Leadership

Pupils using teaching assistants make less progress

Well-trained teaching assistants are a key resource in many schools and are used very effectively. But without the proper training and supervision, teaching assistants could be doing more harm than good.

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      string(5460) "accessible for the statemented pupil. This couldinclude sourcing different tasks or simplifyingwork set by the teacher, and modifying theteacher’s language or repeating instructions– in other words, ‘tailoring’ their language inways that made curriculum content, tasks andinstructions more accessible.However, researchers highlightednumerous instances of unengaging andrepetitive work set by the TA, lacking incoherence and structure. There were alsoexamples of TAs selecting tasks that had noteaching value, such as colouring-in activities.It was clear TAs were doing all they could, butthey were not trained teachers and had littletime to prepare.As a result, in almost half of the cases,school staff and parents described thestatemented pupil’s progress as ‘slow’ inrelation to peers. In eight of the 42cases, at least one interviewee referredto the widening gap between thelevels of academic attainment of thestatemented pupil and his/her peergroup.Lack of training andpreparationDuring their interviews, manyteachers and TAs admitted to feelingunequipped and unprepared todeal with the often challenging andcomplex needs of statemented pupils.Of the 56 teachers interviewed, 24said they had had no specific trainingto help them support the needs of thestatemented pupil they had in theirclass. Nineteen out of a possible 66 TAssaid the same. This, the report notes,indicates an astounding failure ofinitial teacher training (ITT).Many TAs were carrying outliteracy or numeracy interventions thatthey had either taught themselves orwere taught by another TA. Twelve TAsdescribed how they learned from theirown practice – in other words, throughtrial and error.One TA confided: “I don’tpersonally know if I’m doing the rightthing.” An alarming number of TAsrevealed they felt the same.This situation is often worsenedthrough lack of opportunity forteachers and TAs to meet beforeOf the 56 teachers interviewed,24 said they had had nospecific training to help themsupport the needs of thestatemented pupil they had intheir class.“”1. Pupils using teachingassistants makeless progress – Briefsummary of the IOE’s‘Deployment andImpact of Support Staff’(DISS) project researchreport.http://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/teaching-assistants-less-progress.htmKnowledgeTrails85Vol 4.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comInclusionSpecial EducationNeedslessons to prepare ordiscuss provision forstatemented students, thereport continues.Researchers discoveredschool staff had allocatedtime for teachers and TAsto meet prior to lessonsin only six of the 48case studies. In 11 cases– almost double that– school staff reported noallocated time whatsoeverfor teachers and TAs tomeet to prepare together– nor in these cases wereTAs given lesson plans inadvance. Preparation here,the report explains, reliedon the goodwill of the TAs,who prepared as best they could either at home or during breaks.Poor quality leadership and managementSchools are not prioritising meeting the needs of their statemented pupils and there isworryingly little evidence of effective SEN teaching approaches used by the teacher orTA, the report reveals.Researchers found that the majority of schools were focusing on the number ofhours of one-to-one support specified in the child’s statement rather than focusing onproviding effective provision and finding different ways they could support and helpthe child to progress. “The hours are there in black and white,” as one TA said.The report further noted a disturbing lack of strong leadership. SENCos andteachers were not providing direction and supervision for TAs, and were routinelyleaving them to shoulder responsibility for the statemented child, researchersdiscovered. This often led to inadequate teaching standards, and a notable lack ofimprovement in the school’s SEN provision and policy.Implications for policy and practiceSchools must rethink the role of their TAs, and teachers and SENCos must takeresponsibility for the education of their statemented students, is the fundamentalmessage of this report.Its concluding notes emphasise the need for teachers to think more inclusivelyabout statemented pupils in their classrooms, and address the high degree ofseparation and isolation which characterises the day-to-day experiences of thesechildren. In the study’s best examples, teachers did not routinely direct the TA towithdraw the pupil from the classroom – some teachers reorganised their lessons andeven the physical classroom space to enable them to work more closely with thesechildren.The researchers also advise that schools should develop teacher training forteaching children with SEN and organise time for teachers and TAs to liaise prior tolessons.Finally, the report suggests a shift of focus from ‘hours’ to ‘pedagogy’. Itrecommends the new education and health care plans (ECHPs – set to replacestatements of SEN) specify teaching processes and strategies, rather than the specificnumber of hours of TA support the child is entitled to.It does not, however, recommend doing away with TAs. Instead, schools andschool leaders need to explicitly develop a wide range of effective pedagogical supportand provision for pupils with SEN, the report concludes, ‘…of which TAs are but"
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Leadership

