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Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants –

The Case for Change

Jonathan Sharples – Education Endowment Foundation

Rob Webster – UCL Institute of Education

Mobilise Project

Aims:

• Improve outcomes for all children and young

people in Lincolnshire, closing the gap for

disadvantaged

• Strengthen already established school-

improvement partnerships and support sector-

led work

• To become ‘evidence-ready’ – long-term

capacity for research-based evidence

LLP/EEF ‘Mobilise’ Autumn workshops

Session 1 (8 & 9 September): ‘Making the case for change’ • The context of TA use in schools • Dig deeper into the evidence and recommendations • Relate to your school • Introduce a process for managing change

Gap tasks – Complete audit (survey, RAG, observations) and vision Session 2 (18 and 19 October): ’Acting on the Evidence’

• Revisit audit • Look at the recommendations from the perspective of

changing practice • Overcoming common barriers • School leader input on implementing the evidence • Action planning • Next steps

Visioning: starting with the end in mind

Where do you want to be in Sept 2018?

Reviewing TA deployment: audit process and tools

• RAG self-assessment

• Surveying staff (anonymously): MITA survey app

• Observation schedule*

• Focus groups (pupils, staff)*

• Listen to TAs’ interactions with pupils*

• Skills audit of TAs’ qualifications, training, experience,

specialisms and talents*

* Maximising the Impact of TAs, chapter 2

Audit and vision review

• Get into groups of 3 schools

• 5 minutes per school

• Say something about:

1. The process (tools used; problems overcome)

2. One finding that surprised you

3. One finding that did not surprise you

4. Outline your vision (as it stands)

The Toolkit is a starting point for making

decisions

“Addressing the current

situation is a school leadership

issue.

School leaders must rigorously

define the role of TAs and

consider their contribution in

relation to the drive for whole

school improvement”.

A fundamental rethink

7 recommendations on

‘Making best use of TAs’

• Has been drift towards TAs taking on role

of ‘primary educator’ for low-

attaining/SEN pupils. Well-meaning, but

flawed.

• Results in greater separation from the

classroom, teacher, mainstream

teaching/curriculum coverage, and their

classmates. Associated with significantly

lower learning outcomes.

• School leaders must review roles of TAs and

teachers. Take a wider view of how TAs

can support learning and improve

attainment.

• Schools must break away from the ‘Velcro’

model of TA deployment.

• If TAs have a direct teaching role, it is

important to ensure they supplement

rather than replace the teacher.

• Teachers need to use TAs more

strategically to enable themselves to work

more often with lower-attaining/SEN

pupils.

• High quality teaching, by the teacher,

is the foundation for all the

recommendations.

Start with high quality teaching…

• Rotating groups/tables

• Readiness for learning (e.g. refocus, preparation)

• Secondary objectives (e.g. literacy in science)

• Freeing up the teacher

• Demonstrating, scribing

Supplementary forms of TA support

Freeing up the teacher. Demonstrating & scribing

• Rotating groups/tables

• Readiness for learning (e.g. refocus, preparation)

• Secondary objectives (e.g. literacy in science)

• Freeing up the teacher

• Demonstrating, scribing

Supplementary forms of TA support

Readiness for learning. Secondary objectives

Supplementary forms of support exercise

• How does this relate to your school? Where is good and less good practice?

• What does supplementary forms of TA support look like in your school?

• How can you develop this key principle with staff?

Differentiated, but coordinated roles

Know your dance routine

• Improve the nature and quality of

TAs’ talk to pupils to help pupils

develop the independent learning skills

associated with improved learning

outcomes.

• Instead of prioritising task completion

and correction, TAs should be

encouraged to give pupils ‘the least

amount of help first’.

• TAs’ interactions should help pupils to

develop ownership of tasks and to be

comfortable to take risks with their

learning.

Rethinking TAs’ interactions

‘What is the

least help you

need from me?’

Rethinking TAs’ interactions

Scaffolding framework

Teaching

assistants

Source: Sutton Trust/EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit

Rethinking TAs’ interactions

Teaching

assistants

Self-scaffolding: observing, responding

Prompting & clueing

Modelling & redirecting (off-task)

• Lack of opportunities for out-of-class

liaison can result in poor teacher-TA

collaboration in the classroom.

• Schools must provide sufficient time for

teachers and TAs to prepare for

lessons and for feedback afterwards.

• TAs should not ‘go into lessons blind’.

Teachers must provide the essential

lesson ‘need to knows’ ahead of time.

• TAs must be fully trained for roles they are

given; for example, in having effective

interactions with pupils.

Planning and communication

• Adjust TAs’ working hours • Set expectations

• Monitor

Planning and communication

Planning and communication 1

Planning and communication 2

BREAK

What does this all look like in practice?!

Oct 18th – Maria Constantinou – Deputy Head & Inclusion Lead, St. Mary's C of E Primary

School, Barnet

Oct 19th – Maureen Andrews – Headteacher, Pye Bank C of E Primary School, Sheffield

• Given the right support and training, TAs

can make a significant contribution to

pupil attainment delivering 1-2-1/small

group interventions (0.2 – 0.3 ES, 3 to 4

additional months progress) .

• Positive effects only observed in

structured settings, with high-quality

support and training.

• When TAs deployed in informal,

instructional roles they can negatively

impact on pupils’ learning

(DISS study).

Project Summary Age Toolkit areas Effect size Padlocks

and stage

Catch Up

Literacy

One-to-one tailored TA support on

phonics and comprehension.

Years 3-6 Phonics +0.12 (2

months)

Effectiveness

Catch Up

Numeracy

One-to-one TA numeracy

instruction for struggling learners

Years 2-6 - +0.21 (3

months)

Effectiveness

Nuffield Early

Language

Intervention

Oral language intervention for

nursery and reception pupils,

delivered by TAs

EYFS Communication

and language

approaches (Early

Years toolkit)

+0.27 (4

months)

Efficacy

REACH Language and comprehension

intervention for struggling readers,

delivered by TAs

Year 7 Reading

comprehension;

Oral language

+0.34 (4

months)

Efficacy

Switch-on

Reading

10 week TA intervention drawing

on Reading Recovery

Year 7 Reading

comprehension

+0.24 (3

months)

Efficacy

Talk for Literacy Speaking and listening

interventions delivered by TAs.

Year 7 Oral language 0.2 (3 months)

Efficacy

Teaching Assistants: all results

• Brief (15-30mins), regular (3-5 times per week)

sessions maintained over a sustained period (8-20

weeks). Carefully timetabled.

• Extensive training and coaching from experienced

trainers/teachers (5-30hrs).

• Structured supporting resources and lesson plans,

which are followed closely.

Characteristics of effective interventions:

• Assessments used to identify pupils, guide areas for

focus and track progress.

Examples of evidence-based interventions include Catch Up Numeracy, Catch Up

Literacy, Switch-on Reading, Talk for Literacy, Reading Intervention Programme

See EEF website for latest evaluation findings and new TA projects

100+ programmes

used in 20 schools

Overall use of interventions:

• One or two well-chosen, evidence-

based interventions, used judiciously to

support pupils that are struggling with their

learning.

• At least compensate for time out of class.

Don’t assume pupils can make connections

with the general curriculum.

• Supplement ‘quality first’ teaching in the

classroom, with clear links made between

learning in each context.

Interventions ‘Health Check’

• Are you using evidence-based interventions? If so, are they

being used as intended, with the appropriate guidance and

training?

• If not, do they reflect the characteristics of effective

interventions?

• What does your data show for those pupils involved in

intervention work? Is it in line with the expected progress from

the research?

• Is appropriate planning provided for timetabling out-of-class

sessions so that they complement classroom teaching?

• How effective are TAs and teachers reviewing work taking place

in intervention sessions? Are pupils supported to make links

being made with general classroom work?

• Change team led by headteacher

• Dedicated strategy time

• Full audit

• Small pilot team

• Gradual rollout (over 2-3 terms) wins

support

Acting on the evidence

‘Acting on the evidence’ process

Create a shared vision, action plan and policy

Deliver it!

Take stock – be honest and listen

Work out what good looks like

for you

www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/resources/making-the-best-use-of-teaching-assistants/

TES course: Making Best Use of TAs

Structure of the Year Sheffield Hallam University Audit (available from 1st September)

EEF Roadshows Part One - 8th or 9th September

CBL 2-day training – 26th/27th September or 29th/30th September

EEF Roadshows Part Two – 18th or 19th October

Independent HR consultant meetings 7th November

CBL 3rd-day training – 9th or 11th November

Cluster Lead monthly Basecamps

Cluster Meetings each ½ term

Individual school PLC each ½ term following cluster meeting

Interventions Roadshows – Spring Term

Opportunities for training

Sheffield Hallam University Audit – Term 6

Mobilise team collect RAG rating at start, mid-way and end

www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk

www.maximisingtas.co.uk

@maximisingtas @Sharples_J

@EducEndowFoundn

Contact Details:

Mobilise: mobilise@lincolnmountstreet.lincs.sch.uk

07769 661479

Regional Research Leads:

Vanessa Hopkinson: vanessa.hopkinson@lincolnmountstreet.lincs.sch.uk

James Siddle:

james.siddle@st-margarets-pri.lincs.sch.uk

Mobilise Website: http://mobilise.kyrateachingschool.com/