E111 TMA01 Essay

Submitted By loulouncrew
Words: 2593
Pages: 11

In this assignment, to comply with British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2011 guidelines and my schools policy on confidentiality, I have changed all names.
In an assignment like this it is always sensible to use the headings and sub-headings that the assignment instructions give you. It makes it easier for me to see how you’ve structured the assignment.
In my role I primarily support a Year 1 child with a Statement of Special Educational Needs, in a Church of England voluntary controlled Primary School in a cathedral city with a population of approximately 187,000. The school is a two form entry for admission with 412 children, 30 per class and 72 staff, 40% of which are Teaching Assistants.
I work 25 hours a week and have worked at the school for 15 months.
My main roles are similar to those of the Learning Support Assistant, Jane Powell (Hancock and Colloby 2013a p.4) which consists of giving support ‘in the classroom-especially with literacy and numeracy’ and support pupils independent learning by reinforcing teachers points.
As a Teaching Assistant employed to support one child, I have specific responsibilities to carry out additional educational tasks, for example, speech and language therapy activities, given to me by regular meetings with the appointed Speech Therapist. I also support the child on inclusion and promote their independence as part of their Individual Education Plan (IEP) liaising with the schools SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator) and rewarding achievement to promote self-esteem. Part of this plan is to build a good relationship with the child’s parents to highlight achievements and share any daily messages. (KU 1.1)
Working closely with the children in the classroom I am able to offer help to all pupils of all abilities when directed by the teacher, promoting increased attention, especially in smaller group work. I offer this by motivating and encouraging children to make the right choices about their own learning.
Working closely within a small team within the classroom as a one to one Teaching Assistant with a general teaching assistant, the class teacher and a Higher Level Teaching Assistant, who covers on a regular basis, it is important to develop positive working relationships to assist in maximising progress. (PPS 4.3)
I am an involved team member, being flexible when asked to do tasks such as reading a story to the whole class or taking a small group to work outside in a quiet area for a phonics or maths focus group. I am actively involved with monitoring individual and group progress and feeding back to the teacher. I am involved with classroom management, assisting in keeping areas tidy and appropriately resourced and the management of classroom behaviour, reinforcing the teacher’s classroom rules, dealing promptly with any conflicts helping children to understand their own actions and feelings. 
As well as supporting children in all areas of the national curriculum subjects and standards, I help to prepare and attend out of curriculum activities such as charity or seasonal events. I am responsible for monitoring and recording how children travel to and from school as part of a scheme to encourage walking to school. (KU 1.4) I am a team member of the school as a whole. I attend training sessions and understand the roles and responsibilities of other professionals in the school. I take my turn on playground duty and of unloading and reloading the dishwasher in the staff room. This is a very important part of keeping all team members happy, making their few moments in between classes more efficient for a brief refreshment. (PPS 4.3)
I also help an extra-curricular lunchtime club with a teacher once a week, encouraging positive behaviour and promoting social skills.
When moving around the school I ensure I am a good role model and encourage the schools ethos, aspirations, rules and routines are put into practice.
Although the DfE’s (Department for