Learning Support
Get on better with your colleagues How good questions help children learn Working walls that work
The teaching assistants’ professional magazine The teaching assistants’ professional magazine Issue 39 • Nov-Dec 2011
Breaking point
Everyone needs rest breaks. So why are some TAs working all day 2nd cover linewithout one?
SALE Back issues of Learning Support are now only £2 each, or three for £5. Or buy our special binder, with twelve issues to fill it, for just £25 www.learningsupport.co.uk
FROM THE EDITOR
Learning Support Issue 39, Nov-Dec 2011
Getting along with colleagues
6
Good working relationships are crucial in schools. Read our guide to improving them
Working walls
10
How to make them really useful without looking a mess.
Give TAs a break
12
Working one-to-one is a challenging job, and teaching assistants need proper breaks to do it well
Nativity play
15
Easy guide to making costumes
Make some festive elephants Question time
16 18
How to ask the right questions to develop children’s thinking
Being supervised
22
Why a teacher is always responsible for a TA’s work
Update 4–5 Book review 25 Ask Sue 26
Children’s health TAs at work
28 30
Goodbye for now I am sad to have to tell you this is the last issue of Learning Support magazine. After more than six years we have to stop publication simply because we are not selling enough subscriptions or advertisements to pay our way. We cut costs by going digital in the spring, but it hasn’t solved the problem. And being a two person business - me and my husband Trevor - we can’t afford to continue. The good news is that Learning Support will still be there to support teaching assistants, on the web. As well as storing all our back issues, the website will have news and views, useful links, reviews and of course our forum, the TeAset, where TAs can meet and support each other. Thank you so much for reading Learning Support. Editing this magazine has been the best job I’ve ever had, mainly because we have been supporting the work of teaching assistants, really important people at the frontline in our schools who make such a difference to the lives of so many children. Please keep in touch by visiting www.learningsupport.co.uk, joining the forum if you haven’t already, and registering for Update, our free email bulletin for TAs. I hope to see you soon at www.learningsupport.co.uk.
Frances Rickford Editor
3 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
PAGE UPDATE LABEL
Academies in big TA pensions shock
Strike ballot on pensions Teaching assistants have been voting on whether to take strike action over changes to their pensions. Unison, GMB, Unite and other public sector unions balloted their members for a one day strike on November 30. The teacher unions are also supporting the one day strike. The government plans to change the inflation index for local government pensions so they are worth less, and at the same time increase pension contributions.
Schools which become academies are facing huge bills for support staff pensions. The Local Government Pension Scheme, which most teaching assistants and other support staff belong to, is running at a deficit. This means the scheme does not have enough investments to cover future pension payments, because of share price falls. When schools become academies, they have to take on a share of that shortfall. For some secondary schools, the bill could be as much as £800,000 according to the TES magazine. Non teaching staff in academies, including newly appointed staff, have a right
Education Secretary Michael Gove at Woodpecker Hall Primary Academy in Edmonton, London.
to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. The government published advice about these pension liabilities to schools on 10th October. But those which have already converted may be caught unawares.
NEWS FLASHES PUPIL PREMIUM TO RISE The extra money schools get for children on free school meals is to rise. The sum will increase by £58 per child to £488. The extra money has been released because fewer children than expected registered for free school meals this year.
4 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
DISABLED CHILDREN MORE LIKELY TO BE POOR Four out of ten disabled children are living in poverty according to the Children’s Society. Once the extra
UPDATE
Learning Support to close Learning Support magazine is to stop publishing after more than six years. Publishers Trevor Chalkley and Frances Rickford, said they were very sad to have to stop producing Learning Support. But budget cuts at many schools, and the abolition of Learn-
ing Support’s former advertisers, had taken a heavy toll. The magazine converted from print to digital last May in a bid to save it. But not enough people have subscribed to pay for the magazine’s production. This will be the last issue of the magazine, but the
Learning Support web site at www.learningsupport.co.uk will continue, with new free content every month, and all the back issues available to read. TeAset, the Learning Support forum for teaching assistants, is also staying open.. See From the Editor, p3
costs of their disability are taken into account, disabled children are more likely than others to be poor, and the situation will get worse under government plans to cut
welfare support for disabled children.
in England has called for information and evidence about children being sexually exploited by gangs.
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY GANGS INQUIRY The Children’s Commissioner
Office of the Children’s Commissioner
Learning Support
Editor Frances Rickford
23 High Street, Bishop’s Castle, SY9 5BE
ISSN 1741-1990
www.learningsupport.co.uk
Cover picture: Hannah Cumming
tel 01588 638567, email info@learningsupport.co.uk
© Brightday Publishing 2011
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 5
COLLEAGUES
The Good working relationships are crucial for schools to function effectively, but they don’t always come naturally. To help them along, we need the magic ingredients of good communication, says Pat Robinson
C
reating a co-operative and pleasant working atmosphere between work colleagues and pupils seems to happen effortlessly for some people. But for the rest of us, there are skills of communication and approach that can be learned and used to develop good relationships. These apply in our personal lives as well as at work.
