Parental partnership

The involvement of the parents or carers is vital. Beyond the rhetoric within the guidance, there are many practical reasons for the involvement of parents and carers. They will have extensive knowledge of the learner and what he or she likes or dislikes and is able to do. Sometimes, the learner will be able to do something at home that they do not appear to know at school and they will often learn something at school that they will not apply at home because they do not generalize their learning so readily. A parent may provide an insight into a behavior that is puzzling at school.

As a teaching assistant, you may have more access to parents if they see you at the beginning or end of the day, and they may communicate more readily with you than other members of staff in the school, so that you are a useful channel of communication between the home and the school. This needs to be undertaken sensitively with the advice of your line manager.