A study published today by the Education Endowment Foundation has found that intensive support from teaching assistants with small groups of reception and nursery class children boosted children’s vocabulary, listening, narrative and conversational skills.
The foundation argues that this research, and that of five other successful interventions it has funded using teaching assistants, shows how schools should use them best in the classroom to have a positive impact on learning, particularly for disadvantaged children.
There are around 240,000 teaching assistants working in schools in the UK and 10 per cent of the education budget is spent on employing them each year.
Previous research has show that the ways teaching assistants are used, for example as substitute teachers, does not help children's learning.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here