A quiet revolution?
The total number of TAs working in English schools is down for the first time ever – but encouraging signs from the MITA project show how a strategic focus on TAs can unlock their potential.
Blog Archive of: MITA programme
What I’ve learned from the teaching profession (or why you can’t ever have enough of experts!)
28 September 2016
Our work with the Education Endowment Foundation has shown how the teaching profession and researchers can unite around the evidence to co-construct solutions for making better use of teaching assistants. In this blog, Rob Webster reflects on what he has learnt from working closely with those at the chalk-face.
Making headlines: The problem of wide coverage and narrow reporting
28 February 2016
What happens when provocative findings from educational research get wide coverage, but are narrowly reported? What are the risks to policymakers, practitioners and researchers? Rob Webster shares his experience of helping schools make sense of the headlines about teaching assistants.
The freedom to make decisions about teaching assistants is nothing new, but now school leaders have the means to unlock their potential
26 February 2015
Evidence-informed guidance and the DfE's new professional standards for TAs offer school leaders actionable recommendations to help TAs thrive in their role and improve outcomes for pupils.
2014 ends with positive noises for TAs… but what will 2015 bring?
17 December 2014
Back in January, we predicted that 2014 could be the year of the teaching assistant. So as the year ends – and as MITA celebrates its first birthday! – it’s a good time to reflect on what the year has meant for TAs, and what 2015 might bring. Here’s our review of the year.
From research to practice: the past, present and future of MITA
10 October 2014
The new MITA website will not just promote and publicise our research and consultancy activities, but aims to become a hub for greater collaboration with schools and to help grow the link between research and practice.
How headteachers are maximising the impact of teaching assistants and getting results
26 September 2014
The Government might have “no plans or any powers” to address issues of TA employment, but the MITA programme is encouraging schools to seize the initiative and get results...
