ABSTRACT
Teaching assistants (TAs) play an increasingly important role in all of our schools. In particular, assistants play an essential role in supporting and raising the achievement of pupils with special educational needs. It is estimated that up to 20 per cent of all children will have special educational needs requiring additional support during their school career. Schools are becoming increasingly skilled at identifying pupils who may have special educational needs and through the use of a range of approaches are able to meet their needs and to ensure that pupils with special educational needs make progress.
A child has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty which may be the result of a physical or sensory disability, an emotional or behavioural problem, or developmental delay.
(Education Act 1981)