Ideas to help Tas to

best support student

learning and
progress
Amazing TAs

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 The role of the TA

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Supporting what?

Help Your role is to help “Raise standards” by:

Support Support for the pupil.

Support Support for the teacher.

Support Support for the curriculum.

Support Support for the school.

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 Working in Partnership

A TA: ACTIVITY
• Works in partnership with 1. On a scale of 1 – 10, how well
teaching staff do you meet each of these
• Acts as assistant to the teacher criteria at the moment?
• Is the specialist in additional 2. What would need to change
needs. to move each of these bullet
points one step closer to
• Plans with the teacher ‘10’?
• Has a clear role at every stage of
the lesson
• Leads assessment for learning.

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 Supporting Techniques…

Supporting learning by:

• Relaying
• Zoning
• Coaching
• Facilitating
• Supervising
• Safeguarding

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 Relaying

• TAs move periodically between

students identified as being
priorities for support due to
additional needs.

ACTIVITY
• How would you identify which
students to support in each
class?
• How would you discuss this with
the class teacher? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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 Zoning

• TAs locate themselves near a

group of students with
additional needs, monitoring
and providing input when
necessary.
ACTIVITY
• How would you identify where
to position yourself in a class to
maximise your ‘zone’?
• How would you discuss this with
the class teacher?

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 Coaching

• TAs are assigned to an individual

or small group of students to
guide them through a task that
may prove particularly difficult.

ACTIVITY
• How would you identify which
students to coach and when’?
• How would you discuss this with
the class teacher?

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 Facilitating

• TAs provide ‘drop-in support’ by

setting up assistive technology or
other specialised equipment in the
classroom, adapting resources,
helping a student organise
coursework / homework etc.

ACTIVITY
• How would you identify when and
how to use drop in support’?
• How will you ensure that you can
operate any required equipment,
resources or machinery effectively?
• How would you discuss this with the
class teacher?

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 Supervising

• TAs oversee the higher-ability /

independent learners

ACTIVITY
• Do you think a class teacher
should assign a TA top support
able students?
• How would you identify an
exceptionally able learners in
need of support’?
• How would you discuss this with
the class teacher?

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 Safeguarding

• TAs monitor, and where necessary, assist

in activities that pose a manageable risk
to the health and safety of a student
with an additional need, particularly
those with visual impairment, a medical
condition or a physical disability.

ACTIVITY

• How would you identify an activity that

may pose a manageable risk to a
student?
• How would you identify an appropriate
support strategy’?
• How would you discuss this with the
class teacher?

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 Things TAs find
challenging…

Lack of
Being
communication Working with
expected to
about changes an unprepared
make
or resources. teacher.
resources for
specific pupils
on the spot. Not knowing Being
what I have to expected to
do or where manage
I’m supposed behaviour on
to be. my own.

The solution is ….
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 Things TAs like…

Communication
Being given a
in advance
lesson plan with
Working with about the lesson
clear
different types and future
instructions.
of pupils (not lessons.
just SEN).
Being given the
Being able to opportunity to
use initiative but discuss the
have guidance if pupils’ learning
needed. after the lesson.

The solution is ….

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 To conclude

• The effective deployment of TAs can make the difference between a

child succeeding or failing.
• An outstanding TA is intuitive and responds to the needs of the
children.
• It is important that both teacher and Teaching Assistant work
together.
• All the children in the class must be learning throughout the lesson.
Children should make progress through suitably challenging activities
and questioning.
• Thinking time is good; down time is not.

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Make it Work at
Work

What are you going to DO as a

result of this Bite Sized Training
session?

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 Amazing TAs – is the second in a series of Bite Sized training
resources designed to develop the skills and knowledge of
those who support students’ learning and progress in schools,
colleges and academies.
Other training in the Supporting Learning and Teaching series
include:

• Leading your support staff team

• Amazing TAs

Where next? • Effective coaching and mentoring

• Developing the role of non-teaching pastoral staff
• Improving attendance
Bite Sized Training offers a wide range of school based CPD sessions
designed to be used as sharply focused yet active training sessions of
no more than 45 minutes in length. Bite Sized Training materials are
produced by Steve Burnage through www.simplyinset.co.uk. Steve is
an experienced author, trainer and education consultant with over
25 years experience of working in UK schools.
For details of other CPD offered through Bite Sized Training, email
bitesizedtraining@gmx.com or call +44767 858360

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