In tune Unless education becomes wholly delivered through online sessions, good human relationships are crucial for schools to function effectively. Almost 30 years ago, Carl Rogers, wrote about the core conditions that staff needed to develop to facilitate learning. They are the same attributes needed to facilitate good working relationships of all kinds.
Rogers calls them empathy, congruence and positive regard. And they are no less important today. Think about the relationships you have that work well. You will undoubtedly feel able to empathise with the other person, feel able to be open and honest about your reactions (congruence of your feelings and outward expression), be in tune with their way of doing things, (congruence again) and give the other person positive feedback or compliments.
Magic ingredients No healthy relationship is one sided and so you would expect this to be mutual. You would expect to be treated the same way - with empathy, congruence and positive regard. These are the magic ingredients that create pleas-
6  Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
huma facto
an or
COLLEAGUES
“We need to know that we are well thought of, that someone will see our point of view, and that we will be supported if we make mistakes” ant, happy relationships where people feel considerate of each other andtuned into each other. It’s like stepping up to support each other. Friends say, ‘I’m always there for you’. Parents say, ‘I love you no matter what’. Teams say, ‘We’re all in this together’.
Ridicule We need to be able to rely on people in a relationship, to know that we are well thought of, that someone else can see our point of view, and that we will be supported if we make mistakes. You need to be able to rely on that person to help Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 7
COLLEAGUES
out when needed, but you also rely on them not to expose you to ridicule or undermine you to other people. If someone parades your short comings before others and regularly contradicts you publicly, it’s a humiliating blow to your self esteem and it’s hard to re-establish a good relationship.
Assistant Pupils in classrooms feel the same way as adults in work places where this happens. Mutual respect requires that each person’s thoughts and feelings be given equal validity. It is hard to establish a co-operative working relationship if one party feels put down by negative comments or consigned to a subservient role. In an assisting role the lead will always be taken by someone else. If their style is too directive and bossy, the assistant can come to feel resentful and disempowered.
Good working relationships need mutual respect, mutual aid and trust. (Affection comes as a bonus.) But this won’t just happen by magic.
Communication All relationships need to start with good communication. In close personal relationships there should be an understood code of behaviour towards each other that isn’t formally put into words. But in a working relationship it needs to be made explicit. This can happen in the course of an initial chat, or in a written agreement. Both parties need to be clear about how to work together
Seeing the bigger picture gives you a sense of the value of your contribution
8 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
and treat each other. If you are assisting, how autonomous can you be? Do you have to do everything in exactly the same way as the member of staff in charge? Or are you free to arrive at the agreed outcome in your own way? Do you even know what the outcome is intended to be?
Resentful If the outcome measures and final goal are not communicated and you are given a string of menial tasks to complete, it is easy to feel resentful or unhappy with your co-worker. Remember the example of the two stone masons, one unhappy with their work, one happy. Both are asked what they are doing. The first replies miserably, ’I’m just trying to get to the end of this wall before having to do it all again and lay another one I suppose.’ The second replies with pride, ‘I’m laying the foundations of a cathedral.’
COLLEAGUES
Seeing the bigger picture really matters. It gives you a sense of the value of your contribution, which you can take pride in. So, always have a quick session to share the purpose of a whole class session or group session and the aim of your contribution. Agree how you will measure success and progress and how you will feed back to each other.
Reflect This is not just about how the pupils are doing, it is about the effectiveness of your team of workers. As well as planning how you will work together, set aside time to reflect how things went. What went well? What can be improved, what other ways of doing things are there? It doesn’t have to be an onerous set of meetings, just a quick process that you go through at the start and finish of things. So many relationships come unstuck over the
assumptions people make about what each is supposed to be doing. Don’t risk things building up. Just have a regular time to quickly feedback to each other. Agree signals between yourselves so that either of you can ask for assistance, to
dict each other or comment negatively on arrangements or performance in front of pupils.
Private Be prepared to tackle these things straight away if they should occur by saying, ‘I
Try to have an agreement that you won’t contradict each other or comment negatively in front of pupils.
indicate that all is well, to say that boredom is setting in or tasks not getting completed, or that you need a private word.
Left to clear up Be clear about the obvious things like what you will call each other in front of pupils, how tasks will be divided up (who will be left to clear up?) and how pupil behaviour will be managed. Try to have an agreement that you won’t contra-
think that is something that we need to talk about in private please’. And when the opportunity arises, try to state your point of view calmly using non-blaming language. Play your part in modeling the way to treat colleagues. Use your empathy, step to their side in support and acknowledge their skills. Above all, keep the channels of communication wide open and celebrate your successes together.
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 9
DISPLAYS
Linda Hartley on how to make your classroom walls a key tool in everyday learning
Working walls
A
working wall differs from other classroom displays in that it supports current learning, rather than being a starting point for future work or a celebration of something already learned.
