Teaching Assistant Development Pathway

These courses are facilitated by Abi Joachim, who is a licensed Maximising the Practice of Teaching Assistants (MPTA) trainer. Colleagues should sign up via Bluesky. More information can be found on our website.

The sessions of our TA Development Pathway can be undertaken on a flexible basis to meet colleagues’ individual needs.

Teaching Assistant Development Pathway

This flexible TA Development Pathway provides evidence-informed, foundational training for both new and experienced TAs, LSAs & HLTAs.

Sessions 1-3
These sessions cover the Maximising the Practice of Teaching Assistants (MPTA) Improving Pupil Independence (Core), which has been developed and approved by UCL Institute of Education, providing skills to scaffold learning and develop independence.

Sessions 4-6
These sessions introduce Learning Behaviours through five related EEF guidance reports. The reports and recommendations are examined in relation to TA practice, offering practical classroom-based strategies.

 

Course Content

• Session 1- MPTA Building Knowledge, Research Background and Learning Theories
• Session 2- MPTA Developing Teaching Techniques: Exploring the Scaffolding Framework
• Session 3- MPTA Embedding Practice: Scaffolding Framework in Action, assessment for learning and action planning to embed learning
• Session 4- An introduction to metacognition & self-regulated learning and effective questioning techniques
• Session 5: An introduction to social & emotional learning and improving behaviour
• Session 6: An introduction to working with others: parents/carers, teachers & other professionals

Maximising the Practice of Teaching Assistants

Improving Pupil Independence (Extended)

 

This course provides TAs with the skills to scaffold learning and help pupils become confident, independent learners. The MPTA (extended) focuses on running effective interventions and collaborative group work. Attendance on the MPTA (core) is a prerequisite for this course.

The MPTA training content has been developed and approved by UCL Institute of Education, based on the book The Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Effective Interaction: How to maximise your practice (second edition), by Bosanquet, Radford and Webster.

Academies must ensure that their SLT have attended the MBUTA course prior to engaging in MPTA.

 

Course Content

• Effective delivery of intervention programmes
• The TA’s role in supporting collaborative group work
• Reviewing changes and putting strategies into action