Case study: Strengthening support staff development at The Hart School

At The Hart School, leaders recognised that high-quality professional development (PD) should not stop with teachers.

By extending instructional coaching and deliberate practice to teaching assistants (TAs) and pastoral staff, the school has created a more inclusive, consistent and effective approach to PD across all roles.

The Hart School is a secondary school in the Midlands, serving a community with significant levels of disadvantage.

The school has:

• 1.
  Around 29% pupil premium
• 2.
  Approximately 21% of students with SEND
• 3.
  A predominantly White British intake

With a high proportion of students requiring additional support, the role of TAs and pastoral staff is critical.

Leaders recognised that improving outcomes for students meant investing in PD for all staff - not just teachers.

Previously, PD for support staff lacked consistency and clarity.

While there was strong practice across the school, there was no shared language for defining what effective classroom support looked like. Joanne Crofts, Associate Assistant Principal for T&L at The Hart School, explains that there was plenty of great practice, but leaders were not always sure how to articulate and codify it.

This led to variation in expectations and practice, making it harder to ensure consistency.

Leaders wanted a more structured approach to CPD for teaching assistants and other support staff that would:

• 1.
  Codify best practice
• 2.
  Improve consistency
• 3.
  Strengthen collaboration between teachers and support staff
• 4.
  Build confidence and professional identity

The starting point was codification.

The school had already defined its 10 Hart Habits for teaching staff. Building on this, leaders introduced:

Hart Habits: Supporting for Impact

The framework sets out what effective practice looks like for TAs and support staff, effectively codifying the behaviours and approaches leaders want to see in classrooms.

This clarity has helped align expectations across the school and strengthened communication between teachers and support staff.

A key outcome has been increased confidence and a stronger sense of belonging among support staff.

Rather than being seen as peripheral to the school's teaching and learning strategy, TAs are now fully integrated into its approach to PD.

“It helps them feel like they belong - like our CPD programme isn’t a bolt-on.”

Recognising the importance of support staff and investing in their development has helped strengthen engagement, professional pride and a sense of shared responsibility for improving teaching and learning.

The school adapted its existing instructional coaching model for support staff rather than treating their development as a separate initiative.

The approach includes:

• 1.
  Codified language
• 2.
  Drop-ins
• 3.
  Modelling and rehearsal
• 4.
  Feedback cycles

Leaders also made important adaptations to ensure the model worked for different roles and contexts.

Coaching for support staff is delivered by:

• 1.
  A Deputy SENCo
• 2.
  A Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)

Rather than asking subject middle leaders to take responsibility, the school deliberately chose coaches with relevant experience and expertise.

Implementation began with positive-only drop-ins, giving staff time to build confidence before refinements were introduced.

Leaders gradually developed the approach from recognition and celebration towards more developmental feedback. This helped create a safe, supportive culture in which drop-ins were associated with professional growth rather than judgement.

One of the most effective strategies was creating WAGOLL - ‘What A Good One Looks Like’ - videos featuring the school's own support staff.

The videos:

• 1.
  Modelled effective practice
• 2.
  Featured real staff in familiar contexts
• 3.
  Reinforced the school's shared expectations

“That was the turning point… when they saw we were investing time in videos they were part of.”

Seeing colleagues represented in the school's professional learning materials helped make the approach feel relevant and strengthened staff buy-in.

TAs are now integrated into the school's deliberate practice routines.

This includes:

• 1.
  Whole-school deliberate practice clinics
• 2.
  Tailored sessions for support staff
• 3.
  Scripted modelling for different roles

Leaders carefully adapt practice to the context of support staff while ensuring they remain part of the wider professional development culture.

This creates consistency across the school without assuming that exactly the same approach will work for every role.

Extending instructional coaching to TAs required flexibility.

Unlike teachers, TAs cannot always follow a fixed two-week coaching cycle because their responsibilities can change around:

• 1.
  Assessment windows
• 2.
  Intervention responsibilities
• 3.
  Unpredictable student needs

Rather than forcing the teacher model onto support staff, leaders adapted the timing of coaching while maintaining the same underlying principles.

Differences in contracted hours created another practical challenge.

The school responded by:

• 1.
  Using joint directed time
• 2.
  Scheduling sessions flexibly
• 3.
  Allowing coaching before school or during non-contact time

This has helped make participation possible without compromising the quality of the programme.

The impact is becoming visible in classrooms.

One of the most significant changes has been the relationship between teachers and TAs.

Leaders describe the work as helping to close the gap between the two roles and create a stronger partnership around teaching and learning.

Rather than focusing solely on individual students, TAs are increasingly contributing to the wider learning taking place in the classroom.

Another priority has been helping TAs know when to step back.

Support staff are increasingly helping students break down questions and access tasks before giving them space to work independently.

Student voice has supported this shift, with pupils taking greater ownership of their learning.

TAs are also more confident in sharing classroom insights with teachers.

Post-lesson conversations now provide useful information that can feed into planning, strengthening communication between teachers and support staff and helping ensure classroom knowledge is used effectively.

The Hart School has embedded a consistent structure for developmental feedback:

• 1.
  ‘I loved it when…’
• 2.
  ‘You could refine it by…’

What might initially sound slightly formulaic has become an established and well-received part of the school's culture.

Recognition also plays an important role, through initiatives including:

• 1.
  T&L Oscars
• 2.
  Shout-outs
• 3.
  Department rewards
• 4.
  Small incentives

The result is a notable shift in attitudes towards classroom visits.

“People now actively want drop-ins… they’re asking for them.”

Steplab also supports the induction of new TAs and support staff.

New colleagues can use the platform to:

• 1.
  Learn the school's codified language
• 2.
  Understand expectations
• 3.
  Access training modules

This helps establish shared expectations from the beginning and reduces variation in practice as new colleagues join the school.

Based on their experience, leaders at The Hart School highlight five principles for schools looking to strengthen PD for TAs.

Agree the language and expectations before introducing coaching, working closely with your SENCo and other relevant leaders.

A slow, deliberate implementation is more likely to build confidence and secure long-term engagement than trying to introduce everything at once.

Choose people with the right expertise and invest time in developing their coaching practice.

Start with colleagues who are likely to engage positively and help champion the approach with others.

Regular drop-ins, shared language and repeated opportunities to practise are essential for embedding new habits over time.

The Hart School's work demonstrates how instructional coaching and deliberate practice can extend beyond teachers and support professional learning across the whole school.

By:

• 1.
  Codifying expectations
• 2.
  Embedding coaching
• 3.
  Building a positive feedback culture
• 4.
  Investing in TAs and support staff

The school has created a more inclusive and coherent approach to PD.

At its heart is a shared belief that improvement is everyone's responsibility - and that everyone deserves access to high-quality professional learning.

See how Steplab can help you deliver high-quality professional development for all staff, including teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral teams.