Mind maps It does this by showing the whole learning process. This includes long term learning objectives, short term targets and success criteria which are often negotiated with children. It may also include topic specific vocabulary, planning elements like mind maps, teachers’ staged examples and pupil’s work at various stages of comple-
tion. The display should change on almost a daily basis. Many primary classrooms now have as many as three working walls, with a wall each for literacy, numeracy and science. The walls evolve as the topic progresses. Each wall becomes a visual record of the learning process.
Interactive Children need to know what they are going to learn, how they are going to learn it and how they are going to show success. This success criteria is most effective if it is developed with the children and is then displayed
Things to include on a working wall: ●● Layered curricular targets
●● Key questions
●● Explanations
●● Planning
●● Success criteria
●● Mind maps
●● Key vocabulary
●● Shared work
●● Visual prompts
●● Children’s work
10 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
Top design tips ●● Use clear headings and titles ●● Use plasticised backing paper as this allows for the easy removal of work/titles. ●● Stick to a limited range of colours and fonts. ●● Define areas by using headings ●● Place work and examples using pattern and line, not just randomly
to show pupils how they will be able to achieve the learning intention. The most effective working walls are those that are used really interactively with the children. Sticking up lots of pre-printed targets and examples will not create a really useful working wall. Working walls only function properly if the adults in the room refer to them regularly and give the children a
DISPLAYS
Make the wall more fun by putting the target at the centre of a spider’s web, and sticking the children’s names onto spiders
sense of ownership of them. Use a basic board, back it in a sympathetic colour (nothing too bright) and add a simple border. Then add a large heading for the weekly learning objectives. The headings and areas for putting up the current work should be clearly defined. Make a title such as: This week in literacy we are learning to ...
Targets Leave a long gap after ‘to’ so that the teacher can write in the weekly target. Print out the title and laminate it. That way the weekly objective can be written on in dry wipe marker each week. Use small, moveable elements to represent where each child is on the part of the display showing the learning targets. Make them fun if you can. Perhaps put the target at the centre of
a spider’s web, and stick names onto spiders, or onto bees buzzing around flowertargets.
Quick change Then set out section headers for things like: vocabulary, mind map, planning, teacher model, etc. It helps to have a big selection of these all in the same font, font size and colour. That way you can quickly change them as needed. They work well simply mounted with a narrow black border. You can laminate them but sometimes that causes problems with reflections from the light or window.
USEFUL SHORTHAND FOR WORKING WALL HEADINGS WALT =“What are we learning today” WILF = “What I’m looking for” : a child friendly way of stating the success criteria.
Post-it notes can also be very useful on working walls. Children can use them to make a quick contribution to a mind mapping session, when negotiating success criteria or even to pick out examples of the criteria being met on another learner’s work.
Untidy It can sometimes be hard for adults in the classroom to get used to the idea that this display is a working document in progress rather than a finished thing. Working walls can be very effective for learning and still look a bit untidy. That should not be too much of a problem. To prevent it becoming overwhelming it is still a good idea to stick to some basic display rules even for working walls. See Linda Hartley’s displays blog at http://usefulwiki. com/displays/
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 11
WORKING CONDITIONS
Some teaching assistants are being expected to work all day without a proper break, putting the welfare of children and their own health at risk. Amy Taylor reports
Give us a
break T
he child you are working with is autistic and can be violent. He has already tried to bite you today and has just tried again. You managed to pull you arm away in time but you are not sure you will be quick enough a third time. You look at your watch and see you are coming up to nearly your seventh hour of working without a break. You feel faint and your patience level is at nil. You flinch as the child lunges at you once again.
Legal requirement This is the reality for some learning support assistants working one to one with children in primary schools today. Despite the minimum legal entitlement to an unpaid 20 minute break every six hours, in
some schools even this is not taking place. And many argue that people doing such challenging work need more than the legal minimum.
Broke down Katy, not her real name, is a learning support assistant working in a primary school in the south of England. She works one-to-one with a partially sighted autistic ten-year-oldboy. Until recently she was working for seven hours in a row, without a break. She was meant to have half an hour off after the boy’s lunchtime, but knowing that the boy would be on his own in the classroom for this period with no other teaching assistants to cover for her, she didn’t take it for three months. Eventually she broke down in front
12 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
WORKING CONDITIONS of her class teacher. The teacher, who had previously been unaware that Katy didn’t get a lunch break, insisted that Katy must take a break even though this means the boy is temporarily unsupported. “Jack, the boy I support, has bitten and hit a number of children in the
playground since he started at the school, leading to lots of complaints from parents. So the head teacher wants him to be accompanied throughout break times,” Katy explains. “She doesn’t seem to care how this is arranged. Officially I am meant to take a 30 minute break after lunch but with no one to support Jack in the lesson, I used to feel it was unfair on him to do so. By the end of the day I would find myself
quickly losing patience with him and raising my voice unfairly over minor issues. This would annoy him and our relationship became strained,” she explains. Peter Morris, national officer for support staff at the union ATL, says that although teachers' working hours are closely regulated, there are few rules around breaks for teaching assistants. This leaves them reliant on their manager’s or head teacher’s whim.
