Teaching assistants are often used to take small groups of children out of a class that need extra support in an area, such as literacy or numeracy.
This can also include work with children with special educational needs (SEN), either on a 1:1 basis or in an alternative provision to promote inclusion.
Teaching assistants are increasingly being given more and more responsibility within schools, and it remains to be seen how this "remodelling of the workforce" will alter the occupation.
Some additional responsibilities may include supporting with behaviour intervention, running extracurricular activities, lunchtime supervision, and covering teaching staff in their absence.
On 15 January 2003, unions and the DfES signed the National Workforce Agreement, which began a reform of raising school standards and tackling workloads.
Their role is superior to teaching assistants and is to support the teacher further by covering lessons, and being more closely involved in children's learning.
Learning Support, a professional magazine for primary school teaching assistants, is published six times a year.
[6] A survey carried out by the University of Plymouth and DfES gives an outline of who usually takes the role of the teaching assistant.