Learning support and teaching assistants - a bridge or a barrier?

'They will offer the tools to help the child to succeed.'

A good assistant won't be a barrier to the child working with other children, and all good ones are aware that the more success the child achieves, the less reliant the child will be on their support.

What should you expect from your child's TA and how will they help?

The role of a teaching assistant

Often they will assist a child with organisation, helping them to become more self-reliant over time. Typically they will help a child achieve behavioural objectives in and out of lessons.

Traditionally, a teaching assistant (TA) assists the teacher, and a learning support assistant (LSA) provides support, sometimes quite specialised, to an individual child or group. However, the roles and titles have become blurred and are interchangeable. The DCSF uses the term teaching assistant and has introduced higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs); these are qualified personnel who may take on added responsibilities. In Scotland the term auxiliary may be used for supporting children with special educational needs. Other terms used include curriculum assistant and classroom assistant.

Most work towards nationally recognised qualifications. A teaching/learning support assistant works alongside pupils on agreed targets and, given adequate training and support, may help the child with the acquisition of new skills. As well as offering in-class support an LSA or TA may be involved with assessment and record keeping, lesson planning and preparation and the modification of teaching and learning materials to meet specific needs.

Teaching/learning support assistants can support pupils of all ages, but their input depends on a number of factors. These include the age of the pupil, the nature of the difficulty and the context in which they are being educated. Their role is far-reaching and varied.

A bridge not a barrier

In most cases the aim of extra support is to give a child access to the mainstream curriculum (though possibly not the whole programme of study). Work shouldn't be too different from that undertaken by the rest of the class, but may be adapted to take account of learning need. The assistant acts as a bridge, helping with what they need to do to get from where they are currently to where they want to be. An assistant may ensure different learning styles are adopted, perhaps kinaesthetic, visual, practical, or act as a scribe or amanuensis to help the child achieve the learning objectives.

It's easy for a child to cling to their support, but while a good assistant will offer social and emotional support, they will at the same time encourage a...