Risk assessment Morris says that people need to have when their breaks take place in writing to ensure they get what they are entitled to. “There should be school or local authority policies or something in people’s contracts to address the issue of breaks. People not taking their breaks is wrong and we would challenge that with schools,” he says. “People need a break.” Children with special educational needs are arguably one of the most challenging groups in society to work with. Christine Lewis, national officer at the union Unison, says health and safety risk assessments should be carried out by schools on working with pupils with special educational needs
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 13
WORKING CONDITIONS and challenging behaviour, and these should ensure proper cover arrangements are in place. She says that if a member of staff does not get a break it’s damaging for child as well as the staff member.
Patience “If you put the child at the centre, then you have got to have somebody properly rested to look after them. If a person hasn’t had a break then how can they be patient when it’s required? It’s about principles of reasonability,” she says. Until last summer Sarah, an agency teaching assistant employed in North London, was working with
a five-year-old autistic girl in a reception class. She received one 30 minute break all day and had to spend every minute of the rest of the day alongside the child. Although this is within the law, she felt it was inadequate given the oneto-one nature of the work. “By the end of the day I was exhausted,” she says. “Angela, the girl I was supporting, hated having the same person with her during her lessons and for the majority of her break times. She got sick of me and I got sick of her. The last hour or so of the day was often really difficult. She would play up and refuse to do what I said and I wouldn’t have any energy left to challenge her.”
Use it or lose it Teaching assistants’ breaks vary dramatically between schools. Sarah is now in a school where she gets 15 minutes off in the morning and a full hour for lunch. And while some are paid for their breaks others are not. Morris says that 20 minutes every six hours is not long given the intensity of the relationship for teaching assistants working exclusively with one child. He advises that teaching assistants who are not happy 14 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
with their breaks should first raise it informally with their manager at school, and if this doesn’t work speak to their union representative and submit their complaint in writing. The school’s grievance procedure will then be invoked. Morris warns that teaching assistants must use any breaks they are offered, or they run the risk of losing them. Under an area of employment law known as custom and practice, something can be deemed to be part of your role if you have been doing it for a significant period even if it is not in your contract.
Speak out “There might be a policy of being entitled to morning and afternoon breaks as well as a lunch time break but if you don’t take them a school could in theory say they are changing your entitlement because you have shown that you don’t need them,” he says. Morris says teaching assistants who feel they are being treated unfairly need to speak out to prevent themselves or pupils becoming unwell. “In most instances when things are challenged verbally the school backs down,” he says.
CHRISTMAS PLAY
The annual nativity play used to be standard fare in primary schools, and although many schools now prefer a show with broader appeal, plenty stick with the traditional Christmas story. Gill Matthams gives some tips on ensuring your little angels - and shepherds - look the part.
Natty
nativity T
he costumes for the Christmas play can be kept quite simple. All you need are tea towels and pillowcases, cord and perhaps some donkey ears! Angels in the chorus will need a white pillowcase, with holes cut for the head and the arms and a small slit in the back to enable it to fit easily over their head. These seams can either be stitched or neatened with iron-on tape. Use a piece of white or silver cord around the waist and some gold or silver tinsel for the halo. Cut wings from cardboard and cover with silver foil and pin on with safety pins. The Angel Gabriel could have larger wings and perhaps more tinsel.
The shepherds will need brown pillowcases adapted in the same way, with striped or check tea towels for their heads. Secure them with a head band or cord. Make shepherds’ crooks from sticks, with the crook shape cut from card and stuck on. Some children may have cuddly lamb toys that they can bring in to carry. The three wise men need brighter colours - purple, bright green or red pillowcase tunics- and gold cord. Crowns and cloaks would make them look more regal. For the gifts, cover three boxes with shiny paper. Mary traditionally wears royal blue - a pillowcase is easiest, with a cord belt and perhaps a piece of white sheet for her head dress. Joseph could either have a dark coloured pillow case Continued on page 25
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011  15
CRAFT
Festival elepha Elephants are very popular in countries such as India as a ‘must have’ part of festivals, writes Clare Beaton. They are elaborately and extravagantly dressed and decorated in brightly coloured patterns. Create your own by recycling plastic bottles with built-in handles. Wash them thoroughly first, pulling off any labels on the top half, and dry. WHAT YOU WILL NEED ââ plastic containers ââ thin card ââ colourful papers and foils ââ braid and fringing ââ sequins, beads, buttons and glitter ââ glue and sticky tape ââ scissors Start by cutting off the lower part of the container, underneath the handle, which will form the elephant’s trunk. A craft knife would be ideal for this, but don’t let children use them! It is important to cut evenly, so the elephant will stand up without wobbling.
