Research School Network: From Support to Independence: The Role of Teaching Assistants The Role of Teaching Assistants

The deployment of teaching assistants in schools has historically been a varied one. It is no wonder. It is a complex task. After all, supporting individual students with varied and complex needs in a multitude of different subjects is challenging. So how do we ensure that students are given consistent access to the same high quality support by additional adults in the classroom? The publication of the latest guidance report from the EEF is an excellent point of reference (Deployment of Teaching Assistants Guidance Report, 2025). This is something that has been at the heart of my work recently in my own setting at Manchester Communication Academy.

The EEF gives five clear recommendations on how to ensure support is effective and consistent. It is tempting to try and include elements of all five as quickly as possible. However, I have found that to focus on one fully and to ensure it is implemented well is a more sensible proposition. I decided to focus on recommendation number two, i.e. ​‘Deploy teaching assistants to scaffold learning and to develop pupil independence’.

This recommendation suggests equipping teaching assistants with a range of scaffolding strategies appropriate to the individual needs of the pupils they work with, while understanding the need to remove these scaffolds over time to promote independence. The report also outlines the importance of ensuring pupils have the opportunity to attempt these tasks independently first and staff being confident enough to judge when to intervene appropriately. As a result, it is clear when implementing this recommendation, that teaching assistants, teachers and SENCOs know who needs the highest or lowest level of scaffolding, when should it be used and why?’

To begin, I designed and implemented a structured CPD model for teaching assistants based on a half-termly cycle. The model is underpinned by principles of deliberate practice, enabling staff to develop specific skills through focused repetition, feedback, and reflection. Each cycle includes clear input, opportunities to practise targeted strategies in live settings, and sessions to evaluate impact and refine practice. This approach ensures that professional development is sustained, evidence informed, and closely aligned with classroom needs and wider school strategy. Repeating the model each half term also ensured that staff were not going to be cognitively overwhelmed and could focus on habit stacking previous content.

A key strategy for improving practice has been the use of the EEF’s scaffolding framework. This provides a clear and practical hierarchy of support, ranging from minimal intervention (e.g. self-scaffolding) to more direct guidance (e.g. clueing and modelling). To support staff in applying the framework, we introduced a set of questions aligned to each stage, helping them provide purposeful and graduated support to pupils. We then focused on how the scaffolding framework could be used in different subjects across the school, demonstrating its flexibility in a range of classroom contexts and building staff confidence in using it as part of their everyday practice.

Having designed the CPD model, identified key priorities, and applied the scaffolding framework within our setting, it became clear that its success, and its impact on pupils does not rest solely with teaching assistants or the SEND team. For it to be truly effective, all stakeholders must play an active role.

This brings us to our current position, which is working on strengthening communication around pupil progress between teachers and teaching assistants. This will involve identifying and sharing examples of effective practice in teacher/​teaching assistant collaboration. As part of this, teachers will upload lesson materials to a shared online platform that teaching assistants can access in advance. This will ensure that additional adults are well prepared and able to provide targeted, purposeful scaffolding support to pupils.

This is not to suggest that the implementation of the framework has been straightforward or is complete, far from it! One of the key challenges has been ensuring that it can be adapted to suit the diverse roles of teaching assistants. Effective support can look very different in a whole class setting compared to an intervention session. While a structured framework is valuable in promoting consistency, it is essential that it remains flexible enough to reflect the nuances of different roles. One way to achieve this is through the development of tailored success criteria. Although the overarching aim remains the same, using and gradually removing scaffolds to support pupil independence, the specific steps to achieve this may need to be adapted.

Reflections so far:

- Prioritise depth over breadth in implementation


- Scaffolding should promote independence, not dependency


- High quality CPD must be consistent and focused on practice


- Consistency is supported by clear frameworks and shared language


- Flexibility is essential to meet the demands of different roles and contexts

In conclusion, improving the deployment of teaching assistants requires a careful balance between structure and flexibility. The guidance provided by the Education Endowment Foundation offers a valuable foundation, but its impact ultimately depends on thoughtful implementation. By focusing on a single recommendation, embedding it through a cyclical CPD model, and grounding practice in a shared scaffolding framework, it is possible to move towards greater consistency and effectiveness in classroom support.

This work is ongoing. Ensuring that all pupils receive high quality, responsive support requires continual refinement, collaboration, and adaptation to context. If done well, the reward is significant, teaching assistants who are not only supporting learning in the moment, but actively contributing to the long-term success of the pupils they work with.