Teaching Assistants – The Unsung Educators
Date 26 September 2024
26.09.2024For National Teaching Assistants’ Day 2024, Adam presents a ‘state of the nation’ blog about the profession, drawing particular attention to the new Government’s focus on TAs. He also talks about recent developments at UON with our TA programmes and how students have lent their views to episodes of our podcast called ‘The Unsung Educators’.
National Teaching Assistants Day: Friday 27 September 2024
“Some people don’t realise how much a TA does, which is sad really.”
– Helen McArdle, The Unsung Educators Podcast.
This year’s National Teaching Assistants Day comes at a time of cultural and political change, as we welcomed a new government in July 2024. Sir Keir Starmer, our new Prime Minister, stated that Teaching Assistants (TAs) are the “backbones of this country” during the Labour Party Conference on 24 September 2024.
Teaching Assistants are classroom-based staff members who support teachers and help students learn and develop their independence and self-esteem. They do this by performing many essential duties, such as helping teachers prepare lesson materials, mentoring students and reporting their progress, and giving extra support to students who need it.
This recognition has been long deserved by a workforce that has been underrepresented in government reforms for some time. The number of Teaching Assistants has significantly increased: in 2023/24, there were 282,900 Teaching Assistants in England, which represents a 28% increase from 2011/12. This is the highest number of Teaching Assistants since the census began collecting support staff data in 2011/12. With this increase in mind, perhaps now is the time to review how Teaching Assistants are perceived within the national context.
Since the National Workforce Agreement in 2002/03 and the introduction of Higher Level Teaching Assistants, there has been increased emphasis on providing Teaching Assistants with opportunities to teach whole classes. This has largely been due to the academisation agenda of education and schooling in the 2010s. As a result, Teaching Assistants have moved away from tasks like washing paint pots, developing wall displays, and completing clerical duties under the direction of the class teacher. Consequently, there has been a paradigm shift in the way Teaching Assistants are perceived in the national consciousness.
Furthermore, schools and alternative provisions for children and young people are increasingly reliant on qualified and knowledgeable support staff to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEN/D). In 2024, 42.2% of pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan and 38.3% of those with SEN support were eligible for free school meals, compared to 24.6% of all pupils. The number of children with SEN/D has been steadily rising for some time, however recruiting Teaching Assistants continues to be a challenge, mainly due to issues surrounding pay and career progression.
In January 2024, we started to run a brand-new Foundation Degree in Learning and Teaching* (FDLT) with a SEN/DIP (Special Educational Needs and Inclusive Provision) pathway. programme allows support staff working in special and/or alternative provisions to undertake a qualification that will upskill them as education professionals and transform opportunities for children with SEN/D. Alongside a brand new Main Pathway for the FDLT, we now offer two pathways for a range of support staff (Sports Coaches, HLTAs, Cover Supervisors, etc.) allowing progression onto our BA Top-Up in Learning and Teaching (BALT). This provides a platform for entry into graduate roles (such as local authority roles, working social services and working in Further Education). Furthermore, BALT can lead to entry into Teacher Training.
While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the complex landscape the sector faces, it can also be viewed as a period of opportunity for support staff in education, especially Teaching Assistants. Their value should never be underestimated. Many of us may remember what it was like to have a Teaching Assistant in the classroom and, if you do, you know the positive impact they can have on the lives of children and young people.
To shine a light on the importance and value of TAs and to give them an extra platform, we have a series of episodes for the University’s podcast called The Unsung Educators. You can tune into the episodes on our podcast.
Having worked as a Teaching Assistant before entering Higher Education, I understand how important this role is. I continue to be in awe of our students, many of whom work full-time as Teaching Assistants while working towards their degree, as they continue to enable children to thrive in a post-pandemic world.
Teaching Assistants, we appreciate you – Happy Teaching Assistants Day!
Find out more about the Foundation Degree in Learning and Teaching* (FDLT) programme on our website.
Adam has worked extensively with children and young people from the early years to post-16 education. More recently Adam has taught and trained Teaching Assistants and Early Years Educators whilst they undertake their foundation degree so they can qualify as teachers in the primary sector. Adam is deeply interested in social class and its relationship with inequality, social mobility and widening participation.