‘Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants’ guidance
report – Summary of recommendations
1
Who we are
• The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent
grant-making charity dedicated to breaking the link between family
income and educational achievement.
• The EEF was founded in 2011 by lead charity The Sutton Trust, in
partnership with Impetus Trust (now part of Impetus-The Private
Equity Foundation) with a £125m grant from the Department for
Education.
• Together, the EEF and Sutton Trust are the government-designated
‘What Works’ centre for improving education outcomes for schoolaged children.
The EEF approach
Summarise
the existing
evidence
Share and
promote
the use of
evidence
Make
grants
Evaluate
projects
The Toolkit is a starting point for
making decisions
Example: Teaching Assistants
The rise and rise of TAs
~250,000
TAs in English
schools
More TAs
than
teachers
in primary
Trebled
since
2000
Largest
Pupil
Premium
investment
More than
roads,
housing
~£5bn
to employ
What an
opportunity!
‘Making best use of TAs’
campaign in S and W Yorkshire
• £5m funding to support schools in S&W Yorks to maximise the use
of TAs. Build momentum in the region
• EEF producing the evidence – six partners in the region ‘bringing it
to life’ (eg TSAs/LA collaborations). Working with 100s of schools
• A series of events, workshops, action planning activities for
senior/middle leaders
• Backed up by free or heavily subsidised training for TAs to deliver
high-quality maths/literacy interventions (recruiting Jan 2016).
‘Making best use of TAs’
guidance report
• Clear and actionable guidance
• Digs deeper into EEF evidence (eg
Teaching and Learning Toolkit) and
relates it to the wider evidencebase
• A foundation for scale up actions
7 recommendations on
‘Making best use of TAs’
• Has been drift towards TAs taking on role
of ‘primary educator’ for lowattaining/SEN pupils. Well-meaning, but
flawed.
• Results in greater separation from the
classroom, teacher, mainstream
teaching/curriculum coverage, and their
classmates. Associated with
significantly lower learning outcomes.
• School leaders must review roles of TAs
and teachers. Take a wider view of how
TAs can support learning and improve
attainment.
• Schools must break away from the ‘Velcro’
model of TA deployment.
• If TAs have a direct teaching role, it is
important to ensure they supplement
rather than replace the teacher.
• Teachers need to use TAs more
strategically to enable themselves to work
more often with lower-attaining/SEN
pupils.
• High quality teaching, by the teacher, is
the foundation for all the recommendations
• Improve the nature and quality of TAs’
talk to pupils to help pupils develop the
independent learning skills associated with
improved learning outcomes.
• Instead of prioritising task completion and
correction, TAs should be encouraged to
give pupils ‘the least amount of help first’.
• TAs’ interactions should help pupils to
develop ownership of tasks and to be
comfortable to take risks with their learning.
Using TAs in the classroom
• Lack of opportunities for out-of-class
liaison can result in poor teacher-TA
collaboration in the classroom.
• Schools must provide sufficient time for
teachers and TAs to prepare for
lessons and for feedback afterwards.
• TAs should not ‘go into lessons blind’.
Teachers must provide the essential
lesson ‘need to knows’ ahead of time.
• TAs must be fully trained for roles they are
given; for example, in having effective
interactions with pupils.
• Given the right support and training, TAs can
make a significant contribution to pupil
attainment delivering 1-2-1/small group
interventions (0.2 – 0.3 ES, 3 to 4 additional
months progress) .
• Positive effects only observed in structured
settings, with high-quality support and
training.
• When TAs deployed in informal, instructional
roles they can negatively impact on pupils’
learning (DISS study).
Switch on Reading
• One to one literacy intervention with children in Year 7 who are struggling
with literacy (not achieving level 4 at KS2)
• Draws on Reading Recovery. Delivered by teaching assistants,
20mins/day over 10 weeks.
• Previous research shows a positive effect (inc. Reading Recovery).
