School workforce reform helps pupils' learning if support staff are properly trained and deployed

26 Jan 2010

The wider schools workforce, including teaching assistants and learning mentors, is making a difference to pupils’ learning, according to a new report published today. However, the report also shows that these staff must be effectively deployed, well managed and properly trained.

The wider schools workforce includes: learning support staff such as teaching assistants who work with teachers in classrooms; pupil support and welfare staff who help outside classrooms; administrative staff; and specialist and technical staff such as librarians and technicians. The report, Workforce reform in schools: has it made a difference?, looked at the impact in 30 schools of recruiting a wider range of staff since 2003 to raise standards and tackle teacher workload. It is the fifth report in a series by Ofsted evaluating the effectiveness of wider workforce reform since the 2003 National Workforce Agreement. This latest report shows some schools are now making much better use of their wider workforce than those visited soon after the reforms were introduced.

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School workforce reform helps pupils' learning if support staff are properly trained and deployed

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