Teaching assistants legal requirement

[Siblingstogether]

Do you know if there is a legal requirement for schools to have teaching assistants.

No it's not

No, none. They are very much a nice to have not a legal requirement. The only exceptions would be 1-2-1s or specified support coming out of an EHCP which was for a named child.

Hi OP where are you? In Wales nursery and reception classes have to have at least 1 TA for each 8 children.

They might have them but it isn't a legal requirement even in Wales.

Nor the Foundation Phase curriculum is statutory and it carries the requirement of at least work towards the ratio of 1 adult to 8 children (15 in years 1 and 2) - the risk of not meeting the ratio is losing funding. Our local authority meets the requirement easily.

However I know some headteachers who grumble at this approach and believe there is such a thing as too many TAs in a classroom.

The curriculum is statutory but staffing ratios are just guidance unless changed recently