Specialist Knowledge for Primary Teaching Assistants
Teaching assistants (TAs) are a vital resource and now make up nearly a quarter of the workforce in primary schools. However, many have received little or no subject specific or pedagogical training and often report feeling unprepared for their roles in class.
TAs on this programme will return to their schools with greater confidence, improved knowledge of maths, and a pedagogical understanding that will enable them to be proactive in the classroom, ensuring that they are able to make a real impact on pupil progress.
Who can take part?
This programme supports primary teaching assistants to develop specialist knowledge for teaching maths, complementing teaching for mastery approaches as exemplified in NCETM’s Essence of Mathematics Teaching for Mastery.
It will be particularly relevant for individuals that have not received maths-specific training.
What is involved?
Participants will attend the equivalent of four days, where they will collaboratively work on maths tasks, facilitated by Cohort Leads.
There is opportunity for structured conversations in order to unpick the maths, the pedagogy modelled within sessions, misconceptions that pupils have, and how the approaches can be transferred to the participants’ classrooms.
Between sessions, participants contribute to their online community, complete school-based tasks, and share their observations through discussions with peers.
What are the intended outcomes?
Pupil outcomes
Pupils will:
- use appropriate representations to support their mathematical work
- be able to explain their maths and their mathematical thinking using appropriate language
- positively engage with maths that challenges them.
Practice development
Participants will:
- explore and increase their use of a range of pedagogic approaches consistent with teaching for mastery
- increase their confidence in supporting pupils in mastering mathematical concepts.
Professional learning
Participants will:
- enhance their maths subject knowledge with an emphasis on the key concepts, the representations and the language used to help pupils develop the mathematical area covered (e.g. number sense, additive reasoning, multiplicative reasoning, fractions)
- identify common misconceptions and ways of addressing these to help pupils master important concepts
- identify pedagogical approaches that will enhance teaching and learning and know how to use these to support pupils in understanding maths
- develop an understanding of key principles and approaches associated with teaching for mastery.
What is the cost?
The Specialist Knowledge for Primary Teaching Assistants Programme is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.