Projects currently under contract

Impact assessment of support work in schools (SWiS) qualification training delivery – Pye Tait Limited
The overarching aims are to assess the impact of SWiS qualification training delivery and assessment process on learners undertaking the qualification and their schools. The results will inform TDA’s training delivery, funding and communication strategies as well as inform future work on the development of the SWiS qualification and other support staff programmes. Completion date: Summer 2008

Training and development testbed project (Research and evaluation strand) – Sheffield Hallam University
Provides evidence about schools’ approaches to training and development including what works well; what doesn’t and why; and the factors which facilitate or hinder success. The project will also support schools in developing individual approaches to monitoring and evaluating their training and development plans.
Completion date: Spring 2008

Survey of support staff experiences of training and development - National Foundation for Educational Research and Ipsos MORI
A three-year study consisting of two waves of surveys to explore the training and development experiences and perceptions of support staff.
The first survey was published in March 2008 and the estimated publication date of the second survey is autumn 2009.

Completed projects

Research into the contribution that higher education institutions make to school support staff training and development
Aims to collect information on HEI provision targeted at developing school support staff. This important piece of research should help to address gaps in knowledge in this area and inform TDA planning, communications and training provision, in addition to informing the work of the SWDB.
Download: HEI's contribution to support staff training and development report (PDF 400 KB)

Exploring support staff experiences of training and development - National Foundation for Educational Research and Ipsos MORI
Results from the first of two waves of surveys to explore the training and development experiences and perceptions of support staff.
Download: Exploring school support staff experiences of training and development: first year report (PDF 738 KB)

Evaluation of the support work in schools (SWiS) qualification (Levels 2 and 3) - HOST Policy Research
The SWiS was assessed to see if it met the training needs of schools and support staff.
Read the evaluation.

Research into the deployment and impact of support staff who have achieved higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) status
Explores how support staff achieving HLTA status are being deployed and the impact they are having in schools.
Download: NFER HLTA research report (PDF 943 KB)

The evaluation of the teaching assistants and support staff induction materials - University of Luton
Aims to collect evidence about the quality and impact of support staff induction materials to inform decisions about the approach to support induction for all school support staff.
Download: Evaluation of support staff induction materials report (PDF 287 KB)
Download: Annexes to the evaluation of support staff induction materials (PDF 995 KB)

Evaluation of the HLTA training and assessment programme - Pye-Tait Ltd
An evaluation of the phase 1 HLTA programme, which has been used to identify areas of improvement for phase 2.
Download:Evaluation of HLTA training and assessment report (PDF 2MB)