Course Details

Developing skills for the teaching assistant

Traditionally employed as 'an extra pair of hands', the role and status of the teaching assistant is changing. It is now recognised that teaching assistants can make a valuable contribution to raising pupil achievement in schools.

This course is intended for all teaching assistants and similar support staff currently working in schools who may have had little or no formal training. It aims to enable assistants with different levels of practical experience to more effectively support pupils and teachers in their day-to-day work.

As you work through the course, you will:

• clarify your role and responsibilities
• identify and apply elements of good practice
• develop skills of self-evaluation
• explore how to work more effectively with small groups or on a one-to-one basis
• promote appropriate behaviour in pupils
• assist in the provision of pastoral support
• support teachers in planning, assessment and record keeping
• assist in the organisation and management of the classroom and its resources

Author Biography

Meet the course author:

Roger Hurn is an ex-primary head who has worked for the Home Office and the Children and Young People’s Unit of the DfES on the needs of primary school pupils. He has a special interest in supporting the professional development of teaching assistants, as the findings of the nationwide project in which he is involved indicate that teaching assistants have a vital role to play in raising standards in schools. Roger is also the co-author of a book designed to help schools manage their human resources more efficiently.

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