Teaching assistants: professional standards

Learn about the non-statutory professional standards for TAs and find out how you, your SLT and teachers might choose to use the standards.

Last reviewed on 22 February 2024
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 2300
Contents
  1. The standards follow 4 themes
  2. They help teachers and leaders manage TAs' work
  3. They're not a checklist
  4. TAs, line managers and employers can use the standards 

The standards follow 4 themes

The professional standards for teaching assistants (TAs) are non-statutory. They were published in 2016 by unions and other organisations representing support staff.

They set out what TAs might be expected to do under 4 themes:

  • Personal and professional conduct
  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Teaching and learning
  • Working with others

See the standards for details of expectations for TAs, in relation to each of the 4 themes (pages 6 to 8). 

They help teachers and leaders manage TAs' work

The standards can help you and your governors when recruiting support staff and defining TAs’ job roles.

You can use them to support performance management of TAs if you want to, but you’re free to choose the standards against which you assess your TAs. 

They complement the higher-level teaching assistant (HLTA) standards rather than replace them. The HLTA standards are listed by the HLTA National Assessment Partnership

Read about this in the professional standards (page 9). 

The standards shouldn’t be