Teaching Assistant CPD Review

Teaching assistants are valued educational professionals who play a vital role in teaching and learning. In order to ensure TAs are fully prepared for their role in the classroom,  school leaders should ensure that teaching assistants have the right knowledge and skills to provide effective teacher and pupil support.

A Teaching Assistant CPD Review follow a supportive, non-judgemental, evidence -informed process, providing a lens through which to review and develop your TA CPD offer.

If you would like to commission a Teaching Assistant CPD Review in your academy, please email Abi Joachim at abigail.joachim@attrust.org.uk.

TA CPD Review Process

A bespoke review process to meet your needs, a review could be carried out at school/academy level or at Trust level and would include these elements:

    1. An information gathering process, including a RAG rated self-evaluation, surveys and TA skills audit
    2. Professional conversations with key staff
    3. School/academy visits, including a tour to see examples of teaching assistant practice, conversations with TAs and a review of TA CPD
    4. Written report – identifying strengths, possible areas for development and practical recommendations
    5. Follow-up support, as needed

“This is going to be extremely useful to us and I’m very grateful to you for all the work and thought that you have put into this project. I feel that you have really captured the current picture across our trust and given us plenty to think about and work on, which is really good.”

– Clare Flintoff, CEO, ASSET Education

Facilitator- Abi Joachim

Abi Joachim worked as a teaching assistant, and later HLTA, for over twenty years and now leads on ‘Enabling Education’ professional development as Institute SEND Specialist at ATT and also works for Suffolk County Council as Suffolk TA Network Coordinator. She has a degree in psychology and an MA in education, with a focus on SEND. Abi is passionate about pupil-facing support staff CPD and made this her focus while completing the TDT Associate Qualification in CPD Leadership and the NPQLTD. She has spoken at the nasen Live conference and Schools and Academies Show and writes articles and blogs for a range of publications, including the TES, The Link magazine and the Research Schools Network on issues relating to support staff.