Open Research Online The Open University���s repository of research publications and other research outputs An exploration of higher level teaching assistants��� per- ceptions of their training and development in the con- text of school workforce reform Journal Article How to cite: Burgess, Hilary and Shelton Mayes, Ann (2009). An exploration of higher level teaching assistants��� perceptions of their training and development in the context of school workforce reform. Support for Learning, 24(1), pp. 19���25. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2009 The Authors Version: Accepted Manuscript Link(s) to article on publisher���s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1111/j.1467-9604.2009.01393.x Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copy- right owners. For more information on Open Research Online���s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk

An exploration of higher level teaching assistants��� (HLTA) perceptions of their training and development in the context of school workforce reform Hilary Burgess Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET) The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK7 6AA Ann Shelton Mayes, School of Education, The University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom, NN2 7AL

2 Title: An exploration of teaching assistants��� perceptions of their training and development in the context of a new era of workforce reform Abstract This paper reports on teaching assistants��� perceptions of the Phase 1 Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) training programme, the match to their changing role in classroom support, and suggests resulting issues for the design and delivery of HLTA training programmes. It explores what impact undertaking the training and gaining HLTA professional status has had upon the school activities undertaken by the teaching assistants and their relationships with other members of staff within the school. Finally, it suggests emerging issues for the involvement of staff with HLTA professional status in classrooms in the context of the Schools��� Workforce Reform in England. Key Words: teaching assistants training classroom support continuing professional development 1.0 Introduction The training and development of school support staff is an essential component of the government���s Schools Workforce Reform for England which aims to raise pupil achievement and wellbeing through the training of teaching assistants as Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) (TTA 2005a). This training was given a major boost through the government funded Phase 1 HLTA training programmes in 2005/6 (TTA 2003a). Currently over 21,000 teaching assistants have achieved HLTA status with the numbers of staff supporting teaching and learning in schools growing from 60,000 in 1997 to 163,000 in 2007 (TDA 2008). Our research reports on 17 teaching assistants working in primary and secondary schools who successfully completed the Phase 1 HLTA training programme. It explores their views on the training and the match to their changing role in classroom support. The methodological approach we adopted is that of evaluative research, which is concerned with the evaluation of social and organisational programmes or interventions (Bryman, 2001). We explore whether the training of the teaching assistants through this HLTA training programme has achieved its goal as well as reporting on the perception of the HLTAs. The research methods utilised are based on questionnaire and in���depth interviews with teaching assistants.