OUR BOOKS
Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools: A Practical Guide for School Leaders
by Rob Webster, Paula Bosanquet, Sally Franklin & Matthew Parker
Drawing on the lessons from one of the world’s leading research and development efforts involving teaching assistants (TAs), this book is the authors’ most authoritative text yet on how to design a whole school plan to improve TAs’ deployment, practice and preparedness, and put it into action. The authors use robust theories and original research to explore an innovative and integrated approach to making the most of TAs, and recognising the valuable contributions they make to the classroom and the school.
Structured around a unique and empirically sound conceptual framework, this book provides essential principles, practical tools and workable strategies, developed through collaboration with hundreds of UK schools. It focuses on ensuring TAs can thrive in their role, and presents the tools and techniques needed to do so accessibly, and is illustrated with case studies on school and classroom practices.
Essential reading for all primary school leaders and SENCOs responsible for training and managing TAs, this book is also a useful resource for teachers and teaching assistants looking to optimise the TAs’ contributions.
Used in combination with The Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Effective Interaction, Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools is a comprehensive and unrivalled guide to supporting school workforce improvement.
Reviews
‘Any leader looking to maximise the impact of teaching assistants in their school should read this book immediately... I have no doubt that this book will quickly be seen as the definitive guide to deploying teaching assistants effectively.’
James Bowen, Director of Policy, NAHT and Director of NAHT Edge
‘Provides an essential and accessible summary of key evidence and research with practical recommendations. The journey to maximising the impact of TAs lies within!’
Maria Constantinou, Co-Headteacher
‘The MITA team have had a profound impact on TA deployment and practice across the country. This book will be no less transformative. Drawing on the latest research, with accessible and practical examples throughout, it should be mandatory reading for all primary school leaders.’
David Bartram OBE, Director, Prescient Education Ltd
‘The most authoritative review I know of how to harness the talents and potential of this crucial part of our school workforce... I cannot recommend this rich resource highly enough.’
Andy Buck, CEO, Leadership Matters
‘The ultimate read for any primary school leader looking to develop a whole school approach to effective TA deployment. Superb!’
Natalie Packer, SEND Consultant and primary headteacher
Table of Contents (with links to downloadable resources)
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 The Case for Change: Why Primary School Leaders Need to Rethink the Role and Contribution of TAs
- Chapter 2 Setting Your Vision
- Chapter 3 Implementation Journeys: The Most Important Chapter of this Book
- Chapter 4 Reviewing Current Practice
- Chapter 5 Supplementing, Not Replacing, the Teacher: Deploying TAs Differently
- Chapter 6 TAs’ Interactions with Pupils: Scaffolding for Independence
- Chapter 7 The Preparedness of TAs: Improving their Readiness for the Role
- Chapter 8 Maximising the Impact of Structured Interventions Delivered by TAs
- Chapter 9 Conclusions
- Appendix A TA Deployment Policy Summary
- Appendix B Teacher-TA Agreement Template
The Teaching Assistant's Guide to Effective Interaction: How to Maximise Your Practice. 2nd Edition
by Paula Bosanquet, Julie Radford & Rob Webster
This second edition of The Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Effective Interaction is the definitive guide to teaching assistant-pupil interaction, fully updated with examples from schools that have implemented techniques from the first edition. An invaluable professional development tool for classroom support staff and the teachers who work with them, this new edition answers the need for specific, practical guidance on the role of the teaching assistant.
This practical and accessible guide sets out a role for teaching assistants that focuses on developing pupils’ independence and ownership of learning, with key learning points now summarised in each chapter. Based on a classroom-tested framework and covering the main contexts in which teaching assistants work, it includes a range of strategies and reflective activities to help improve the support provided to pupils in everyday settings. This book sets out successful strategies for:
- Responding to additional needs
- Understanding the principles behind effective classroom talk
- Carefully scaffolding pupils’ learning
- Delivering intervention programmes
The Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Effective Interaction is an essential read for all teaching assistants and will also be of interest to school leaders, SENCOs and teachers in both primary and secondary schools who wish to improve their deployment of teaching assistants and their own interactions with pupils.
Used in combination with Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools, The Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Effective Interaction is a comprehensive and unrivalled resource for supporting school workforce improvement.
Reviews
"An impressive and important book … I urge colleagues to read and treasure this as a means of building a rich resource of pedagogical support within the classroom. If you have support staff on your team, this book is an essential read."
Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive, Chartered College of Teaching
"An essential read for all educators but especially Teaching Assistants. Packed with theory, practical strategies and reflective activities. This research informed guide should frame and guide professional development for supporting and educating all children, everywhere."
Aimee Durning, Teaching Assistant, The University of Cambridge Primary School
"This evidence-based book is a constant point of reference for TAs and teachers. The scaffolding framework is a game-changer; how TA-pupil interactions, often so intuitive, impact on independence and learning. Embedded in Lincolnshire schools, this practice is now simply ‘what we do’."
Vanessa Hopkinson, Mobilise TA Project Lead, KYRA Teaching School, Lincolnshire
Table of Contents
- Introduction: Teaching assistants and their roles and impact in school
- Chapter 1 The teaching assistant as scaffolder
- Chapter 2 The value of planning the right task and pupils taking an active role in interactions
- Chapter 3 The principles of scaffolding
- Chapter 4 Scaffolding strategies
- Chapter 5 Assessment for learning: Providing feedback for teachers and pupils
- Chapter 6 Promoting effective group working
- Chapter 7 Delivering intervention programmes
- Conclusion: A summary of coverage
Maximising The Impact of Teaching Assistants: Guidance for school leaders and teachers. 2nd Edition
by Rob Webster, Anthony Russell & Peter Blatchford
The second edition of the MITA book (published in 2015) draws on the experiences of schools that have put this guidance into action via the MITA programme.
Review
"This highly informative, accessible book will help schools to transform the way they use teaching assistants, focusing on the quality of support rather than quantity, and greatly increasing their positive impact on the progress and attainment of pupils. An essential read for heads and teachers."
Sir John Dunford, Chair of Whole Education