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Across the school we employ a wonderfully, highly skilled team of Teaching Assistants to support the teaching of the children. There are 12 either full time or part time in mainstream school and 8 in Foundation 1. Our hearing Support Base has three full time Teaching Assistant to support the expanding numbers!
Some of our Teaching Assistants are employed specifically to support children with special needs, such as medical conditions. They do, however, still support the teaching of other children in the class, as no child needs to be supported to the point where they become over dependent on adult intervention.
The Teaching Assistants are employed to support the work on basic skills, that of Literacy and Numeracy across the school. They work alongside the class teacher in Literacy and Numeracy lessons, often taking small groups, either out of the classroom or teaching them within the classroom area.
Mrs Michael is employed to deliver specific learning support and has been fully trained by Orrett's Meadow.
They have also been specially trained for intervention programmes. These programmes focus on particular needs of children who are working at a just below average level to try and boost their ability to average level. There is an intensive 10-week programme called the ‘Successful Reading Programme, Literacy Intervention Programme, Springboard Maths and WAVE 3 intervention’. Working alongside the teacher they look at the particular needs of a below average child and devise work which is tailor made for the individual. The children work either as a one to one with the Teaching Assistant or in a small group situation. We have found these programmes to be highly successful with these groups of children. Parents are informed if their child is put on an Intervention Programme.
As well as supporting these intervention programmes our Teaching Assistants provide a tremendous support across the school. Many of them participate in the overnight educational visit that we hold throughout the year. After school clubs, our Play Managers at lunchtime lead our Townfield Active Playground Scheme (TAPS). Teaching assistants are an integral part of our school and our teaching and learning is far enhanced through their work.
We are fortunate to have two Higher Level Teaching Assistants, Mrs Harvey and Mrs Griffiths, who in 2008 – 2009 will both work part time in Year 6 and covering PPA time. To become a HLTA further qualification have to be taken which enables them to plan and teach classes, as well as take on additional responsibilities across the school.
HLTA is route in to becoming a qualified teacher. Mrs Harvey is progressing in ths direction working towards her Qualified Teachers Status degree in 2008 – 2009. We wish her luck! | 
