Higher Level Teaching Assistants

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Higher Level Teaching Assistants

• Briefing for school leaders

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We will cover

• HLTAs roles
• The Standards
• The assessment process
• Implications for school leaders

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HLTA roles

• In our experience HLTAs have varied and
  challenging roles including supporting curriculum
  teams, learning support and pastoral care. These
  roles have often evolved as a result of the
  HLTAs area of expertise.
• These are some of the roles that HLTAs are
  currently carrying out in secondary schools in
  this region
• Advancing learning of individuals, groups and
  whole classes as part of a curriculum team
• Leading groups of SEN students in alternative
  education programmes
• Managing medical support and provision
• Career guidance and work placements
• Pastoral care, including being learning mentors
  and form tutors
• Leading teams of TAs and managing their
  timetables
• Providing points of contact for parents and the
  wider community

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Reasons to employ a HLTA

• The HLTA status recognises and rewards the high
  levels of skill, knowledge and understanding of
  many TAs.
• You can be confident that your HLTAs have met a
  secure and demanding National Standard for
  teaching assistants.
• HLTAs help you to create a flexible whole staff
  team working across your school.
• Helping HLTAs to gain their status shows your
  commitment to whole school Continued Professional
  Development.
• Qualified HLTAs can work with individuals, groups
  or whole classes of children.
• Recruiting HLTAs helps to reassure your parents,
  pupils and teachers about the quality of support
  staff in your school.
• Providing HLTAs broadens your schools specialist
  learning support.
• Supporting HLTAs development enhances
  relationships in your whole school team.
• The HLTA qualification provides an opportunity
  for TAs to access high quality training or
  preparation which is free to both school and
  candidate.
• Having HLTAs gives school managers greater
  flexibility over staff deployment.

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Professional standards for HLTAs

• Set out what every TA should know, understand and
  be able to do in order to be awarded the status
• Professional Values and Practice
• Knowledge and Understanding
• Teaching and Learning Activities

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Important Standards

• 2.6 qualifications in literacy and numeracy at
  NQF level 2 (No other qualifications or
  certificates necessary)

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Whole classes

• 3.3.5c - working with whole classes where no
  assigned teacher is present to advance pupils
  learning
• Not defined by absolute or precise number of
  pupils
• Determined by your schools context
• It is the role of introducing, managing and
  completing a topic or task
• No minimum or maximum length of time
• Maybe regularly or rarely
• Must be under the direction and supervision of a
  teacher
• There must be evidence that pupils learning has
  been advanced

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Assessment

• Assessment is about enabling candidates to
  demonstrate that they meet the Standards
• It is based on what TAs normally do in the
  classroom and school
• It is not intended to be a demand on headteachers
  and other colleagues
• Funding is available from LAs there is no cost
  to the school
• It consists of completing written
  tasks...accounts of situations where TAs have
  worked with an individual, a small group, a class
  (more than once) and other shorter accounts of
  situations
• Collecting evidence in a small portfolio
• A half day visit from an assessor

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The school visit

• Assessor
• Verifies claims that TA has made
• Explores additional evidence (the file
  interviews)
• Ensures that evidence is found (where it exists)
  to enable a TA to meet the Standard
• TA
• Explains in more detail aspects of activities
• Provides documentary evidence to support the four
  tasks
• Headteacher and Teacher(s)
• Meets with the assessor to verify claims of the
  candidate
• Provide further evidence about a TAs skills,
  knowledge and understanding

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Implications for school leaders

• Suggestions prior a TA undergoing HLTA Training,
  Preparation and Assessment
• Raise awareness of the HLTA Status among all
  staff
• Build opportunities for TAs to develop skills and
  knowledge leading to HLTA status from induction
• Discuss potential of gaining HLTA status as part
  of TA Performance Management
• Look into providing opportunities for TAs to
  access HLTA related training

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Implications for school leaders

• For those undergoing HLTA Training, Preparation
  and Assessment
• Provide mentor support for TAs to discuss
  training, preparation and assessment tasks
• Provide non-contact time for TAs to complete
  tasks often cover costs for this will be
  available as part fo the funding
• Ensure that key staff are aware of HLTA Standards
  and assessment
• Ensure that staff are available for Assessors
  visit to the school, and have had the opportunity
  to be briefed by the candidate

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Next steps

• Every LA has a dedicated budget to fund HLTA
  status
• The named contact for your LA will be able to
  advise you on training and preparation
  opportunities available in your area
• They will also be able to support candidates who
  need further training, either in HLTA skills and
  knowledge, or in producing evidence of level 2
  skills

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For more information

• www.hltaeast.org.uk