Support staff (including teaching assistants)
Support staff undertake all non-teaching roles in schools. They have an
important role to play in supporting both pupils and teachers — so
freeing up teachers' time — and in helping schools to run smoothly
and efficiently. In recent years the number and type of support staff has
increased significantly. There is now a wide variety of roles: from cleaners to
teaching assistants; play workers to school business managers.
Qualifications and standards
There is no mandatory requirement for qualifications for many support roles,
although schools may impose their own requirements. In every case schools want
to be satisfied that support staff have the skills, experience and expertise
required to carry out their duties. Some roles, however, are regulated by
law.
A wide range of training opportunities and qualifications is on offer to support staff, including the Support Work in Schools (SWiS) qualifications and the higher level teaching assistant programme. Training and qualifications are supported by national occupational standards, which cover most support roles, providing a framework for best practice.
Information on roles, standards, qualification options and progression routes for support staff in schools is available on the Training and Development Agency for Schools' (TDA) website (see below).
Pay and conditions
It is difficult for current pay structures to keep pace with the new and
emerging support staff roles. A new, bespoke pay and conditions framework
is required to suit the evolving roles of support staff and ensure consistency
across all maintained schools in England.
The School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) was established in July 2009 to consider all matters relating to the remuneration, duties and working time of support staff in all maintained schools in England. The SSSNB will work to fulfil the Government's commitment to give 'fair pay and rewards' to support staff; a commitment set out in the 2005 White Paper, Higher Standards, better schools for all and reiterated in the Children's Plan.
For more information about the SSSNB, go to the SSSNB page of the Office of Manpower Economics website (see below).
Background
The National agreement on raising standards and tackling workload
(2003) recognised the contribution made by support staff, and (along with
the 2005 White Paper) set out the Government's intention to reform and
extend the roles of support staff in schools.
Changes to the Specified Work Regulations (2003) in 2007 further clarified the roles of teachers and support staff, specifying additional work which support staff could undertake. Full guidance on the Specified Work Regulations can be found on the TDA website (see below).
Last updated: 03 December 2009
