Ofsted says teaching assistants need good subject and curriculum knowledge to be able to work effectively with children with special educational needs in mainstream schools.
The watchdog recommends that they receive training for “robust subject-specific curriculum knowledge” in a new report it has published today on supporting pupils with SEND in mainstream primaries and secondaries.
The report also warns that some SEND pupils are not getting the help they need in mainstream schools.
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Ofsted says that time out of class for intervention activity means that some pupils are not able to participate in some learning opportunities, and some pupils were missing entire chunks of the curriculum.
Teaching assistants ‘need training to better support SEND pupils’
It adds: “Not only does this imply that regular learning loss will occur in some areas for these pupils, but also that the curriculum that they are offered does not have the same ambition as for their peers.”
The report says that the significant amount of curriculum time that pupils with SEND are spending with TAs also raises the issue of support staff training.
“Specifically in the subject and curriculum knowledge required to teach pupils who have struggled to learn the intended curriculum at the same rate as their peers,” it adds.
“To deliver intervention activities successfully, TAs need good subject knowledge. Training for robust subject-specific curriculum knowledge is therefore an important element of ensuring that the TA role works effectively for children and young people with SEND.”
