: Deploying Teaching Assistants: Navigating the Challenges of ​‘Parachute’ Support in the Classroom Gill Fearns, reviews the key recommendations the new ​‘Deployment of Teaching Assistants Guidance Report’

It is a Monday morning at St Mary’s RC Primary and our school advisor arrives to help us reflect on our early reading provision in school. His first stop is to look at our breakfast intervention programme where he observes how teaching assistants (TAs) play a pivotal role in delivering structured interventions. Whether it is pre-teaching vocabulary, conducting phonics ​‘keep-up’ sessions, or facilitating activities aimed at developing communication and language skills. He notes how the TAs effectively engage pupils and set a positive tone for the day ahead.

As the school day commences, the advisor turns his attention to a phonics session led by one of the TAs.

Following this, the advisor spends time in English lessons. Given the school’s small size, he recognises that the same TA has transitioned from intervention, to a phonics session and now into a whole-class setting, where she continues to support and enable all pupils to access high-quality teaching.

Later in the day, the advisor requests to observe some children reading to a familiar adult. Once again, he finds the same TA listening attentively to a child read on a one-to-one basis. With expert prompts, she supports the child in decoding words and building fluency, showcasing her ability to adapt her approach to meet individual needs.

When the advisor later shares his observations with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), he remarks, ​“It is clear to see that all staff have had significant CPD in effective TA deployment due to the way teaching assistants ​‘parachute’ into different roles to enhance teaching and learning.” His comment really resonates with me and makes me firstly feel incredibly blessed to have such dedicated and highly-skilled teaching assistants within school but also makes me reflect on the principles that make our team here so effective.

The EEF have recently published a new Guidance Report ​‘Development of Teaching Assistants’ that cites 5 key recommendations that schools should consider when deciding how TAs are deployed within school.

Recommendation One- Deploy TAs in ways that enable all pupils to access high quality teaching

The evidence shows that high-quality teaching is the most effective way to improve pupil attainment and future outcomes. It is crucial that every teacher is supported to deliver this quality teaching, ensuring all pupils, especially the disadvantaged, have access to it. Schools should avoid assigning teaching assistants (TAs) to specific pupils for extended periods, as this can hinder the delivery of high-quality teaching. Instead, a strategic approach to classroom organisation is necessary, emphasising teamwork and communication between teachers and TAs.

TAs should enhance, not replace, teachers, ensuring that pupils who struggle spend maximum time with their teachers

Recommendation Two- Deploy TAs to scaffold learning and to develop pupils’ independence

Teaching Assistants (TAs) engage in various practises to support pupil learning in the classroom. While some of these practises are beneficial, others can be ineffective and may hinder progress by fostering dependency among pupils. School leaders should ensure that TAs are equipped to implement strategies that promote independent learning.

Scaffolding is a key approach, providing pupils with the skills and tools necessary to help themselves when they encounter challenges.

Recommendation Three- Deploy TAs to deliver well-chosen, evidence based, structured interventions where appropriate

Typically, interventions occur outside the classroom, and school leaders must ensure that they supplement rather than replace high-quality teaching. Leaders should evaluate the benefits and limitations of interventions compared to classroom instruction, prioritising what best supports pupil learning. This requires oversight of the interventions being implemented, ensuring they are evidence-based, relevant, and targeted, while also monitoring existing interventions to confirm they meet clear objectives and are delivered consistently.

(Re) explore whether an intervention is necessary; engage with the evidence base when selecting and intervention; monitor intervention progress and delivery.

Recommendation Four- Prepare and train staff around effective TA deployment

School leaders must ensure that Teaching Assistants (TAs) are well-prepared to be effective in their roles. This preparation involves three key components:

Role clarity: TAs need to have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and how they can best support pupil learning, both in the classroom and during structured interventions.

Professional Development: Leaders should provide appropriate professional development to TAs, enabling them to engage in effective practises such as scaffolding. This training not only enhances their skills but also increases their sense of value within the school.

Day-to-day-preparedness: Teachers should share essential information with TAs before lessons, including:

The lesson content and objectives.

Specific tasks the TA will be expected to perform.

Relevant information about any pupils they will support, especially if the TA is unfamiliar with them.

School leaders should consider creating guidelines for effective communication and lesson preparation between teachers and TAs. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has developed a Teacher-TA Agreement Tool to assist with this process.

Focus on the systems and structures that support TAs.

Recommendation Five: Engage all staff in the process of implementing effective TA deployment.

This recommendation is new and did not features in the previous guidance. It focusses on leadership and implementation and acknowledges that recommendations made will be effective only if leaders actively support their implementation, ensuring that best practises are integrated throughout the school. Leaders should consider how to enact the following when strategically planning for the deployment of TAS:

- Embed a wider school culture focused on high quality teaching and inclusion

- Engage the school community in effective TA deployment

- Plan for effective deployment and ensure TA role clarity

Engage and unite the school community to ensure TA deployment allows access for all to high quality teaching and develop clarity around the responsibilities of TAs

Key Questions for Reflection:

Do ALL children have access to high quality teaching with their class teacher?

Are TAs well-supported to be able to scaffold learning for pupils effectively?

Are interventions carefully selected, implemented and de-implemented if necessary?

Are teachers confident and skilled in TA deployment and does the TA have a clear role which has been communicated to them well?

Does your school have a key member of SLT who has oversight of TA deployment?

USEFUL LINKS:

TA_Supplementary_Teacher_Agreement.pdf