• RCT in 19 schools with 300 pupils
• Attainment measured using
standardised literacy measures
• Independent evaluation by Durham
University
• Observations and interviews to inform
how and why the approach might be
working
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects/category/primary
Switch On Reading
Number of
pupils
Effect size*
Estimated
months’
progress
All pupils
308
+0.24
+3
Lower
attainers
156
+0.39
+5
FSM-eligible
98
+0.36
+4
SEN reported
225
+0.31
+4
Group
Switch On Reading - Conclusions
Key Conclusions
1. Switch-on Reading appears to be effective for weak and
disadvantaged readers at the stage of transition to secondary school.
2. It can be delivered by teaching assistants after two-days of training,
and full training and support is required for all relevant staff.
3. Challenges to successful implementation may include timetabling
and the availability of age-appropriate texts.
4. There is a tendency for some staff to stray away from the explicit
schedule and this is likely to reduce the programme’s impact. Regular
monitoring will increase fidelity but may also increase cost.
Catch Up Numeracy and Literacy
• Targeted one-to-one interventions, delivered by TAs, for pupils struggling
with numeracy and literary
• Support is tailored to the needs of the learner
• 2 x 15min sessions per week, for 30 weeks
• Two, large, independent RCT evalulations (54 and 85 schools respectively)
Number of
pupils
Effect size*
Estimated
months’
progress
Catch Up
Numeracy vs
control
336
+0.21
+3
Catch Up
Literacy vs
control
557
Group
+0.12
+2
Teaching Assistants: promising results
Project
Summary
Age
Toolkit areas
Effect size
Catch Up
Literacy
One-to-one tailored TA support on
phonics and comprehension.
Years 3-6
Phonics
+0.12 (2
months)
Catch Up
Numeracy
One-to-one TA numeracy
instruction for struggling learners
Years 2-6
Nuffield Early
Language
Intervention
Oral language intervention for
nursery and reception pupils,
delivered by TAs
EYFS
REACH
Language and comprehension
intervention for struggling readers,
delivered by TAs
Year 7
10 week TA intervention drawing
on Reading Recovery
Year 7
Switch-on
Reading
Talk for Literacy
Speaking and listening
interventions delivered by TAs.
Year 7
-
+0.21 (3
months)
Communication and
language
approaches (Early
Years toolkit)
+0.27 (4
months)
Reading
comprehension; Oral
language
+0.34 (4
months)
Reading
comprehension
+0.24 (3
months)
Oral language
0.2 (3 months)
Padlocks
and stage
Effectiveness
Effectiveness
Efficacy
Efficacy
Efficacy
Efficacy
Characteristics of effective interventions:
• Brief (20-50mins), regular (3-5 times per week)
sessions maintained over a sustained period (8-20
weeks). Carefully timetabled
• Extensive training from experienced
trainers/teachers (5-30hrs)
• Structured supporting resources and lesson plans,
which are followed closely
• Assessments used to identify pupils, guide areas for
focus and track progress
Examples of evidence-based interventions include Catch Up Numeracy, Catch Up
Literacy, Switch-on Reading, Talk for Literacy, Reading Intervention Programme
See EEF website for latest evaluation findings and new TA projects
Overall use of interventions:
• One or two well-chosen, evidencebased interventions, used judiciously
to support pupils that are struggling with
their learning
• At least compensate for time out of
class
• Don’t assume pupils can make
connections with the general curriculum
• Supplement ‘quality first’ teaching in the
classroom, with clear links made
between learning in each context
Supporting resources and tools
Available to use and adapt:
• Hard copies of the report
• Poster summarising the recommendations
• Powerpoint slides
• ‘Acting on the evidence’ review/plan/do process
• Online audit tools (Leaders and Teachers/TA survey) – starting point
• Red, Amber, Green (RAG) checklist – direction of travel
• Classroom observation proforma
• Interventions health check
Interventions ‘Health check’
• What does your data show for those pupils involved in intervention
work?
• Are you using evidence-based interventions? If so, are they being used
as intended, with the appropriate guidance and training?
• If not, do they reflect the characteristics of effective interventions?
• Is appropriate planning provided for timetabling out-of-class sessions so
that they complement classroom teaching?
• How effective are TAs and teachers reviewing work taking place in
intervention sessions? Are pupils supported to make links being made
with general classroom work?