Teaching Assistants

Teaching assistants provide support to teachers and pupils in a school setting. Some teaching assistants work one-to-one, while others work in small groups. Experienced and specially trained teaching assistants can be expected to supervise a class for a teacher who's off sick or undertaking training. Typical work activities include:

• Helping students in all areas of the curriculum;

• Assisting with the preparation of the learning environment;

• Liaising with parents;

• Maintaining student records and carrying out administrative tasks;

• Supporting students who have special needs or those who speak English as a second language.

Since the government launched a National Agreement for England and Wales on 'Raising Standards and Tackling Workload' in 2003, the number of teaching assistants has risen dramatically. The scope of their work has expanded to include:

• Planning learning activities with teachers;

• Assisting with the development of support materials;

• Helping with the assessment of pupils' progress.