Research School Network: Deploying Teaching Assistants – updated guidance report – part 2: The practical aspects from the perspective of a SENCo Co-authored with Research Associate Kate Blight (former SENCo) the blog explores what the new guidance report means for schools.

Last time round we explored the theory behind recommendations 1 and 2 of the recently updated EEF guidance report on the effective use of teaching assistants. In this blog we go beyond just a summary of the underpinning theory of the guidance and explore what this means for schools and SEND teams. In this blog Kate Blight, Assistant Head Teacher, Research School Associate and former SENCo, considers the practical implications of implementing the recommendations and the challenges that schools may face, through the lens of our work at Durrington.


Recommendation 1 – Deploy TAs in ways that enable pupils to access high quality teaching.

At Durrington, we want our TAs to have the confidence and clarity to support where learning need is greatest, not just where a named pupil is seated. Enacting this requires targeted thinking around the deployment of teaching assistants in the classroom, and ensuring there is a shared understanding within the TA and teacher team of what this will look like, and why it will look as it does. For example, this may include:

• Deploying TAs to work with small groups within the class rather than being fixed to individuals, providing space for students to foster independent learning and perseverance skills. By knowing which students they will be working with TAs can move confidently between them and also prepare for the likely support they may need to provide.
• Teachers have an important role to play here by giving direct instructions to their assistants, for example ​“During the independent task, can you check on the bottom table and pick up any misconceptions?”.
• Ensuring seating plans/​arrangement allow for TAs movement and flexibility

As ever these things seem simple on paper, however they require a confident TA. This confidence does not come from fancy job titles, but from being informed, included and trusted. At Durrington we are working to foster this culture by:

• Giving TAs access to curriculum overviews, key vocabulary, knowledge organisers and lesson plans for the subject areas that they support in. Additionally, we ensure that the majority of our TAs are in no more than 3 subject areas so that they can really hone their skills in their subject areas.
• Encouraging teachers and TAs to grab time away from the classroom to discuss what the TA has seen, how the TA can be utilised more effectively and next steps for specific students. In subjects where they may lack subject knowledge this time can also be used to identify key concepts or misconceptions that the TA can look out for.
• As a SEND department we offer regular CPD to the TAs on scaffolding, questioning and prompting — the tools that let TAs support without doing the work for the student.

When our TAs feel valued and knowledgeable, they support their students more confidently – and that benefits every student. But it is important that we acknowledge and openly address the challenges to achieving this:

• Some of our TAs may feel unsure of subject knowledge, especially at KS4.
• Students (and sometimes parents) can expect one-to-one adult presence indefinitely
• In a busy school there isn’t always time for those important planning conversations.

We don’t pretend it’s simple — but by building habits, creating space for conversation, and modelling the right expectations, we’re seeing a positive shift.

Recommendation 2 – Deploy TAs to scaffold learning and develop pupil’s independence

The guidance reports states schools and their leaders must ask themselves how they can support and train their TAs so that they can

• Encourage pupils to take risks
• Provide the appropriate amount of support at the appropriate time
  
• Ensure pupils retain responsibility for their own learning
• Feel confident in asking open questions which allow students to explore topics and their knowledge
• Give the least amount of help first and understand the benefits of students struggling for a while.

For a TA at Durrington, encouraging risk taking means:

• Steeping back – giving students time to think, try and even get things wrong.
• Using prompts such as ​“Have a go first – it doesn’t need to be perfect”, ​“What is the first thing you could try?” and ​“What do you already known that could help here?”
• Praising effort and resilience, not just correct answers
• Helping students tolerate struggle, rather than immediately removing it.

This approach builds learning confidence, but we get that stepping back can be very hard when you are used to helping and are invested heavily in the individual students you are working with. TAs can often:

• Feel responsible for making sure the pupil ​“gets it right”
• Worry what other staff may think if a supported student is struggling
• Want to protect students from frustration or failure.

But we’re working as a school to shift this mindset. Risk-taking is learning in action, not a sign of failure — and students only grow when they’re given space to try. This is where scaffolding, not spoon-feeding, becomes crucial.

At Durrington, we encourage TAs to:

• Ask questions that prompt thinking (e.g., ​“What’s another way to approach this?”)
• Use prompts like ​“Can you show me where you’re stuck?” rather than giving answers.
• Help with organisation, structure or starting points — but expect the student to do the thinking.

When discussing these issues with Kate, so many of her points resonated with me, but perhaps none more so than what I am finishing this blog with…. ​“we need to be consistent in our message; support looks different when the goal is independence, that is why we talk about ​“doing with”, not doing for.”