Your front page report “Fair deal ordered for class assistants” (TES, August 22) states that TDA advisers will enforce guidance “telling schools to pay support staff a fair wage and stop using them to teach lessons they are unqualified to take”.

I would like to point out that the TDA is not a regulatory body and does not have a responsibility for pay and work conditions. We set out professional standards for higher level teaching assistants and manage the national occupational standards for supporting teaching and learning. Our regional advisers have an entirely supportive role, offering guidance through local authorities.

The Social Partners through the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group, not the TDA, will develop a national pay and conditions framework for support staff in English schools from this September.

Giles Field, Head of media relations, Training and Development Agency for Schools.