Children's Workforce Guide to Qualifications and Training: Education

Funding cuts have hit the education workforce hard this year, leading to job losses across the sector. The number of full-time equivalent teaching assistants (TAs) decreased between 2016 and 2017 for the first time ever, falling by about 2,800. In spite of this, TAs comprise 28 per cent of those working in schools. The number of full-time equivalent non-classroom based support staff such as secretaries and technicians also fell, by about 2,600.
 
A National Education Union (NEU) survey published in April found 78 per cent of support staff are having to work overtime to cope with an increasing workload. "Support staff are feeling the brunt of school cuts as schools struggle to make ends meet," says Mary Bousted, NEU joint general secretary.

A Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship is currently under development. Qualifications body Cache has developed a new Level 3 Diploma which maps onto the apprenticeship standard, as well as a Level 1 Award in Preparing to Work in Schools and a Level 4 Certificate for Advanced Practitioners in Schools and Colleges. It has also extended its older Supporting Teaching and Learning qualifications until 31 August 2020.

County Durham this year established a Career Progression Board for TAs and is looking at establishing a training programme to provide support and development for future career opportunities. The status of higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) was introduced in 2003 to allow teaching assistants to progress in their career, but the government no longer funds training. The government recommends that HLTAs hold a nationally recognised qualification at Level 2 or above in English and maths, and they must meet a set of 33 standards.

The Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants project, a collaboration between the University College London Institute of Education and the London Leadership Strategy, is trialling the effectiveness of its package of strategic support for school leaders and continuing professional development (CPD) for TAs and teachers. The training aims to improve the way TAs are deployed in the classroom. The Education Endowment Foundation offers a free online course to help schools rethink the way TAs are deployed and trained.

Other roles in education support include education welfare officers and family liaison officers. There is no nationally recognised qualification for either role. Some employers require education welfare officers to hold a degree in social work or another relevant subject. Support staff are increasingly self-employed or work for independent companies or agencies.

Dame Christine Lenehan's review of residential special schools and colleges, published in November 2017, said the government should improve the supply of quality school leaders to the special schools and colleges sector, and promote links and staff movement between special and mainstream schools. She also called for support for the mainstream school and college workforce in improving their understanding of the reasons for challenging behaviour, and the steps they can take to reduce it.

The National Association for Special Educational Needs (Nasen) was awarded a £3.4m contract in April 2018 to equip schools to identify and meet their training needs in relation to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Nasen has also been tasked with identifying and responding to any gaps in the training and resources available to schools, helping education institutions prioritise SEND within their CPD and school improvement plans, and building the skills of teachers and special educational needs co-ordinators (Sencos) by promoting best practice.

These aims are being delivered through the Whole School SEND Consortium (WSS), which is appointing regional SEND leaders and deputies across England to look at linking together existing networks. Other workforce development activity to be delivered by WSS includes free conferences, the development of a digital induction pack for Sencos, reviewing the learning outcomes of the national Senco qualification, and reviewing mandatory qualifications for working with young people with specific impairments.

The SEND Gateway, an online one-stop shop for the SEND community, will be extended to bring together research, resources and best practice from across the sector. Nasen also offers bespoke training, Mental Health First Aid training, online learning tools and resources for practitioners, including teachers.

Sencos must be qualified teachers and, since 2009, the law has stated that if a newly-appointed Senco has not had past experience of the role for more than a year, they must achieve a postgraduate National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination within three years of appointment.

The latest framework setting out core content for initial teacher training, which applies from September 2018, instructs providers to ensure SEND training is fully integrated for the first time. Trainees will need to be able to understand the SEND Code of Practice, recognise signs that may indicate SEND and ensure pupils with SEND can access the curriculum.