Giving Voice to the Teaching Assistant Dilemma: A Case for Ta Policy Reform

Whilst teaching Assistants (TAs) are a crucial part of the education workforce, their role and contribution is little understood, even by teachers they work alongside. By giving a voice to TAs, The Teaching Assistant Dilemma helps to tackle this lack of understanding. Highlighting the problems TAs face, not just that their contribution is undervalued, but also that their pay is low and their opportunities for career progression are very limited, the authors suggest changes in both policy and practice to tackle these issues.

TAs have a wide history of support for students including specialist roles in special educational needs (SEN), English as an additional language (EAL) or pushing the talented further. They are of vital importance to children but undervalued, financially and professionally, by the institution that employs and deploys them. This text pushes forwards the debate around the effective development of TA professional practice from all sides, including OFSTED, for the benefit of school communities.

Willoughby and Dunkley present evidence from TAs in the first instance rather than senior leadership which is a fresh and new perspective. They powerfully argue for TAs to attain a parity of esteem in schools for the significant benefit of all stakeholders, the sector and the country’s socio-economic situation overall, providing a clear and honest appraisal of TA policy and suggest possible future developments for advisors and policy makers.

Stephen J. Willoughby has been a professional teacher since 1981, working in UK Further Education, state and special schools. Recently, he has worked as a Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Equalities Consultant for local education authorities (LEAs) and inner-city primary schools. Dr Stephen Willoughby works with schools to prepare, monitor and review Equality, English as an Additional Language (EAL), and SEN learner policies. Stephen supports leaders to develop and review curricula, the effective use of Teaching Assistants, and the examination of SEN students.

Pamela Dunkley, now retired, worked as a schoolteacher practitioner / educator for forty-three years. She worked in mainstream and special education across the spectrum and has had extensive experience of working alongside Teaching Assistants in classrooms as well as in Senior management roles, developing and leading on inclusive, whole-school in-house CPD for all staff. Specifically leading Language and Literacy; English as a second language; Equality policy; PHSD and Behaviour management. Became Head of Primary and later Deputy Head and Senior Lead teacher in the Secondary School was instrumental, along with the School Principal, in introducing GCSE examinations for the first time in a Hackney Special School.