The three year enquiry is calling for a full review of all primary school staffing.
The research team from Cambridge university talked to heads, teachers, support staff, parents and children. They found that teaching assistants try to make school a secure and caring environment for children.
But there was confusion about the roles and responsibilities teaching assistants should be shouldering. The introduction of Planning, Preparation and Assessment time for teachers - covered by TAs - had ironically meant many teaching assistants lost joint planning time with their teachers.
TAs saw children's well-being as their first priority. But many felt they were poorly qualified for the responsibilities they had been given, especially supporting children with complex learning needs.
The three year enquiry has ended with a 608 page report, including 75 recommendations for the future.
Since 1997 when Labour came to power, investment in primary education has risen dramatically and many policies have had a positive impact, says the report.
"Highly valued by children and parents, primary schools provide stability and positive values in a world of change and uncertainty."
But the review criticised the government's standards agenda. Targets, testing, perforance tables, national strategies and inspection are believed to have caused a lot of damage for questionable benefits.
Summary of key recommendations
- Compulsory schooling should start at six instead of five
- The foundation stage should be extended to age six
- Key stages one and two should be replaced with a single primary stage
- Formal assessment at the end of primary school should stay, but SATs should be scrapped
- Redefine standards as excellence in all areas of the curriculum - not just reading, writing and maths
- Review primary school staffing.
- More specialists among primary teachers
- Review SEN provision, including definitions of SEN
Final report of the Primary Review
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