TEACHING ASSISTANT STANDARDS – 2016

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Highly Effective

  • Demonstrates a determined “can do” attitude to overcoming barriers to achievement and ensure that aspirations for every child remain high
  • Develop highly successful relationships with children, championing their abilities and progress and treating them with respect
  • Be highly effective role models for all children, demonstrating the learning skills and attitudes needed for high achievement to take place
  • Encompass the school values and Christian ethos in all areas of their working lives
  • Works collaboratively with colleagues to ensure the highest possible provision for the children they work with, asking for support and guidance when necessary and providing high quality support for others
  • Show a determined commitment to their own professional development to ensure that their practice remains of the highest quality

Effective

  • Demonstrates a deep commitment to raising educational achievement of the children they work with
  • Builds effective relationships with children by treating them consistently and with respect and consideration
  • Promotes positive values for learning, attitudes and behaviours they expect from the children
  • Respects and upholds the school values and Christian ethos
  • Is able to work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice and when to give advice to others
  • Be able to improve their own practice, by attending appropriate training, provided by the school, and through observation, evaluation and discussion with colleagues.

Effectiveness Requires Improvement

  • Demonstrates a commitment to raising the achievement of children
  • Builds relationships with children by treating them with respect and consideration
  • Promotes positive values, attitudes and behaviours but this may not always be seen in the children
  • Understands the school values and Christian ethos and regards them as important
  • Is able to work as part of a team but this may not always lead to highly effective classroom practice and an impact on learning
  • Attends all school based training organised by school leaders and contributes fully

Ineffective

  • Demonstrates a commitment to raising the achievement of children but this may not be consistently applied to all groups of children or some behaviours may contradict this commitment
  • Relationships are inconsistent and children are not always treated with respect and consistency
  • Encourages learning behaviours in the children but does not always model or demonstrate such behaviours OR stifles the children’s learning behaviour by being too adult directed
  • Is able to recall the school values and what makes our school distinctly Christian
  • Is not always able to access support from colleagues or may dominate group working situations, meaning that practice is not always developed fully
  • Attends all school based training but does not contribute fully or there is little impact seen as a result of the training

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Highly Effective:

  • Have a deep understanding of their moral responsibilities when supporting children’s learning and take ownership of their own impact
  • Has high levels of subject knowledge and is able to adapt the content of the lesson to ensure that all children are able to make high levels of progress
  • Is able to interpret and contribute to planning, showing a deep understanding of the aims, content and intended learning outcomes for the lesson
  • Show skilled use of ICT and have a deep understanding of how to use ICT to advance children’s learning and encourage motivation
  • Show an in depth understanding of statutory frameworks and how this affects the children they are working with.
  • Shows current knowledge of the SEN needs of the children and often seeks out valuable information/training regarding these children.
  • Shows sophisticated behaviour management techniques, in line with our school values to ensure that children are highly motivated to learn and a purposeful learning environment is maintained
  • Contributes to, and shows high levels of understanding of, school policies relevant to their role eg. Behaviour, safeguarding and SEND

Effective

•Have sufficient understanding of their responsibilities to support pupils’ learning

•Be able to acquire further knowledge to contribute effectively and with confidence to the classes in which they are involved.

•Understand the aims, content and intended outcomes for the lessons in which they are involved.

•Be ICT-literate, knowing how to use ICT to advance pupils’ learning, and can use common ICT tools for their own and pupils’ benefit.

•Be aware of the statutory frameworks relevant to their role.

•Know the current legal definition of special educational needs (SEN) and to know where to seek appropriate guidance.

•Be familiar with a range of behaviour management strategies, thus helping to establish a purposeful learning environment and to promote good behaviour.

•Have access to and understanding of relevant school policies, particularly those around behaviour and SEN.

Effectiveness Requires Improvement

•Understanding can be misinterpreted and performance can be measured on quality of teaching NOT impact on learning

•Has an understanding of the content of the lesson but outcomes often need to be explained in more detail by the class teacher to ensure that outcomes are achieved

•Is able to use ICT effectively but opportunities to use it to enhance children’s learning are often missed

•There is knowledge of statutory frameworks but this is often seen as the teacher’s responsibility

•Understands that there have been changes to SEN legislation but is unaware how these changes have impacted on the life of the school and their role

•The learning environment is purposeful and calm but behaviour management can be as a result of over exaggerated management strategies

•Knows the content of school policies but is not always clear about how these policies impact on their role and the learning of the children

Ineffective

•Does not show understanding of their role in terms of impact on learning. May see progress as the teacher’s responsibility and may prefer to carry out tasks not linked to classroom practice/children’s progress.