EARS Cut out two ears from thin card. You could also cut them from the lower discarded part of the container. Fasten them at the top with tape along the straight part on the inside.
CRAFT
ants
Have a look at pictures of festival elephants
Paper or fabric circle held on by cap
DECORATIONS Working on the ‘more is best’ principle, glue on as many decorative bits and pieces as you can!
TAIL Make a tail from cord or ribbon. Knot one end and push into hole at the back with knot inside
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 17
COMMUNICATION
Q
uestions are one of the most important tools in teaching. Good questioning technique prompts children to think and develop their own ideas, learn how to express themselves and become clear and confident communicators. Obviously, it’s important to ask ‘open’ questions, such as those beginning with ‘why’ or ‘how’, which require more than a short answer. But there’s a lot more to questioning than that.
Behaviour Talking things through aids children’s development as it helps build connections in the brain which are vital for learning. But, according to the charity I Can, around one in ten children have some form of language and communication difficulty. What’s more, research has found that in socially disadvantaged areas over half of children start school with poorly developed language
Trevor Chalkley
Teaching assistants are in a great position to help children develop and express their own ideas. By Caroline Roberts skills. Not only does this hold them back at school, but makes it more likely that they will develop behaviour problems and get into trouble when they are older – around 60 per cent of young offenders are found to have difficulties with communication.
Time to talk Some experts believe that the packed curriculum and the target-driven nature of today’s education system often doesn’t leave enough time for encouraging children’s talk. “It’s easy for teachers to be too focused on getting to the right answer when really it’s the process of getting there and the discussion involved that allows learning to take place,” says Dr Julie Radford, senior lecturer in special and inclusive education at London University’s Institute of Education. Children with special needs or language difficul-
18 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
Good
q
One child in ten has a language or communication difficulty
COMMUNICATION
questions ties find it difficult to answer questions in whole class discussion or to join in with group work so often don’t get the practice they need.
Small groups But, as a TA working with small groups or individual children, you’re in an excellent position to develop their communication skills.
Understanding
You need to know the individual child’s level of understanding and be able to pitch your questions at the appropriate level, says Wendy Lee, professional director at The Communication Trust.
Open “Open questions are great
“It’s easy for teachers to be too focused on getting to the right answer when really it’s the process of getting there and the discussion involved that allows learning to take place.”
as you’re encouraging them to think things through and not leading them in a particular direction. But for children with learning difficulties often a more structured approach is necessary for them to be able to respond.”
Checking Also, ‘closed’ questions requiring a short answer
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 19
COMMUNICATION have their place in checking understanding and building children’s confidence. ‘Genuine’ questions to which you don’t already know the answer, such as asking for a child’s opinion on something, help because you are showing a real interest in their ideas, adds Julie.
Disguise It can also be good to disguise questions, for example by saying ‘I wonder why that happened’ rather than ‘Why do you think that happened?’. This suggests you are exploring the topic together rather than you questioning them. It’s also vital to give children enough thinking time – ten seconds is about right, says Wendy, although children with significant special needs may need longer. “In my experience, children with language difficulties take a long time to process the question and formulate their response. I’ve literally waited 30 seconds and the child has come out with a great answer.”
Permission However, it’s important not to make them feel they have been put on the spot as they may panic. Give them permission to take as long as they need by saying some-
thing like: ‘I’m just going to let you think about that for a bit while I get some equipment out’. Allowing some time before you follow up their answer can also help, says Julie. “Instead of coming straight in with the feedback, wait three to five seconds as the child may say something else, and often what they add is more complex.
Stupid “It’s not just about you asking questions, it’s about teaching children how to ask questions too. It may sound odd, but children need to be aware of what they know and what they don’t know,” says Wendy. Children with special needs can almost get used to not understanding so may not ask questions when they need to, or may be frightened they will look stupid, especially in front of the whole class. But there are strategies you can use to help with this. For example, you could have some pictures of animals and tell the child you are going to ask some questions about them. Tell them to just say ‘I don’t know’, or ‘I don’t understand’ if they can’t answer. Start with some easy
20 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
Scaffoldin ●● Questions beginning with words like ‘how’ and ‘why’ are the most open and encourage the most complex answers. For example: ‘How do you plant a seed?’ ●● ‘When’ or ‘what’ questions such as ‘What do you do next?’ or ‘When do you water it?’ can help them structure their answer.
COMMUNICATION
Trevor Chalkley
ones and then throw in one the child won’t understand such as ‘Which one is a pachyderm?’. Take responsibility by saying it was a confusing question and praise them for saying they didn’t understand. “Create an atmosphere where saying you don’t understand is seen as a good thing by responding in a really positive way and pointing out that lots of others are probably thinking the same thing.”