SEN children dumped on TAs

12 Mar 2013

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Folder: Leadership Briefings Issue 11"
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      string(5728) "ResourceINCLUSION: DOES IT MATTER WHERE PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?Original DocumentInclusion: does it matter where pupils are taught? Provision and outcomes in different settings for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. This 27-page report examines the factors that promote good outcomes across a range of different provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. KeywordsInclusion, special schools, teaching, PRUsSummaryThe most important factor in determining the best outcomes for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD) is not the type but the quality of the provision. Effective provision was distributed equally in the mainstream and special schools visited, but there was more good and outstanding provision in resourced mainstream schools than elsewhere. Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) were the least successful of all settings visited.Key findings· There was little difference in the quality of provision and outcomes for pupils across primary and secondary mainstream schools and special schools. However, mainstream schools with additionally resourced provision were particularly successful in achieving high outcomes for pupils academically, socially and personally. PRUs were the least successful.· Pupils with even the most severe and complex needs were able to make outstanding progress in all types of settings. High quality, specialist teachers and a commitment by leaders to create opportunities to include all pupils were the keys to success.· Pupils in mainstream schools where support from teaching assistants was the main type of provision were less likely to make good academic progress than those who had access to specialist teaching in those schools.· Fewer pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) or those with severe learning difficulties (SLD) and challenging behaviour were placed in mainstream schools than other groups, even when specialist facilities were available. Those included in such provision were as likely to do well as those taught in special schools, when they had access to teaching from experienced and qualified specialists.· Schools were improving their analysis of data about their pupils’ learning. Over half of the 74 schools visited did this effectively. However, only 11 of them understood clearly what was meant by ‘good’ progress for pupils with LDD.· The process of obtaining a statement of SEN disadvantaged pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and favoured those with a diagnosis of medical need(s).· A statement of SEN usually generated additional resources, but even if this guaranteed the quantity of provision, it did nothing to determine the quality of provision or outcomes for the pupil in any type of setting.· Mainstream and special schools continued to struggle to establish an equal partnership. Good collaboration was rare. Special schools that shared a site with mainstream schools provided good opportunities for all pupils to socialise with each other.· The Every Child Matters agenda has required LAs to review their structures and provision for pupils with LDD. However, only two of the LAs visited were basing their changes on a rigorous analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of their current provision and outcomes for children and young people.ActionThe following recommendations arise from this survey.Mainstream schools should:· Analyse critically their use and deployment of teaching assistants· Increase the amount of specialist teaching provided for a range of LDD within a broad and balanced curriculum, developing knowledge and skills relating to LDD across the school workforce.Special schools should:· Collaborate and share expertise more effectively to develop specialist teaching in mainstream schools, with the support of the LA and in line with other services.Schools of all types should:· Improve the progress of pupils with LDD by using pupil level data that is relevant to their age and starting point to ensure they are suitably challengedThe DfES should:· Work more closely with other government departments to ensure common assessments focused on outcomes are used to identify individual needs, in line with the developments for the range of children’s services· Clarify what is meant by ‘good’ progress for pupils with LDD, taking into account their age and starting point, focusing more on improving progress for those in the lowest performing quartile.The Training and Development Agency should:· Improve the initial training and continuing professional development in the field of LDD for all teachers· Provide more opportunities for specialist training in teaching pupils with learning difficulties in general and for particularly complex disabilities.LAs should:· Evaluate and take full account of the impact of provision and services on the outcomes for children and young people before any strategic reorganisation of services· Ensure children and young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties have full access to thorough assessments and the full range of services· Ensure that all pupils have opportunities to work alongside their peers in mainstream provision. NotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Questions PublishingDate CreatedJuly 2006Enquiries to:rchima@qiis.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Inclusion: Does It Matter Where Pupils Are Taught?

