Teaching Assistant - Teaching Expertise

This series of classroom activities will be useful for SENCOs, teachers, assistants and mentors. Each page focuses on a different skill set – from spatial awareness to visual discrimination to semantic knowledge

Caroline Roberts reviews the current situation regarding promotion of support staff and looks at how schools and LAs are facing the cuts in training budgets

A new report has found that well deployed teaching assistants help raise a school’s attainment. David Gordon looks at the details

What do the four main parties (Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green) have to say about education?

Linda Evans looks at support for differentiation, namely teaching assistant support

Taking issues with pupils personally can lead to difficulties. This e-bulletin looks at how you can become more proactive and stand back to see the full picture

School classrooms no longer host one adult and a group of pupils - there are often a team of educational professionals working together, which can have detrimental affects on behaviour. This article offers practical advice and strategies to help all adults working in the classroom to be more effective in their management of behaviour

Anna Holland works as a learning support assistant (LSA) with students ages 13 to 16 years, at Gosford High School in Newcastle upon Tyne. Here she explains her role and the nature of her work as part of the student support base

The Teacher Learning Academy (TLA), led by the GTCE, is achieving great things in the world of continuing professional development (CPD), according to a recent independent report commissioned by nfer. CPD Week talks to the GTCE’s Sara Morgan, Head of Professional Learning, about the report’s findings

Behaviour suffers when teachers don't get to their classrooms on time, as pupils take advantage of the lack of supervision. Teachers' timekeeping is therefore important, and can be made more efficient by planning and communication with colleagues

Teaching assistants need fresh ways of approaching CPD , so that they have the chance to grow and learn in line with other members of your school’s community. CPD Week looks at CPD for TAs

What can schools actually do about tackling self-harm at primary schools? Sue Morris discusses this in her second article on self-harm and suicidal behaviour in primary school children

Until recently, schools faced copyright barriers when scanning textbooks for pupils with additional support needs. Paul Nisbet discusses recent changes to the law, and their implications for pupils in Scotland and the rest of the UK

Do you know your way around educational employment law? Does your school's pay and remuneration package meet or exceed minimum standards? Tamara Ludlow gives a legal overview of essential information for both leadership teams and staff

We've been collecting your stories about the inspiring and encouraging experiences you’ve had at work during 2008. Here is a collection of the behaviour management themed responses you sent to the question, What has been your most positive experience at work this year?

Do you struggle to control the frequency and level of noise in and around your classroom? Dave Stott discusses when talking is and is not acceptable, and suggests tips for outlining and enforcing your expectations to pupils

This Behaviour Matters explores the importance of verbal skills in the classroom, reminding teachers that the way that they use their voice could be key to managing behaviour

Jenny Fox Eades describes how focusing on students' strengths is an ideal way to implement positive psychology in the classroom

Although difficult at times, it is important that schools make a stance on what counts as social behaviour, says headteacher Neil Berry

Graham Handscomb and John MacBeath put forward the case for teacher enquiry and benefits of research engagement for professional learning

Jo McShane invite readers to consider multi-agency or multi-professional working with schools from the perspective of an enthusiastic apprentice, who realises the value that 'joined-up thinking' offers

This e-bulletin focuses on the best way to start a lesson, pointing out the value of praising pupils’ appropriate behaviour and ignoring that which is inappropriate; rather than admonishing and therefore highlighting the latter

A timely review of your behaviour strategies is the subject of this week's Behaviour Matters, as Dave Stott highlights the beginning of the new term as an opportune moment to clarify them and make sure your pupils understand them

Pupils' challenging behaviour tops the list as the most stressful part of teaching; but can it be managed by teacher training? The effects of CPD on behaviour management are investigated by Elizabeth Holmes

Following our last e-bulletin, this SENCO Week looks at how SENCOs can provide effective training and development for TAs providing SEN support, and how their work can be monitored and evaluated

After introducing enquiry, Anne de A'Echevarria helps students develop their own understanding of what enquiry is and how it might be structured using resources and practical activities, as a continuation of our in-depth focus on developing ‘independent enquirers’

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Author: Julie McGrane

The Engaging Parents Toolkit aims to help you to raise achievement in school through better communication with parents, by focusing on the type of parental involvement that has been proven to impact on pupil achievement the most; talking at home

Are your TAs valuable and valued members of the school’s curriculum support team, or more of a liability? With SENCOs having to delegate more and rely on assistants to maintain a professional standard, this issue of SENCO Week looks at recruiting and deploying TAs

ICT can help teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) through the use of websites, CD-ROMS and DVDs, explains Cheryl Instan-Smith

Members of the therapy team at St Nicholas School in Canterbury describe the Shared Goals Project, an innovative approach to supporting students with profound and complex needs

The renewed Primary Framework places an enhances emphasis on speaking and listening. With this in mind, Rebecca Jenkin offers some ideas on how to promote these core skills at key stage 2

Playing games and focusing on positive learning and motivation can transform a classroom environment for the better. Consultant Jenny Fox Eades outlines the lessons that positive psychology can teach us

This issue of Behaviour Matters explores situations when disruptive pupils direct negative or abusive personal comments at you, the teacher, and the different ways there are to deal with them

How do you safeguard children from being groomed for sexual abuse? Mark Williams-Thomas discusses the need to understand the process in order to develop preventative strategies

Do you think you know the key points regarding internet safety for children and young people? Jenni Whitehead says that a recent report challenging current thinking on the related dangers suggests not, and offers some suggestions of advice for young people

Sue Morris looks at self-harm and suicidal behaviour in primary school children, including the definitions, prevalence rates and the factors that increase and reduce risk

This e-bulletin looks at the legal implications of The Children's Plan and considers the impact it will have on schools