Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) pay levels for teaching assistants, (b) the recruitment and retention of teaching assistants in schools, and (c) support available to teaching assistants working with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

School support staff, including teaching assistants, play a vital role in children’s education. That is why this government is establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), a new statutory body specifically for school support staff. Its purpose is to bring employers and employee representatives together to negotiate minimum standards for pay and conditions for school support staff in all state-funded schools in England. It will also advise on training and career progression.

Currently, the government does not have a role in setting school support staff pay and conditions.

Research published by the department explored the factors associated with recruitment and retention of support staff and found that leaders had mixed experiences.

The government has committed over £200 million to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion professional development to ensure that teaching staff across schools, post-16 settings and early years have the knowledge, skills and confidence to support children and young people with SEND. This will include a training offer for teaching assistants.