​Support Assistants are adults who support teachers and help children develop. Research shows that when Support Assistants are deployed effectively, with appropriate training and support, they can make a significant contribution to pupils' learning. This resource explores some of this evidence and provides professional learning materials that are being used in Scottish schools and local authorities.

How to use this exemplar

Improvement questions:

1. Have you identified activities where Support Assistants can support learning, rather than simply managing tasks?
2. Have you provided support and training for teachers and Support Assistants so that they understand how to work together effectively?
3. How will you ensure that teachers do not reduce their support or input to the pupils supported by Support Assistants?
4. Have you considered how you will evaluate the impact of how you deploy your Support Assistants?

Explore this exemplar

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published guidance on the effective use of teaching assistants. The guidance report, along with resources and a course to help make best use of the guidance can be found here. The guidance contains seven evidence-based recommendations to help teaching practitioners maximise the impact of support assistants. The guidance recommends:

• support assistants should not be used as an informal teaching resource for low attaining pupils
• support assistants should add value to what teachers do, not replace them
• support assistants can help pupils develop independent learning skills and manage their own learning
• support assistants can deliver high quality one-to-one and small group support using structured interventions
• adopt evidence-based interventions to aid support assistants in their small group and one-to-one instruction
• ensure support assistants are fully prepared for their role in the classroom
• ensure explicit connections are made between learning from everyday classroom teaching and structured interventions

The EEF, in partnership with the TES, have created an online course with step-by-step guidance on implementing the recommendations, and videos of a school discussing how they have changed the way Support Assistants are deployed and trained.

This course consists of eight units and is available, completely free, on the EEF website.

Examples of activities and interventions that schools across Scotland are using can be accessed through the Interventions for Equity framework.

Additional materials

During year one of the Scottish Attainment Challenge, the central team in Glasgow City Council realised that very often the most vulnerable children spend considerable time with Support for Learning Workers and that providing a learning programme for these colleagues would provide professional development and also ensure a consistency of support in meeting the needs of the children and young people.

To this end, each INSET day offers a programme of courses for Support assistants and HTs to select, to suit school based priorities and staff requests. They are hosted in three separate areas of the city to accommodate numbers which can exceed 400 at an event.

Topics offered to date include: Positive Playtimes, Supporting children with ASD in the gym, phonological awareness, Scotland reads, Outdoor Learning and Growth Mindset.

An evaluation of the session is undertaken three times per year and modifications made to approach, content and topic as a result.

Attached are the presentations which have been used at the Growth Mindset and the Three Read Approach events.

Downloads

PowerPoint Presentation: Three Read Approach - SfLW 2016/7

PowerPoint Presentation: Growth Mindset Challenge - SfLW 2015​