➡ Where: Online (Zoom)
➡ Date: Thursday 11th September 2025
➡ Time: 12.00pm – 1.00pm (UK time)
We invite you to a special #LunchtimeSession from the Inclusion Leadership RIG.
Our host for this session is Dr Stephen Willoughby, whose presentation will summarise the main aspects of his and Pamela Dunkley’s recent book, ‘Giving Voice to the Teaching Assistant Dilemma: A Case for TA Policy Reform (2025)’.
The presentation will consider the national TA background and definition within schools, the main problems found in their research and propose possible solutions. The main problems TAs identified being job insecurity, TA deployment, preparation, core practice, CPD, TA career pathways prospects and development opportunities, and TA Employment.
Following this, Stephen will discuss some possible ways forward such as a national framework for the TA similar to that of qualified teachers. Recognition of the time required for provision of regular time for TAs for lesson planning with the teacher, preparation and the development of regular TA specific CPD.
A major point of the presentation is to echo the views of the TAs themselves. Their views, concerns and positives. There is some very good work by Webster (2016 – 2021) on effective senior leadership on TA policy; however, there is little on the actual views of TAs themselves. The book tries to balance this situation.
We hope you can join us for this discussion.
Please note, this event is free to BELMAS members and £5.00 for non-members. To ensure you receive your free ticket, please log in on the BELMAS website before booking.
If you pay the non-member fee to attend and then become a BELMAS Member within a month of the event taking place, please let us know and we will refund the £5 fee.
Registration will close at midnight (UK) on Tuesday 9th September 2025.
Dr Stephen Willoughby
Stephen has been a teacher since 1981 and has wide experience of working in FE, mainstream, and special schools. More recently he worked for an inner-city LEA as an equalities consultant, advising on policy including EAL with a specialist focus on Special Educational Needs and then as a private Consultant for schools. His main research areas are school equalities policy; governance/governing approaches to Teaching Assistant professional development and the development of research learning networks. He completed an initial degree on Policy in 1980: an MA (1996) and a doctoral thesis on ‘School leadership within the context of school equality policy’, (2017). regularly reviewed and reported to specific schools from 2010-2020. During 2021/2023 he worked with Durham University and two other researchers on the voice, conditions, and remuneration of the TA.
Dr Willoughby has been a member of BELMAS since 2016 and is an education governor of a Specialist College.
Joining instructions will be sent out the day before the event, so please keep an eye on your inbox for these. We look forward to seeing you at the event!
We record our online events for sharing purposes on the BELMAS website and YouTube page. Please tick this box in your registration to acknowledge you are happy for us to record.
We hosted a #LunchtimeSession on Thursday 11th September 2025, when Stephen Willoughby led the discussion on ‘Giving Voice to the Teaching Assistant Dilemma: A Case for TA Policy Reform (2025)’.
The presentation considered the national TA background and definition within schools, the main problems found in their research and propose possible solutions. The main problems TAs identified being job insecurity, TA deployment, preparation, core practice, CPD, TA career pathways prospects and development opportunities, and TA Employment.
Stephen then explored some possible ways forward such as a national framework for the TA similar to that of qualified teachers. Recognition of the time required for provision of regular time for TAs for lesson planning with the teacher, preparation and the development of regular TA specific CPD.
A major point of the presentation was to echo the views of the TAs themselves. Their views, concerns and positives.
If you missed this event or would like a recap, you can now watch it in full below.
A huge thanks to Stephen for sharing his important insights on this topic, and to everyone who joined us for this session.