•Does not always ensure that intended outcomes of the lesson are reached

•Has poor knowledge of ICT and rarely uses it in lessons

•Poor knowledge of statutory frameworks

•Some knowledge of changes to SEN legislation but some knowledge is out of date

•Behaviour management strategies are not effective enough to ensure that children can work calmly and make progress

•Does not know some aspects of core policy relevant to their role

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Highly Effective

•Works as part of a clearly established class team to ensure accelerated progress

•Contributes effectively to the assessment of individuals and groups within the class, providing insightful feedback to the class teacher on progress and next steps. Can use classroom data to inform next steps.

•Is able to adapt planning and resources to meet the needs of groups and individuals, resulting in high levels of progress

•Is able to skilfully question children to develop their thinking and reasoning across all subjects

•Is highly skilled at supporting both ends of the ability spectrum, resulting in high levels of strong progress

•Resources are skilfully selected to match the needs of the children and their use results in high levels of progress

•Marking is in line with the school policy and gives children clear understanding of where they have been successful and how they could improve

Effective

•Works well with the class teacher to ensure the children make good progress

•Provides input in to class provision maps, providing entry and exit data and evaluating the effectiveness of their interventions

•Is able to deliver the class teacher’s planning skilfully to ensure that guided groups, and those children receiving intervention, make good progress

•Asks a range of questions to probe children’s understanding and support assessment

•Is able to work effectively with all abilities to promote good progress

•Is able to use the resources selected by the class teacher to scaffold learning and ensure progress

•Is able to provide feedback to guided groups through suitable marking

Effectiveness Requires Improvement

•Good relationships exist between the team but progress for some groups of children is not always good

•Provides input in to class provision maps but entry and exit data may not always be robust and interventions may not always be evaluated for effectiveness

•Class teacher’s planning is delivered but some issues with pace and expectations means that the groups does not always make accelerated progress

•Questioning is used to support assessment but group work can be adult dominated

•Is able to work effectively with all abilities but progress with some groups may not be consistent

•Resources are used as directed by the class teacher and most children use them effectively but opportunities for use are sometimes missed

•Focus groups books are marked and provide feedback to the class teacher but comments do not always impact on children’s progress

Ineffective

•The teacher and TA do not work effectively to ensure that progress of the children

•Input given for class provision maps is largely anecdotal and not supported by data

•Class teachers planning is not always delivered as intended resulting in poor outcomes for children and missed opportunities for learning

•Questioning in group work is limited so assessment opportunities are missed

•Is only able to ensure the progress of particularly groups of learners

•There is little understanding of how to use resources to support learning so progress is slow

•Books for focused groups are not marked in line with school policy

WORKING WITH OTHERS

Highly Effective

  • Is able to hold highly effective conversations with parents/carers ensuring that all matters are addressed sensitively to move a child’s learning on.
  • Is able to liaise with colleagues and external agencies to meet the needs of all learners and ensure progress for the most vulnerable
  • Uses appropriate language, relevant to the school’s assessment systems to share information regarding children’s progress and attainment with other colleagues and/or external professionals
  • Is able to skilfully communicate specialist understanding with colleagues so that decisions around targeted interventions and provision mapping are underpinned by expert knowledge and experience

Effective

  • Is able to liaise sensitively and effectively with parents and carers, recognising their role in children’s learning.

• Liaise with relevant colleagues and external staff to meet the needs of learners

  • Share information regarding pupils’ progress and issues of concern appropriately, with colleagues and/or external professionals.
  • Where linked to a specialism in which they work, to communicate that specialist understanding with colleagues so that decisions around intervention and provision are properly informed.

Effectiveness Requires Improvement

  • Communicates sensitively with parents and carers but conversations are largely of a pastoral nature (behavioural etc)
  • Is able to liaise with colleagues and external agencies but these conversations do not always more learning forward
  • Information around pupil progress and attainment is shared at meetings but language may not be relevant to current assessment procedures or supported by appropriate assessment evidence
  • Where linked to a specialism in which they work, communication around specialist understanding is taking place but may not be having an effective impact on children’s learning

Ineffective

  • Relationships with parents are inconsistent
  • Liaison with other colleagues and outside agencies is largely organisational and will not move children’s learning on as a result
  • Little input is given in to meetings with other colleagues – there is confusion around the language of assessment and contributions made are not fully centred around learning
  • Where linked to a specialism in which they work, specialist knowledge is not being shared effectively with colleagues to benefit children’s learning.

Standards written:

Standards Reviewed: