The following articles, taken from recent issues of our Optimus newsletters, will prove invaluable for anyone with a professional or personal interest in CPD for support staff. To ensure you stay up-to-date with the very latest thinking in this area, please make use of the articles below. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, simply click on another category on the left or 'search the library'.
Muriel Thomson tells how she has transformed the way support staff are used at Brixham College, Devon, bringing wide-reaching benefits across the school
To allow full use of teaching assistants, curriculum managers need to ensure both TAs and teachers have the support they need. This involves quality line management and a clear understanding of how to plan for effective learning, Lynn Maidment explains
Are schools rising to the challenge of CPD for the whole workforce? Elizabeth Holmes investigates what schools need to do to ensure everyone receives professional development
Josephine Smith and Paul Ainsworth describe how school financial managers can contribute to school improvement by becoming involved in class observation and work scrutiny
Linda Evans looks at how SENCOs can deliver training sessions to help TAs explore different ways of supporting pupils and teachers in and out of the classroom
Cliff Jones reviews a report revealing the positive impact of postgraduate professional development
The relationship between teachers and teaching assistants is a changing one. Angela Youngman investigates and offers guidance to ensure effectiveness
Ruth Bradbury explains why it is vital to create development plans for support staff in schools, and outlines a range of practical measures to make the process more manageable in your own school.
How can school leaders and managers create an environment in which highly effective work can take place at all levels and all times? Former deputy head John Jackson suggests an approach.
What makes Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BESTs) effective?
