SEND: Top Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Support Staff

This blog is based on Judicium’s Safeguarding ‘Sofa Session’ from the 21st of May, with our resident expert Rik Chilvers. 

Introduction

Teaching Assistants (TAs) are instrumental in creating inclusive, supportive classrooms where all learners, particularly those with SEND can thrive.

Their expertise, dedication, and adaptability have a direct impact on pupils' confidence, engagement, and progress. Yet, the difference isn’t in simply having more support staff, it's in how we deploy and develop them. Research, including the large-scale UK DISS (Deployment and Impact of Support Staff) project involving nearly 18,000 school staff, clearly shows that when TAs are well-trained, clearly directed, and meaningfully integrated into classroom planning, they can significantly enhance pupil outcomes.

In today’s session, we’ll explore evidence-based strategies to ensure TAs are not just additional hands in the classroom, but empowered partners in teaching and learning. By clarifying roles, embedding support into planning, and providing the right tools and training, schools can unlock the full potential of their support staff — and deliver real impact for every pupil.

Poll 1 

Setting Foundations

Making the most of support staff isn’t just about day-to-day practices – it starts with a whole-school culture and clear foundations. It’s crucial to foster an ethos where continuous improvement, collaboration, and inclusion are at the heart of how support staff work. 

Poll 2 

Creative Deployment - Using Support Staff Strategically 

It’s easy for patterns to set in. Research and experience suggest we should rethink practices like a TA always supporting the same pupil or task.

Key Strategic deployment includes: 

Avoid assigning TAs to work exclusively with one pupil, as it can unintentionally isolate the pupil from peers and high-quality teacher instruction.
Use TAs strategically to enable teachers to spend direct time with high-need pupils, reducing stigma and enhancing inclusion.
TAs should act as a bridge to independence, using scaffolding techniques like prompting and cueing, and gradually withdrawing support as pupils grow in confidence.
Plan for pupils to attempt tasks independently where possible, with TAs stepping in only when necessary to foster self-reliance.
Deploy TAs for evidence-based interventions with clear goals, progress tracking, and time limits to ensure effectiveness and minimise lost classroom time.
Ensure regular communication between teachers and TAs so that intervention work is connected to and reinforces classroom learning.
Use TAs to pre-teach key concepts or vocabulary, helping pupils participate more confidently in whole-class lessons.

Making the Most of Agency and Temporary Support Staff

From principles to practice:

Brief temporary TAs, on student needs and key strategies, and share any support plans or one-page profiles.
Communicate your school’s specific approaches and expectations to align with your inclusive practices.
Assign a go-to person—like a teacher, SENDCO, or experienced TA—to support and guide throughout the day.
Include in team activities, such as briefings and lesson planning, to help them feel integrated and informed.
Don’t skip the debrief—check in at the end of the day to gather insights and show appreciation for their contribution. 

Poll 3 

Leadership Tips for Sustainable Practice

What school and trust leaders can do strategically to ensure these practices with support staff are sustainable: 

Assign a senior leader—ideally on SLT—to oversee TA deployment and development, ensuring they have the authority to drive and sustain change.
Audit current TA deployment to assess roles, alignment with pupil needs, and opportunities for more strategic use.
Regularly monitor the impact of TA support by evaluating pupil outcomes and teacher feedback and use this to inform ongoing improvements.
Integrate TA development into school improvement plans, including performance management, CPD access, and alignment with whole-school priorities. 

Final Thoughts

In this Sofa Session, we’ve explored top tips for making the most of your support staff. Let’s recap the key takeaways: 

Foundations first: Build a school culture that values inclusion, teamwork, and learning for staff as well as students.
Invest in training: Clarify roles so that teachers and TAs work in tandem, with a shared vision.
Strategic deployment: Think carefully about who TAs support, how, and when. Use TAs to help pupils become more independent, and make sure the pupils who need the most help actually get more time with teachers and quality instruction, not less.
Onboard temporary staff: Don’t let short-term staff fall through the cracks. A little preparation and integration goes a long way to maintaining consistency and quality of support, even when new faces appear.
Sustainable leadership: Lead from the top by planning, monitoring, and continually improving how support staff are used. When leaders champion this and align it with school goals, the improvements will be lasting and significant.

How Judicium Education can help…

You’re not alone in this! There’s a wealth of guidance (EEF reports, MITA resources) to draw on, and many schools are on the same journey of maximising support staff impact.

If you’re curious how your school stacks up or want an external perspective, consider reaching out for a SEND Review – a fresh pair of eyes can identify strengths to build on and areas to develop when it comes to your inclusion support.

See our upcoming training sessions here.

What do Ofsted Look for when Inspecting for SEND Provision and Leadership?

If you require any SEND support in any of these steps or would like to talk to someone surrounding our SEND Support Service for your school, please do not hesitate to call us on 0345 548 7000 or email georgina.decosta@judicium.com

You can follow us on Twitter: @JudiciumSG       @JudiciumEDU

If you’d like to review all of Judicium’s forthcoming sofa sessions please click here

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