Strategies
ng answers ●● When children are struggling, offer a two-choice question such as ‘Do you put it in the light or in the shade?’ ●● Easy, closed questions can help keep them motivated and raise
It’s also important to model types of questioning that you might use in discussion such as, ‘That’s a really good idea, but have you thought about …?/ maybe we could try…’ as this helps children to use those strategies with their peers. “At home, they may never have heard those kind of negotiating statements, or ways of clarifying ideas and pushing your thinking forward. “You need lots of types of questioning in your toolkit of strategies and be able to pull out what you need for each child,” she says. “If you can get that bit right, you’ve cracked it,” says Wendy Lee. ican.org.uk
“Instead of coming straight in with the feedback, wait three to five seconds as the child may say something else, and often what they add is more complex.”
their self-esteem.
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 21
TA ROLE
Supporting the
teacher
Teaching assistants play an essential role in schools, but their work should always be supervised and directed by a teacher, writes Jill Morgan
E
ach time I meet a new group of TAs and they tell me about their assigned duties, I am astonished by the variety and extent of their responsibilities.
answerable to someone else - most often a teacher - for all your responsibilities. And that teacher (or member of the school management team) is responsible for the work you do.
Answerable
Standards
It’s a reminder to me of what an essential role you play in schools as TAs, and how committed you are to education and children. But you are of course
In the last two issues we talked about two elements of the learning cycle – planning and evaluation – as part of the first of the National Occupational Stan-
dards (NOS) for Supporting Teaching and Learning.
Delegate In this article I’d like to address another element: Plan, deliver and evaluate teaching and learning activities under the direction of a teacher (STL23). This unit says, ‘Teaching and learning activities should take place under the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher in accor-
IN PRACTICE As with all of the National Occupational Standard units, you can look at the performance criteria for STL 23 for practical advice on how to conduct yourself in the classroom. In this case the suggestions include: ●● reliably carry out agreed commitments to partnership working with the teacher ●● provide accurate and complete feedback to relevant people on pupils’ participation
22 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
and progress ●● maintain appropriate records of the teaching and learning activities and outcomes in accordance with school procedures ●● seek and take account of feedback from the teacher and pupils ●● provide feedback to the teacher to inform his/her future planning
TA ROLE
“There should be a proper system of direction and supervision for TAs.”
dance with arrangements made by the headteacher of the school.’ This is in line with National Agreement of 2003 which allowed teachers to delegate certain administrative tasks to support staff.
HLTA It also introduced the roles of HLTA and Cover Supervisor, which allow TAs more independent instructional roles. However it clearly stated that there should be a ‘proper system of direction and supervision’ for TAs. Last year the Training and
Development Agency for Schools (TDA) published a document called Introduction to the effective deployment of classroom-based support staff.
Respect Backed up by evidence from research, the TDA says ‘The deployment of school workforce is inextricably linked to the quality and vision of the leadership in the school and this will only be effective where there is an ethos and culture which recognises and respects all staff for their contribution
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 23
TA ROLE to learning. Schools should seek to deploy their staff in such a way as to maximise the benefits these staff bring to the school’. Although this is obviously beyond your control as a TA, the implementation tips section of the TDA document offers some practical advice for schools which you too can put to good use. It suggests that schools consider checking at the start of each term or school year, that all TAs can answer the following questions: ■■ “What are my regular duties?” ■■ “What is my daily routine?” ■■ “What pupil records are available to me?” ■■ “How much contact should I have with parents?” ■■ “What is expected of me in terms of managing behaviour?” Of course the answers to these questions are ultimately a matter for the teacher who is responsible for your work, so it’s another reminder that you should be seeking direction and supervision in order to clarify your role. The point is echoed in the National Occupational Standards (STL 23): You need to know and understand: ■■ the nature and boundar-
ies of your role in planning and delivering teaching and learning activities, and its relationship to the role of the teacher and others in the school, and ■■ the importance of working within the boundaries of your role and competence and when you should refer to others. As the TDA document puts it, ‘TAs directly involved in teaching and learning have the most impact when they understand their role and know exactly what they need to do to help.’
Jill Morgan is a lecturer at Swansea Metropolitan University and author of How to be a Successful Teaching Assistant (Continuum Books)
National Occupational Standards for Supporting Teaching and Learning
WHAT NOT TO DO! The TDA’s Introduction to the Effective Deployment of Classroom-Based Support Staff notes two important findings about TAs’ work : ●● Research has found that TAs’ interactions with pupils, compared to teachers’ interactions with pupils, are often more concerned with the completion of tasks rather than learning and understanding. This can lead to a dependency between the TA and the pupil. ●● A recent longitudinal study of the deployment of support staff in the classroom found that while teachers used pedagogical [teaching] tools and techniques to encourage learning and understanding, the TA was more likely to provide pupils with the answers to ensure that tasks were completed on time. Take time to reflect on your work, and ask yourself: “Is this what I do?”, and “What can I do to improve in this area?” Then talk to the teacher responsible for the pupils you work with, so that you can clarify their expectations and be a more effective support for them as well as for your pupils.
