Working as an HLTA

Stream Woods JMI School

School No: 583

Carole Nash

A highly experienced and skilled teaching assistant is used to great effect in defined areas of the school. The Senior TA in her school, Carole attends Staff Meetings and feeds back to other teaching assistants in their weekly meeting. She works very closely with the teachers as part of a Key Stage 1 team, covering for absence and delivering PPA and NQT time.

Background

Carole has been at the school for 17 years, starting as a “Welfare Helper”, with responsibility for sharpening pencils, cleaning paint pots and hearing children read. Gradually her role has broadened and her responsibilities increased, during which time Carole completed her NVQ Level 3, part of the school’s on-going commitment to professional development for all staff. The present head is committed to a non-hierarchical structure, and refers always to “our” rather than “my” school.

During a time when it was very difficult for schools to find high quality teaching staff, the head asked all her teaching assistants whether they would be interested in providing short-term cover. Carole’s experience, knowledge of the pupils and school procedures, personal qualities and professional approach to her work meant that she was very successful when asked to provide short-term cover in Key Stage 1. As Carole’s knowledge, skills and confidence grew so did the role, until she now provides PPA time in Years 1 and 2 and a further morning’s NQT time in Year 1.

At all stages the head discussed the changes she was making with her governors, who have been very supportive. Parents are also very happy, as the head was careful to publish Carole’s attainment of HLTA status in the school newsletter, and pupils are clearly keen to work with her. Teachers are quick to praise Carole’s skills and acknowledge the strengths she brings to the KS1 team. Working from their medium-term plans, she does the detailed planning in the areas she feels comfortable in – Literacy, PSHE and Gymnastics. As the head says, “It’s about recognising where her skills are and using her appropriately. I don’t expect her to have all the skills of a teacher.”

How it Works in Practice

While supporting a student who was taking a Numeracy lesson Carole quietly organised resources while keeping a close eye on some of the less attentive pupils. When the student moved a child who gave an inappropriate answer Carole went to sit by him and kept him on task. It was noticeable how quietly supportive of the student Carole was, writing key words on the white board without being asked and reminding pupils of what they had been asked to do.

During group work Carole built on and extended the work from the early part of the lesson. She quickly made the task more challenging when she realised some of the group had mastered it. When a pupil from another group had a problem Carole attended to it quickly and quietly, and her group were able to continue working independently.

Carole’s Literacy lesson, for which she did the detailed planning from the teacher’s termly plans, showed pace and progression. She started by getting the pupils to use mini whiteboards to check their spelling of key words. She then revised the learning from the previous lesson, which had been about the setting of stories, and introduced the idea of a jungle setting. She read a big book, set in a jungle, with expression and enthusiasm, and encouraged pupils to join in at appropriate places. The use of talk partners stimulated ideas and gave all pupils something to contribute. A model jungle was used for pupils to step into and describe what they “saw”. This engaged all pupils’ attention very effectively and produced some memorable descriptive language.

Carole used the inter-active whiteboard appropriately to illustrate a way of recording descriptive words using a spider diagram. Table groups had differentiated targets which they enjoyed matching themselves against – and all pupils achieved them. The plenary session revised what had been learnt in the lesson and enabled pupils to show others their work using a visualiser. Carole finished a pacy and effective lesson by looking forward to the next day’s work – which will be delivered by the class teacher.

The Last Word

“HLTA – and the head’s belief in me – has given me a lot of confidence. Teachers like knowing that I’m taking the class when they’re not there because they know the work they set will get done. There’s so much that is good about my job, but the best bit is probably working with a group who are finding something hard and then they get it. It’s a real buzz, and makes me think I must be doing something right.”