1 Jan 2005

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      string(5694) "60Vol 5.3School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comLeadershipSkillsTeachingAssistantsThe army of teaching assistants that has grown tenfold over the last tenyears are certainly facing an uncertain and worrying future. Mr Gove,should he return administrative tasks to teachers and should he save afew billion pounds by reducing the TA workforce, will decimate what hasadmittedly been a controversial support mechanism for classroom teachers in bothprimary and secondary sectors.Making the mostof your TAsWith Gove’sthreat ofbudget cutshanging overthem, it’s anuncertain timefor our teachingassistants.David Jonesexplains theimportanceof letting TAsknow how youmuch you valuethem, and offerssome practicalresources todevelop theirprofessionalskills withoutbreaking thebank.61Vol 5.3School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comLeadershipSkillsTeachingAssistantsRecent Ofsted inspections have begun to comment on the deployment of TAsin lessons (sometimes negatively) as though Mr Gove and Ofsted have been inconversation! Pleas on their behalf have poured in to educational blogs from teachersand parents who appreciate the specific and focused support they can offer toindividual children, but Mr Gove seems to be looking to research which suggests thattheir support is, at best negligible and at worst counterproductive.The 2003-2008 DISS project with the aim of providing ‘an accurate, systematic andrepresentative description of the deployment of TAs and other support staff in schools’found that ‘students receiving the most TA support made less progress than similarstudents who received little or no TA support, even after controlling for factors likely tobe related to academic progress and the allocation of TA support’ – for example, priorattainment and SEN status1.This was a decent sized survey which tracked 8,200 students, gathered 18,000responses and assessed the impact of TA support on students’ academic progressin English, maths and science. The comparisons between trained teachers and TAs,while being used as a honest description of what was found, can be used to damnby those who may oppose the use of TAs. For example, the report explains: ‘Teachersspent more time explaining concepts than TAs, and TAs’ explanations were sometimesinaccurate or confusing’, ‘Teachers are more focused on learning and understanding,while TAs are more focused on completing tasks’, ‘Teachers are proactive, while TAsare in a reactive roles’, ‘Teachers open up the pupils while TAs close down the talk’,‘Teachers promoted pupil engagement and encouraged them to develop their ownideas far more often than TAs did’.The teachers observed were doing what good teachers do! With professionaltraining and experience behind them it should be expected that they would be makingthe learning interactive, challenging and using the Assessment for Learning (AFL)strategies we would now consider an integral part of a good or outstanding lesson.What would and what should we expect of a TA who normally may lack the sametraining and experience? That isn’t to say that the professional qualifications open toTAs aren’t useful, but the deployment of TAs by schools and individual teachers maymean that they don’t always have the opportunity to use their skills effectively.Increasingopportunities forour TAsHere at Meols Cop HighSchool, we received asuccessful Ofsted visit inOctober 2012, just afterthe criteria for the qualityof teaching was raised anotch or two (or three orfour!), and to be honest,I had been pouring myenergies into developingthe teaching skills of mycolleagues, while keepingthe TAs in the loop withregards to their role inthe classroom and whatwas emerging as goodTA practice in past Ofstedreports. Once Ofsted hadgone, I began immediatelyto think of strategies thatwould sustain our outstanding teaching and realised that, although our TAs hadsupported their students really well in front of the inspectors, I was guilty of not givingtheir CPD the same attention as I had given the teachers. We are a small school with 56teachers and 30 TAs (we have two special units for dyslexia and Asperger’s) so you cansee that we have a greater percentage of TAs than many other high schools (certainlyin our area).Once Ofsted had gone, I beganimmediately to think of strategies thatwould sustain our outstanding teachingand realised that, although our TAs hadsupported their students really well infront of the inspectors, I was guilty ofnot giving their CPD the same attentionas I had given the teachers.“”62Vol 5.3School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comLeadershipSkillsTeachingAssistants An article in the New Year edition of Every Child Update2 explained how oneacademy had been trying to define the role of TAs in relation to teachers and the goodpractice described galvanised me into action. I used some of the resources in the articlein afterschool discussions with volunteer TAs to reflect on what they should offer inclass and how the teacher should treat and use them.Time was an issue though. Because of the nature of support, there was littleopportunity for them all to meet in school time and the expense of bringing them allin for an inset day (30 lots of a day’s wage) is difficult to fund these days and wouldblow the inset budget in one go! I decided to begin with a three pronged campaign toimprove TA CPD and make them feel valued (which of course, they were).I actively encouraged them to look at training possibilities. Liverpool John MooresUniversity came in to train large groups of volunteers, Unison offered free"
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Leadership