24 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
BOOK REVIEW
Brilliant Teaching Assistant: What you need to know to be a truly outstanding teaching assistant Louise Burnham Pearson Education Ltd. £12.99 Can you remember your first day as a TA? Mine was amazing. I remember working with Year 6 as they designed and made mini Christmas cakes. The finished products ranged from the fantastic to just plain strange. We all enjoyed the
process but I made some fundamental errors over the course of that day and it was good luck rather than judgement that made the day go so well. First days, first weeks, often pass in a haze. Everyone else appears to know what to do and they all seem so busy, it’s hard to pluck up the courage to ask for advice. Schools seem to have a language of their own, acronyms abound; it’s easy to see why new TAs can feel bewildered. In her book Brilliant Teaching Assistant, Louise Burnham addresses all of these concerns and more. She helps to make sense of the jargon used in schools, explains different roles within the school team and gives an overview of the curriculum and key stages. There are simple tips on behaviour management which I would have welcomed as a new TA and the clear explanations of SEN would have been really helpful to me. It is good
to see how the changing role of TAs is reflected in this book, with chapters on supporting gifted and talented learners and providing pastoral support. If you want to truly get the most from this book though, you should fully interact with it. There are case studies and activities designed to make you think more deeply about your role and about the support that you provide. I really like this element of the book. You are sent off on your own little voyage of discovery, hunting out policies, or researching subjects. You are signposted to useful websites and other research materials and you are encouraged to access the information which is lurking around school already. We are encouraged to be proactive learners, just as we should be encouraging the children we work with. I think that’s the best way to learn. Sue Ross
and costumes can. Ask one of the children to bring in a doll for baby Jesus. The innkeeper could wear a brown pillowcase tunic with a plain white apron made from a tea towel. The donkey is more of a challenge. If you have a budget
and a willing seamstress, buy some fur fabric and a sewing pattern. Otherwise grey or brown trousers and long sleeved top will do. Make the ears from felt with wire inside to stiffen them, and attached to a hair band. Good luck!
Continued from page 15
perhaps someone could make a simple stripy tunic, so he looks a little different from the shepherds. A simple wooden box on legs would make a great manger. If someone can make this, it can be used the following year as the rest of the props
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 25
ASK SUE
I’m a TA, not a
physiotherapist Q A I am a newly appointed TA in a school with a high proportion of children with SEN. I have been told that I am expected to give daily physiotherapy to one child. I feel uncomfortable doing this. I’m not trained and, even though I follow the exercises carefully, I’m worried in case I do something wrong. I’ve just started this
job so I don’t want to make waves. I can see why you are worried, but expressing your concerns shouldn’t upset anyone as long as you express them to the right people in school. Why not ask the SENCO if you can speak with the child’s physiotherapist when they next attend. You also
26 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
need to establish the extent of your role. Are you expected to just encourage the child as they perform the exercises? Or are you expected to be fully ‘hands-on’ manipulating limbs and such? You are right. You are not a trained physiotherapist and you need to sort this out as soon as you can..
ASK SUE
Should I cover the class if teacher is
on strike?
Q
I have been a TA for many years and regularly provide cover for my class teacher. I take the children for art and for PSHE and it works well. It made my relationship with the teacher and the children even stronger than it had been. I was timetabled to cover during the last industrial action and so I took the class as usual, even though I had some misgivings. For a time after I felt my relationship with my teacher was a bit strained. I’m worried now. What do I do if I’m asked to cover again in these circumstances? I don’t want to risk our relationship.
A
Are you in a union? If so, you will have guidance from
them. You will find that if you are normally timetabled to cover a class then you can continue to do so. It seems to me that on this occasion you were just continuing with your usual cover role and so you were quite right to take the class. For the future? Maybe you should consider joining a union if you aren’t
Sue Ross is a TA assessor who used to be a teaching assistant herself. If you have a question you would like Sue to answer, please email her at: sue.ross@learningsupport.co.uk
a member already. I think it could be a bumpy ride and TAs will need all the help they can get.
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CHILDREN’S HEALTH
“Sally transform
TA Sally Angel is up for a special award for her a child with the blood clotting disease haemop
T
eaching assistant Sally Angel has transformed the lives of a Nottingham family through the care she has shown their haemophilic son Callum Smith, aged 8. Sally, 42, who works at Abbey Road School in Bridgford, has been nominated for an acclaimed Buddy Award – organised by the UK Haemophilia Society and pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
Normal lives The Buddy Awards were launched earlier this year to recognise individuals from all walks of life for the help and support they provide to children with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders. Haemophilia is a condition that affects the blood’s ability to clot. Teachers and teaching assistants are seen as critical in the care of children with bleeding disorders to ensure that affected children can enjoy as normal as possible school lives. Sally joined Abbey Road
Primary School four years ago when Callum first started. “I didn’t know anything about haemophilia when I started. It was a bit of a shock at first. Listening to the parents really helped and then I went away and tried to learn as much as I could about it.”
