Session+1+-+The+role+of+the+TA

=​What is it like to be a TA?=

**Activity**: What are the challenges, stressors and rewards of your role? [|Challenges stresses rewards.PDF]

= = = = =The changing role of the TA=



Source: DfES school data collections, 2007

=Why have numbers increased and the role of the TA changed?=

Why has the role of the TA emerged? **
 * 


 * The Warnock report (1978)
 * Green Paper 1997: Excellence for all Children- Meeting Special Educational Needs
 * SEN Code of Practice (2001)
 * Inclusion agenda (SENDA, 2001)
 * Every Child Matters (2003)
 * School Workforce Remodelling (2003)
 * Extended schools (2005)


 * Warnock report (1978) **


 * replace the existing medical definition of handicap with the broader concept of ‘special education need';
 * effective assessment of children with special education needs, and support systems for their parents;
 * increase awareness among teacher of the special needs which many children have. Training was seen as essential for this purpose;
 * provision for children with special needs must be extensive and flexible.
 * The subsequent 1981 and 1993 Education Acts altered the law relating to the education of children with special needs.
 * The idea that children with SEN could be educated within the mainstream setting
 * 

Green Paper 1997: Excellence for all Children- Meeting Special Educational Needs **


 * closer cooperation between special and mainstream schools
 * earlier assessment of SEN and more SEN pupils to stay in mainstream;
 * better support for parents;
 * revised Code of Practice - less bureaucracy, more support for schools, fewer
 * statements, fewer appeals;
 * extra £4m for physical access in schools;
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">SEN training for all new teachers, clearer career path for SEN staff;
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">more training (especially for primary teachers) for dealing emotional/behavioural difficulties (EBD) in pupils;
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">extra resources for EBD schools;
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">closer links between education, health and social services;
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">more speech and language therapy.

SEN Code of Practice, 2001 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Special Educational Needs and disability Act, 2001 **


 * Current guidance on supporting pupils with SEN **: [|Teachernet - SEN]

Every Child Matters: Aims and outcomes, 2004 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Be healthy
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Stay safe
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Enjoy and achieve
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Make a positive contribution
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Achieve economic well-being


 * Every Child Matters website **: [|DCSF - ECM]

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Re-modelling the school workforce: <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">[|http://www.tda.gov.uk/remodelling.aspx]

= = = = = = = = =Implications for Teaching Assistants=
 * Extended Schools:** []
 * Video **: Primary Extended Service - Museum Club []


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">New roles emerging
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Qualifications – Higher proportion of early year’s workforce qualified to at least level 3
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">HLTA
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Integrated qualifications framework
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Early Year’s Professionals in all Children’s Centres
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Early Years professionals in all full day care settings
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Greater variety of out of school activities – term time and holidays
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Increased youth provision
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Adult and community learning

=** Activity: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Consider a recent change that you were involved in at your school, or in your classroom, and record your responses to these questions… =
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Was the change generated by national government agencies, local government, senior managers, teachers, TAs or yourself?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Who, in the school supported the change, and was there resistance?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">What was your stance- and why?
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">What has been the outcome of change in terms of a) how people behave, and b) their attitudes and values
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Does the origin of change, i.e. who or what generated it, affect how you view it?

= Debate: =

This article, published in the TES on 4th September 2009, has caused much debate in schools. Read it - what are you thoughts and opinions? Add them to the **DISCUSSION** board! [|Teaching Assistants Impair Pupil Progress]


 * Can you find an article, either in a newspaper such as TES or Education Guardian or in a journal, which gives a differing view?**