Making the most of your TAs

25 Oct 2013

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      string(5824) "school Learning Detectives and workedwith all the Key Stage 2 children.Over the last two years, Tom has visited the school and worked with the LearningDetectives. He would spend time teaching in each class while the Learning Detectivesand staff observed the children’s learning behaviours. The Detectives wrote a report foreach class, with support from Tom, identifying how well the pupils used the learningPower Gems and which Gems (skills/behaviour) they needed to practise more. Onthe second visit, the Key Stage 1 children were observed using three of the Gems –resilience, concentration and recognising good learning – in their classes. Each classhave devised their own ingenious systems for recognising the Gems. For example,reception use superheroes, with each hero linked to the colours and characteristics ofthe Gems.This project is very much ‘work in progress’ and new ideas, both from staff andchildren, are trialled and adapted as required in order to encourage the children tobecome active independent learners.The Learning Power GemsRuby: Make others feel good about their success.Emerald: Bounce back if you make a mistake.Diamond: Solve your own problems and know what to do when you get stuck.Amethyst: Share ideas with others.Topaz: Get other people’s ideas into your head and help other people get ideas intotheir heads.Sapphire: Cope with distractions.Outcomes and impactParents have been invited to workshops explaining the Learning Journey and use of thePower Gems, and feedback was 100% positive. Comments such as ‘I see that I can usethis system at home when working with the children’ and ‘I wish we had something likethis when I was a child to help me understand why I needed to concentrate!’ indicatethe need to help children and parents understand that learning behaviours underpinindependent learning. Governors have also been involved in workshops and in writingmonitoring reports.The feedback from pupils interviewed by governors as part of assessment and88Vol 7.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileAssessment Gifted and Talented evaluation indicate the depth of understanding that the pupilshave achieved and how they apply their knowledge to their learning. For example:The more able, gifted and talented pupils have been set challenges that willincorporate learning behaviours that they are less comfortable in using. A Year 6 boywas set a challenge in dance in leading a group to compose and perform a routine toan audience – completely out of his comfort zone, although he was recognised as anexcellent sportsman. Once he understood which Powers he was going to need to use,a few weeks later he had organised his group and developed his leadership skills toa high standard. He needed to use a range of learning behaviours and was extremelyproud of the end performance. As a result of this, he elevated the kudos of ‘boy’s dance’to a high level across the whole school.The lower ability pupils are able to take small steps in their learning and, withsupport from staff, are able to understand which learning behaviours are theirstrength and which areas they need to work on. As all the children in the school areusing the Power Gems, they feel that they can stand alongside their peers, who maybe academically learning at a higher level, but need to work on the same learningbehaviours. Last July, Year 6 pupils asked for ‘aide-memoires’ to take with them tosecondary school so that they could take their new learning behaviours with them!Each class has been able to take ownership and present the Power Gems in aformat that is best suited to the age range and ability of the pupils. The pupils havebeen involved in designing their own journeys and have their own ideas for becomingsuccessful at using the Powers. For example, the Year 3 and 4 class wanted somethingHow would you teach Learning Powers to new children in the school?‘Explain that some people find some Powers easier than others because everyone is different. Dr Tom told us it is todo with the chemicals in your brain.’‘Explain one Power, then set them a challenge to use that Power and then repeat with other Powers.’Do you feel more powerful since using the Learning Powers? How have theyaffected your learning?‘The Powers happened before anyway but now we know about them and see them.’‘Because now you know the Powers are there, before you would not know you were doing it (using a Power) andyou would not get recognition for using that Power.’89Vol 7.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileAssessmentthat would remind them about using Sapphire Power – the power of focus. Afterdiscussion, sapphire blue ‘shields’ were made – three laminated sheets joined togetherto make a table top work-station – with the label on the outside: ‘I am using mySapphire Power’. Children can collect them and use them if they are being distractedby others on their table, and staff can also use them where they feel a child needs helpwith concentrating. They send out a very clear visual message, allowing pupils takeownership of controlling their learning behaviour.All staff have been very positive in introducing and reinforcing the use of the PowerGems – as the learning behaviours are able to have a visual link, and the challenge forthe pupils is exciting. Teaching assistants have included their ideas and are able to workclosely in small groups, reinforcing Gems that the children need to collect. Supply staffare also included in any training and can use the system when class staff are away.The impact"
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Leadership

Building meta-cognition... with a race car track?

13 Mar 2017

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