NetSupport Radio

Of Primary Importance Podcast by ReallySchool: Ep. 23 - Valuing teaching assistants as paraprofessionals

March 10, 2023
NetSupport Radio
Of Primary Importance Podcast by ReallySchool: Ep. 23 - Valuing teaching assistants as paraprofessionals
Show Notes

Welcome back to Of Primary Importance!  

In this podcast series we are exploring all things EYFS and primary with different topics and special guests each fortnight.  

In this episode, I am joined by Cat Allott to talk about empowering teaching assistants (TAs) and helping them feel a valued member of their school community. Cat is a Segment Assistant at Twinkl Teaching Assistants. Her role involves creating TA-specific resources, publishing blogs and running our @TwinklTA Twitter account and TA Facebook groups she has a keen interest in all things pastoral and enjoys networking with other education professionals to raise the profile of TAs, Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) and Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs). 

Cat if a former KS2 Teacher and TA, who qualified in Speech & Language Therapy before becoming a Teaching Assistant to gain some experience in schools before her PGCE. She was a KS2 Class Teacher for 5 years before transitioning away from the classroom to Twinkl Teaching Assistants.  

 
Here are some of the questions I asked Cat: 

  • Could you please introduce yourself to our listeners? 
  • What prompted you to leave the classroom? 
  • How have you found the transition from teaching to working at Twinkl? 
  • What attracted you to being part of the Teaching Assistant Segment there in particular? 
  • What are some of the key challenges TAs are currently facing and how can we overcome these? 
  • Do teaching assistants feel valued enough? 
  • What are some things schools can do to help TAs feel more valued? 
  • What CPF opportunities would you want TAs to have access to? 
  • How can class teachers develop good working relationships with their TA? 
  • What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a TA? 
  • What are some ways that Twinkl TA Digest can support TAs? 
  • Where can listeners get support and how can they best contact you? 



You can connect with Cat on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
You can also check out the Twinkl TA website and YouTube channel. 

You can follow me (Kat Cauchi) on Twitter at @ReallyschoolK

Check out #OPIP and #OfPrimaryImportance for more content and see all our previous episodes here. If you are interested on coming on the show or have a topic suggestion, send me a DM on Twitter or email contact@reallyschool.com!  

Kat Cauchi is NetSupport’s Community Engagement Manager, the Editor of R.I.S.E. Magazine and the Product Manager of ReallySchool. She is also a former Primary School Teacher, Member of the Global Equality Collective, a Technocamps GiST Role Model, an InnovateHer role model and a Global EdTech Author.