May 2014

The know zone

  • Children's needs first
    Richard Bird examines new government guidance on safeguarding and is reassured to and it emphasises professional judgement rather than box-ticking. More
  • A question of balance
    Worries about an increasing workload are now being cited by business managers as a key source of anxiety. Val Andrew has some tips for the stressed. More
  • Seeing the bigger picture
    Preparing for National Curriculum reform needs to take into account how changes will affect all year groups and for years to come, says Sue Kirkham. More
  • ASCL PD events
    Unexploited Potential? The Role of the Clerk in Outstanding Governance, CPD Conference: Manageable, Meaningful and Motivating, and Ofsted Seminars: How to be Prepared for Inspection More
  • Supporting staff
    The non-teaching team can play a vital role in raising standards, provided they receive the right training More
  • Strength in numbers
    National Numeracy is a charity that focuses on helping adults and young people to improve their everyday maths skills. More
  • Adding value
    Using data as evidence More
  • Tense presence?
    The debate about school inspection has intensified over the last few weeks, with fundamental questions being asked about Ofsted and the future of the school inspection system. Here, members share their views on one of the issues being discussed – notice of inspections and whether they would like more or less notice. More
  • Leaders' surgery
    Count the cost, Stick to the plan, and Please sir, can we have some more? More
  • Accident investigator...
    A close shave with a plane prompted Allan Foulds to reflect on what can be learned when anything that can go wrong does go wrong. More
Bookmark and Share

The non-teaching team can play a vital role in raising standards, provided they receive the right training

Supporting staff

‘Outstanding’ schools value the contribution of all of their staff.

Outstanding leaders recognise that, as high-quality organisations, they require a skilled workforce to meet both current and future demands. This means investing in and developing the skills levels of all of their employees.

As learning organisations many schools have become increasingly creative about the continuing professional development (CPD) of teaching staff and school leaders with the emphasis gradually shifting from provision to impact. However, the learning and development needs of support staff have not always received the same attention.

Since the 1990s the number of support staff in schools and colleges has risen to include colleagues that are working in important, complex and multiple roles. UNISON numbers approximately 350,000 members in education who work in a variety of roles from teaching assistants and cover supervisors to catering, clerical, technical, maintenance and administrative staff. The positive working relationships between these support staff and their teaching colleagues plays a vital role in raising standards and ensuring the highest quality student welfare.

Too often in schools, support staff do not receive the training required to understand and embed the school’s vision, values, policies and priorities to deliver their ever-evolving, frontline roles. This is particularly true of support staff middle leaders who are frequently managing large and rapidly changing teams. For school staff to support the work of school leaders effectively it is imperative that their skills and vision are aligned to those of the schools in which they play such a vital role.

Innovate and excel

Tailored professional development can provide the tools and techniques needed to enable our support staff colleagues to innovate and excel in their roles. This can only be done if the prevailing levels of skills, attitudes and knowledge have been identified and a needs analysis has taken place to identify areas for professional development.

In recent months ASCL Professional Development has been asked to provide a range of tailored training for support staff. Organisations are becoming aware of the need to consider employee engagement, which, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), means “being positively present during the performance of work by willingly contributing intellectual effort, experiencing positive emotions and meaningful connections to others.”

These organisations have sought to invest in support staff in order to have a positive impact on work effort, organisational commitment and job satisfaction.

Training ASCL has provided has included presentation skills for middle leaders to enable them to confidently address governing body meetings and stakeholder groups, managing difficult conversations and challenging underperformance. Courses such as successfully running appraisal meetings have also been requested for support staff managers who are leading large and complex teams.

The training focuses on practitioner needs and integrates theory and practice in a way that is directly relevant to the practioner’s work and the school’s guiding principles.

The feedback suggests that, as a result of our training, staff have gained greater self-confidence, shown a willingness to try new approaches and have demonstrated their belief in their ability to make a difference. Colleagues are described as being more enthusiastic and engaged and are showing even greater commitment to the vision and values of the school.

It indicates that the training of support staff has greatly benefited the individuals involved and has had an impact on the outcomes of the organisations, thanks to improved motivation and greater job satisfaction. 

Asma Mansuri is a former headteacher who is now an Education Consultant, Leadership Coach and Trainer.

supporting-staff.jpg

LEADING READING