All about the role of ... Higher level teaching assistant

Currently, 30,000 holders of the award work within the education system with children aged from three to 16 years.

The status was introduced in 2003 following a national agreement on raising standards and tackling workload in schools. The Training and Development Agency (TDA) awards HLTA status to school support staff who successfully demonstrate the agreed national professional standards through one of the assessment and training programmes available across England.

The range of duties carried out by HLTAs is different in each school. They work under the supervision of a classroom teacher and report to the school's head teacher, deputy, head of year or SENCO. The role involves working closely with teachers to provide support for teaching and learning activities with individuals, groups and whole classes across the curriculum.

HLTAs contribute to planning and prepare and deliver lessons. They assess children's progress and attainment and maintain and collate records of their needs and progress. They are expected to have considerable expertise within the age range and to cover classes if a teacher is absent or out for part of the day. Consequently, HLTAs need to be aware of the work being taught across the school so that they are able to pick up on and decipher lesson plans quickly.

Some HLTAs work as specialist assistants for specific subjects or departments. Those who are knowledgeable about special needs may be approached for advice from their colleagues. HLTAs also attend and contribute to events organised as part of the curriculum, review meetings and fundraising events. Where schools employ a number of HLTAs, there are opportunities to become mentors and team leaders.

TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT

The HLTA training and assessment programme is available to school support staff in England who have sought the support of their headteacher and line manager. A TDA handbook, Guidance to the Standards, and a factsheet, Literacy and Numeracy, cover the process from start to finish.

There are no formal entry requirements to the programme; local authorities set their own criteria when devising the selection process. All candidates require an enhanced CRB check.

The preparation and assessment process is the same for all candidates, although individual training needs vary. Schools usually appoint a mentor to support the candidate through the three stages of the programme. During the first stage, Training and Development, candidates are helped to identify how they meet the HLTA standards. Where they are not yet working at the required level, a training needs analysis is carried out to identify the knowledge, skills and experience needed to go forward to assessment. Funding arrangements are confirmed by the LA when it considers that the candidate is ready for assessment.

During the second stage, preparation for assessment, candidates attend a three-day briefing where they are guided in their understanding of the professional standards and how these relate to their work in school. They prepare for the assessment tasks, receive feedback on these tasks and prepare for the assessor's visit to the school.

The final stage, assessment, involves a half-day visit to the candidate's school by an assessor approved by the regional provider of assessment. The assessor meets with the candidate, a teacher and the headteacher, and all the candidate's evidence is assessed against the standards.

Candidates who gain HLTA status receive a letter from the TDA on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education. This acts as proof of HLTA status for current and future employers.

CASE STUDY: ALISON WILLIAMS

I have worked in a junior school in Northampton-shire for three years. The school has 480 children in 16 classes and we cover all of Key Stage 2. There are 21 teachers, some of whom jobshare; four of the senior management team also teach. The school has a Designate Special Provision for children on the autistic spectrum.

When the cost of supply teachers became unsustainable, the school offered a chance to one of the teaching assistants to be trained to HLTA status. This was with the understanding that the successful candidate would cover non-contact periods for teachers on a regular basis and cover lessons when teachers were ill or on courses.

At the time, I was employed as a teaching assistant caring for designated children who had learning difficulties or behaviour issues. I worked with small groups and on a one-to-one basis. I felt that gaining HLTA status would give me a further challenge and possibly some job security.

I completed the Preparation for Assessment course at the University of Northampton, attending for just three days. I then completed the tasks and gathered the evidence while at work. The written tasks were done and posted within three months of starting the course, with the assessment booked in for June. My status was confirmed in mid July 2011.

I now teach classes regularly to cover teachers' non-contact time and also when they are observing other teachers, or on courses. I can be asked to cover a lesson at very short notice and this certainly gets the adrenaline pumping. I think because the school is so big and there are only two HLTAs who can cover at short notice, adds to the number of times we are called upon to cover.

One of the more exciting roles of my job is my support of the gifted and talented children in our school, particularly in maths. I constantly seek out resources that will stretch the children's minds.