One of the comments from our very recent OFSTED was the outstanding use of learning support assistants within all classrooms. Infact many comments were made and I had a long meeting with one inspector regarding the use of our very many and very well qualified and experienced TAs at the time. There were no negative aspects found in any way. Not in the LEA advisor visits.
But then the list of negative things a TA can cause are not something I see happening at our school. We have a TA in every class, most FT, plus 1:1 TAs for children with high level of needs.
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teacher has to spend time planning for the TA - not here. TAs plan either individually or as part of the key stage team, sometimes with teachers, sometimes just the TAs. We have regular training and CPD on various interventions and keep up to date, and share knowledge. HLTAs plan and prep entirely independently, no twacher doing it for them at all.
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TA always assigned to bottom table. - not here. We move around, as does the teacher meaning all children get to work with the teacher, the TA or independently during every single week.
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kids get dependant on their support - because of above, they don't here.
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teacher doesn't work with them as much - see above
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TA running intervention and so teacher doesn't take responsibility for it - yes, we do run interventions but it is all fed back to teachers. Teacher identify, with TAs, pupils that may be suitable for a given intervention. Feedback through our normal regular meetings. Not all interventions can occur alongside the rest of the class, especially for children with specific needs.
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tis easier to get TA to scribe / read then to teach child to write / read. - we don't scribe or read here. We support and encourage. Work is differentiated by teachers and made accessible to the children using them, therefore there is no need.
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child kept in bottom table with TA because they need TA to read for them, even when it's not the right ability table for them - we have totally flexible tables which change at least half termly. Where groupings are used they are based o the child's own work in the specific subject. Just because a child has difficulties with reading they won't be places on the bottom table, where used, for something other than reading for example, writing tasks or maths.
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in a small group intervention with a couple of statemented children you can end up with too many adults and it's distracting for everyone plus the teacher has to plan for the TA as well - we only take in additional adults into interventions if the child specifically requires them to be present, so no additional teachers. Teachers not planning for interventions.
In the school that has all these issues then yes I can see where TAs may cause some negative issues. But that is because they are being badly used within the school.