Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in light of the announcement that a new set of standards is to be established for teaching assistants in England, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved administrations on ensuring consistency in standards for teaching assistants across the UK.

School staffing policy is a matter for the devolved administrations. A review of teacher assistant standards for schools in England was launched recently. It is led by Kate Dethridge who is being supported by a panel of experts. A public call for evidence will be initiated shortly which will explore good practice across schools. The Department for Education also plans carry out a public consultation once the standards have been agreed by the expert panel. Use of the standards will be voluntary.