1.1 Explain how support staff may contribute to the planning, delivery and review of learning activities to support teaching and learning

This guide will help you answer 1.1 Explain how support staff may contribute to the planning, delivery and review of learning activities to support teaching and learning.

Support staff play a central role in helping both teachers and pupils. Their involvement in planning, delivery and review strengthens learning and improves pupil outcomes. This work is not limited to classrooms. It can take place in many educational settings such as nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, and specialist provision.

Support staff bring their own skills and knowledge to these stages. They help to make sure that teaching is inclusive and that the needs of all pupils are met.

Contributing to Planning

Planning is the stage where learning activities are designed and organised. Teachers lead the main plan, but support staff provide valuable input. Their insights come from working closely with individual pupils and small groups.

Providing Pupil Information

Support staff often know pupils’ strengths, needs and current progress in detail. They gather this information from daily work, observations, and informal discussions with pupils. For example, a teaching assistant might notice that a pupil struggles with written instructions but learns better through pictures. Sharing this with the teacher can lead to including more visual support in lesson plans.

Suggesting Strategies

Because support staff work closely with pupils, they sometimes suggest strategies that help keep them engaged. This could include:

• Breaking tasks into smaller steps
• Using physical prompts for pupils with additional needs
• Providing alternative resources such as worksheets with larger print
• Offering regular movement breaks to help focus

Preparing Resources

Support staff can be asked to prepare learning materials before lessons. This might include setting out science equipment, printing worksheets, or gathering storybooks for a reading session. These tasks free up the teacher’s time, so they can focus on the core of lesson planning.

Liaising with Specialists

Where pupils have specialist needs, support staff may speak with speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, or special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs). They can then feed relevant advice into the planning stage, making the learning activities more effective.

Contributing to Delivery

Delivery means putting the plan into action. This is where learning activities take place in real time. Support staff directly help pupils to take part and achieve the intended learning goals.

Assisting with Classroom Management

Support staff help keep the classroom organised and focused on learning. They may:

• Support pupils as they transition between tasks
• Help maintain a safe working environment
• Redirect off-task behaviour calmly and consistently
• Give quiet prompts so learning is not disrupted

This support allows the teacher to focus on whole-group teaching without constant interruption.

Leading Small Groups

Teachers sometimes assign a support staff member to lead a small group. For example, after the teacher explains a maths activity to the class, the support staff could work with a group that needs more guidance. This might involve rephrasing questions or giving additional practice with number bonds.

Providing One-to-One Support

Some pupils need individual help to access the learning. This could be a child with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who requires consistent adult support. In such cases, support staff may assist with understanding tasks, using aids, or staying on track.

Using Resources Effectively

Support staff help pupils to use resources correctly. They can demonstrate how to use equipment, guide safe use in science experiments, or prompt correct handling of ICT devices. They might also provide adapted resources if the originals are unsuitable for a pupil’s needs.

Giving Feedback in Real Time

Support staff give pupils immediate feedback during the lesson. A small praise comment, a prompt to check an answer, or a question to extend thinking all help pupils learn more effectively.

Contributing to Review

Reviewing means looking at how well the learning activities worked and whether pupils achieved what was planned. This process helps the teacher adapt the next steps.

Giving Feedback to the Teacher

Support staff share their observations from the lesson. They might note if a group found the task too easy or too hard, or if certain resources did not engage the pupils. This feedback is especially helpful because the teacher cannot always see every interaction during the lesson.

Assessing Pupil Work

Support staff may check pupils’ work for completion and accuracy. They might mark answers against a key, write notes for the teacher on pupil progress, or identify patterns in mistakes. This supports the teacher’s assessment and planning for the next lesson.

Observing Behaviour and Engagement

Support staff often notice changes in a pupil’s attitude, effort, or confidence. They can record how well pupils participated, how long they stayed focused, and any signs of frustration or boredom. This helps to judge whether the methods used were suitable.

Suggesting Improvements

Support staff can offer ideas for adjusting activities in future. For example:

• Adding more visuals for pupils with language barriers
• Giving more time for practical work
• Changing group sizes to improve participation
• Replacing written tasks with oral responses for some pupils

Recording Evidence

In some settings, support staff help keep records of pupil progress. This might include completing checklists, taking photographs of practical work for a portfolio, or logging achievements in an online tracking system.

Communication and Teamwork

The contributions of support staff at each stage rely on clear communication and teamwork with teachers.

Regular Discussions

Arranging time to talk with the teacher before and after lessons supports effective planning and reviewing. Even a quick five-minute discussion can outline the key tasks, focus pupils, and expected outcomes.

Using Agreed Signals

During delivery, support staff and the teacher may use agreed signals for managing behaviour or changing tasks. This helps lessons run smoothly without disrupting teaching.

Respecting Roles

Support staff work under the direction of the teacher but bring their own professional skills. Respect for each other’s roles ensures the planning, delivery, and review stages work as a team process.

Flexibility in Contributions

Support staff roles vary depending on the setting, the needs of the pupils, and the style of the teacher. In some cases, their main focus during planning is resource preparation. In others, they contribute ideas for lesson structures or differentiated learning tasks.

During delivery, some support staff work mainly with specific pupils, while others assist across the whole class. In the review stage, their involvement might range from providing brief feedback to compiling detailed notes for pupil progress files.

The key is flexibility. Support staff adapt their level of contribution to the needs of the situation. This makes them a valuable and responsive part of teaching and learning.

Example Scenario

A Year 3 class is learning about fractions.

Planning stage:
The teacher asks the teaching assistant to suggest ways to help three pupils who struggle with abstract maths concepts. The assistant suggests using fraction circles and pizzas cut into equal pieces. She also gathers these resources ready for the lesson.

Delivery stage:
During the lesson, the teacher introduces the concept to the class. The assistant then takes a group of pupils to a smaller table and uses the fraction pizzas to demonstrate half and quarter. She encourages pupils to cut paper circles themselves to reinforce the concept.

Review stage:
After the lesson, the assistant reports that two pupils understood halves and quarters well, but one pupil still confused the two. She suggests that the pupil might benefit from linking fractions to real-life objects like slices of fruit in the next session.

This scenario shows how a support staff member directly shapes the planning, delivery and review of learning activities.

Skills That Support Staff Use

Support staff draw on many skills across these stages:

• Active listening to understand teacher instructions and pupil needs
• Observation to notice learning progress and barriers
• Adaptability to adjust their approach during lessons
• Clear communication with both pupils and teachers
• Practical organisation to prepare and manage resources
• Encouragement to build pupil confidence and motivation

Professional Conduct

In all contributions to planning, delivery, and review, support staff must follow school policies and legal requirements. They should respect confidentiality, support equality of opportunity, and promote inclusive practice. This includes being aware of safeguarding responsibilities at all times.

Final Thoughts

Support staff play an active and important role in teaching and learning. Their input at planning stage can shape lessons to better meet the needs of every pupil. During delivery, they give hands-on help that makes learning accessible and engaging. At review, they provide feedback that guides what happens next.

The most effective contributions come from good communication, understanding of pupil needs, and a flexible approach. Support staff do more than assist. They help create a learning environment where every pupil can take part and progress. In this way, they strengthen the teacher’s work and support the success of the whole class.