Transform Paul Smith, Callum’s father said; “Sally helped to transform our lives. We were able to function as a normal family thanks to her help. “We thought that one of us would have to give up work so that we were there to run into the school if anything happened, but Sally became very involved and we had complete confidence that life at school would be okay for Callum. “She wasn’t interfering but just kept an eye on him and helped to eliminate problems before they happened.” Haemophilia is a genetic disorder which is usually inherited. It cannot be caught
28 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
Sally Angel, with Callum
med our lives”
work supporting philia
or transmitted except through inheritance. However, about one third of new cases are caused by a new mutation of the gene in the mother or the child. In these cases, there is no previous history of haemophilia in the family, which was the situation for Callum.
Symptoms Symptoms range from easy bruising to prolonged bleeding. Bleeds can occur spontaneously (without an external cause) or as a result of injury. How easily or badly a person bleeds depends on the severity of their deficiency. Internal bleeds into the joints, muscles and other tissues are the most serious problem for people with bleeding disorders - if left untreated they cause severe pain, arthritis, jointdamage and disability. UK Haemophilia Society Sally would be pleased to hear from other teaching assistants supporting children with haemophilia. Email office@abbeyroad.notts.sch.uk, with the message subject line “To Sally Angel”
CHILDREN’S HEALTH HAEMOPHILIA FACTS ●● Haemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder that prevents the blood from clotting normally ●● There are two main forms, haemophilia A and B, each caused by a deficiency of different blood clotting factors. A is the most common. ●● Von Willebrand’s disease is another inherited clotting disorder that may affect as many as 1 in 1,000 of the population. Many people go undiagnosed until they experience an excessive bleed. ●● The worldwide incidence of haemophilia is estimated at more than 400,000 people ●● There are about 24,000 people in the UK registered as living with a bleeding disorder; 6,000 with haemophilia ●● There is no cure for haemophilia but it is treated by replacing the deficient clotting factor ●● If you have a child with haemophilia in your school, it is quite possible that any brothers or cousins they have will also be affected.
Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011 29
TAs AT WORK
Carla Stone was a classroom teacher for 15 years then took 10 years out when she had a child. She decided to ease back into teaching by becoming a TA but enjoys it so much she is re-thinking her plans. She joined St Elizabeth’s in February 2011 and works with a child with Asperger’s syndrome.
misunderstood, and act it out with those involved.
She says: “I have never done special needs so this is interesting and I have really enjoyed it.
She adds: “He has anxieties that other children wouldn’t have and my job is about understanding them. It’s a privilege working one to one, and being with this child has helped me to understand other children’s lesser anxieties.”
“I get a lot of support from the special needs coordinator at the school, a specialist from the Autism Centre and an occupational therapist, who comes fairly regularly. “The child can get very angry and misunderstand others, so the occupational therapist has devised ‘social stories’ for us to use. You role play an event where he might have been
“He can operate quite well in the classroom, but tends to be very easily distracted and needs someone there to keep him focused. I have to devise programmes to adapt the classroom work to his needs and I think my teaching skills help.”
Now, she says: “I wish all teachers had to go through being a TA before being a teacher. Before you start thinking ‘I’ve got to get them from A to B’ you have to meet them where they are, which is what a TA does.”
30 Learning Support Nov-Dec 2011
There are more than 100,000 teaching assistants working in primary schools in England alone. They come from a huge range of backgrounds, and have a vast array of skills. But with no universal job description, what are teaching assistants actually doing? Joy Ogden talked to three TAs at St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School in Bethnal Green, London, about their jobs, and why they think teaching assistants are so important.
“TAs meet where are”
TAs AT WORK over a word and he would remember it, then five minutes later had forgotten. We worked on one certain word over and over. At the end of the week the teacher happened to ask this child to spell this word. He said the first letter. All I did was nod at him. He got it right and when he did he smiled Tina Sims started at the school 14 years ago as a ‘floater’ between years 3 to 6. She then took charge of a phonics programme, then was classroom TA for years 5 and 6, and she now works part time with year 6.
t children
e they
at me, as if to say, ‘I did that Her role is to give general support, wherever needed. The class has a spelling programme for ten minutes every day. She remembers: “One child found spelling so difficult. We’d keep going
Louise Tormey started at St Elizabeth’s 12 years ago. She says she loves the job and the school’s caring, supportive environment. She works with small groups in year 6 and supervises the lunchtime playground, which she believes is important in building
because of you’. “I think this job is really rewarding, especially when you work with a child and they suddenly get it and you feel you have made a difference.” relationships with pupils, and boosting their self confidence. She says: “You can’t force children to play with others, but if a child says, ‘They won’t let me play their game,’ I try to resolve it and de-fuse the situation. Every day I take a bean bag out and chuck it to the child being left out. Then all of a sudden the other children want to join in. I say, ‘It isn’t my game, it’s Farzad’s, ask him if you can play’. Then the next day they all want to play and he’s in charge.” She adds: “A lot of the time the job is challenging, but it gives you a sense of achievement.”
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