a guide to structure conversations that matter.
Embed It in Broader Priorities Connect TA deployment to your wider school improvement work — SEND strategy, curriculum planning, CPD, and your implementation cycle. This isn’t an add-on — it’s central to teaching and learning.
When we take the time to explore, reflect, and act with clarity, we unlock the full potential of our support staff — and with it, the success of our pupils.
