Teaching assistants: EEF publishes updated guidance to support schools achieve greater impact
380,000 teaching assistants (TAs) are employed across the country, at an annual public cost of some £5 billion, but previous research had shown that in many schools they were not being deployed in ways that improve student outcomes. Indeed, for students from poorer backgrounds the impact of TAs was too often negative.
However, EEF trials have demonstrated that, when they are well-trained and used in structured settings with high-quality support and training, TAs can make a noticeable positive impact on pupil learning.
To support schools in achieving this, in 2015 the EEF published its first guidance report, Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants. Written by the EEF's Prof. Jonathan Sharples, together with Rob Webster and Prof. Peter Blatchford, both at the UCL Institute of Education, it made seven clear and actionable recommendations.
Since then, the EEF has added a number of resources to support the implementation of this guidance report. This new material has now been incorporated online to bring the guidance up-to-date. It can be freely read and downloaded here.
Bob Slavin - A Tribute
Bob Slavin was a gracious giant of educational research, whose work will benefit millions of children around the world.
3. Wider strategies
Wider strategies relate to the most significant non-academic barriers to success in school, including attendance, behaviour and social and emotional support.
2. Targeted academic support
Evidence consistently shows the positive impact that targeted academic support can have, including for those pupils who are not making good progress across the spectrum of achievement.
1. High-quality teaching
The best available evidence indicates that great teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for their pupils.
EEF Blog: Metacognition in modern foreign language teaching - A perspective from secondary school
Application Round: The Research Schools Network in Cumbria
Information on becoming a Research School in Cumbria
EEF blog: Early Career Framework – three key insights for school leaders to help support their newest teachers
Statement on statistical significance and uncertainty of impact estimates for EEF evaluations
Statement on statistical significance and uncertainty of impact estimates for EEF evaluations
EEF publishes in-depth analysis of primary pupils’ performance in maths and reading assessments
‘Evidence into Action’ - EEF podcast returns with new episode on ‘Managing behaviour and building habits’
The impact of Feedback Approaches on educational attainment in children and young people
Chief Executive’s Letter: How evidence can help with learning through the latest lockdown
EEF Blog: Live teaching and pre-recorded video lessons – how can we best navigate the evidence?
Chief Executive’s Letter: 10 ways the EEF supported teachers and disadvantaged pupils in 2020
6,500 primary schools register to deliver EEF Promising Project backed by Government Covid ‘catch-up’ funding
Learning from 2020: 3 ways in which primary school teachers have used literacy to support learning this term
EEF Blog: New ‘Voices from the classroom’ videos to bring evidence-informed practice to life
Learning from 2020: Four Covid-safe innovations maths teachers have devised to put evidence-based strategies into effect
‘Evidence into Action’ - new EEF podcast focuses on ‘Making the Difference for Disadvantaged Pupils’
EEF in the News: “The fund has been a lifeline and still is to this day” - Sunday Times reports back on our £1.3 million Christmas appeal
New: EEF publishes Evidence Review on Mathematical Teaching in the Early Years and Key Stage 1
Guest Blog: Practical strategies for embedding high-quality Social and Emotional Learning skills
Guest Blog: 6 approaches schools can use to provide practical science opportunities in this ‘new normal’
EEF Blog: Teacher Choices Trials - our new approach to researching questions teachers want answers to
1,100+ schools and nurseries sought for EEF evaluations of eight projects aiming to close the disadvantage gap
EEF Blog: Reflections of a SENCo – the importance of a whole school approach to supporting pupils with SEND
Guest Blog: Practical, evidence-based tips to embed metacognitive strategies into your classroom practice
EEF Blog: Classrooms look very different this year. Here are 5 research resources to support teachers in adapting your practices
Guest Blog: One-to-one support for pupils with SEND - a case study in how specialists and TAs can work together
EEF Blog: Three crucial questions for schools wanting to support the impact of teaching assistants
In addition, this week the EEF launched a new 11-week email series based on the guidance report – more than 800 people have so far signed up to receive the report in bite-sized chunks direct to their inbox. You can subscribe free here:
