Working as an HLTA

Hemel Hempstead School

School No: 801

Melanie Davies

Melanie, a secondary school teaching assistant, specialises in supporting the Maths department, but is also Pastoral Support Manager, with responsibility for ensuring that all pupils with SEN or EBD needs are fully included in lessons. Beyond these specific responsibilities, Melanie’s willingness to take things on and her professional approach mean that she is “completely invaluable – she is brilliant.”

Background

Before becoming a teaching assistant Melanie worked as a book-keeper, chief cashier and store manager. It is easy to see where her maths skills come from, having a Certificate in Accountancy. She decided that she would like to teach, and went to the Teacher Recruitment Fair at Hertfordshire Development Centre, where Hemel Hempstead School had a stall – and a vacancy for a Learning Support Assistant. Melanie has subsequently been supported by the school through the Foundation Degree at the University of Hertfordshire, where she has just completed her degree in Education Studies.

For her degree Melanie did an assignment on the deployment and effectiveness of teaching assistants, for which she produced a questionnaire that all staff in the school completed. The main messages that came out of this were that teachers felt that TAs worked best when they were part of departments, and TAs wanted to have better prior knowledge of what was being taught in lessons. It was therefore decided that to have teaching assistants attached to the core subjects would aid communication, and Melanie became “The Maths TA”.

It is clear that this system works well in Hemel Hempstead School. Melanie has her own desk in the Maths office and communicates easily and effectively with her colleagues. Gail, the Head of Maths, comments “Melanie is completely invaluable – she is brilliant. She is very effective when working with borderline pupils, for example those at GCSE C/D, and has a very good understanding of pupils with specific learning needs. She works in partnership with Maths teachers, and is always working either with us or the pupils – she is a real professional. I’m also the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator, and didn’t feel she should be working solely with SEN pupils, so Melanie worked with Year 9 pupils on presentations they prepared for University of Hertfordshire “taster” days. She has time to plan with teachers, which is really invaluable.”

Cathy, the SENCo, was particularly appreciative of Melanie’s support with transition. “When we do the primary school visits, we discuss the results together. Melanie is an extra pair of eyes and ears for me, and a very friendly face for the pupils. SEN pupils in the primary schools have extra visits, which helps to prepare them for transition.”

Features

Melanie:

• works at a high level in the Maths department as part of a very effective team
• is the Year 7 Pastoral Support Manager
• visits primary schools as part of the school’s transition arrangements
• will give advice to teachers on differentiation, and makes sure that TAs provide support for statemented pupils effectively
• has complete responsibility for planning and delivering her work with an “entry level” student, who needs a lot of individual work

• becomes involved in a wide variety of other activities round the school

How it works in Practice

During a short opportunity to observe Melanie supporting Year 10 pupils continuing with their coursework, it became clear that she communicated well with both the teacher and the students. Pupils welcomed her support as she talked to them quietly and sensitively, and she often made sure that she was at the pupil’s eye level by finding a chair or crouching next to them. She judged the appropriate level of support for each pupil, asking questions, discussing, making suggestions but never taking over. At frequent intervals both teacher and Melanie would scan the room, looking for any pupils who appeared to be struggling.

The Last Word

“HLTA means that all staff take me more seriously. It has given me the opportunity to become the Pastoral Support manager, which wouldn’t have happened otherwise. I enjoy all parts of my job, both working in Maths and getting students included, but I especially enjoy the teaching aspects.”