A ‘revolutionary shift’ in school working practices has led to better care for vulnerable children, says Ofsted.
Pupils generally are getting more support as a result of the huge growth in the number of teaching assistants and other support staff in schools. Deploying adults with different skills means schools have improved care and guidance for vulnerable children and those at risk of exclusion.
But some schools don't pay enough attention to the training, career development and performance management of support staff, and don't match skills and expertise closely enough to school needs.
The workforce reforms have also transformed teachers’ lives by reducing their workload – although there is little evidence to show this has led to improved standards says Ofsted.
Changes implemented, such as making greater use of support staff for administrative and routine tasks, had led to teachers having more time to plan lessons, mark books and liaise with colleagues.
In almost three quarters of the 99 schools visited, 51 of which were primary schools, it was strongly believed that standards had risen as a result.
But as few of the schools had officially monitored the impact of the changes on pupils’ learning there was a lack of firm evidence to support this.
The changes are the result of a deal struck between the government and unions, which sees the changes being brought in over a four-year period.
According to figures from the Department for Children, Schools, and Families there are now 100,000 more teaching assistants than in 1997
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