HLTA updated - December 2008

Southend United footballers coach reading `Champs’ at primary school  

In December Teaching Assistant (TA), Karen Jones, of Darlinghurst Primary and Nursery School, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend, was joined by goalkeeper, Steve Mildenhall, and Kevin Betsy from the squad at Southend United, to champion reading skills for children

The `Champs’ reading day has been organised Karen during the course of her Core Route Higher Level Teaching Assistant skills training

Karen commented afterwards that: “Steve Mildenhall and Kevin Betsy from United were exceptionally polite and extremely encouraging to the boys regarding their reading. They sat and answered many questions and impressed upon them the importance of reading and education, which was fantastic, and the children really seemed to take this on board. They were all star struck and the lads signed many autographs. It was a very successful event.”

Emma Baker, HLTA Programme Leader at the Eastern Leadership Centre, was quick to congratulate Karen on the school’s Champs reading initiative: “HLTAs are fully-integrated as `co-educators’ in the various classes. As part of the `wider workforce’ team, HLTAs like Karen often perform a variety of school leadership roles, including managing other teaching assistants and providing mentoring to new teaching assistants.”

100th HLTAs in Cambridgeshire

On 10 December, the latest HLTAs from Cambridgeshire were awarded their certificates and given their HLTA badges by Kevin Watkins of Cambridgeshrie LA. Among them was Jane Love of Stilton C of E Primary School, Cambridgeshire's 100th HLTA.

HLTA Maths and Science Conference

On June 25 ^th a major conference was held at the Temple Conference Centre, Abington, Cambridge to celebrate the success of the HLTA Maths and Science initiative at the end of its first year. The conference was a real success with about 100 participants attending. The great majority of those attending were teaching or Higher Level Teaching Assistants and most were accompanied by their mentors or coaches. Some of those whom had carried out the Maths or Science training across the LAs in the East of England, as well as representatives from the different local authorities, were also present.

Grant Bage, the CEO of the Eastern Leadership Centre, introduced events before Bev Jones presented an exciting and interactive session for those present. This was followed by two presentations from ‘champion’ HLTAs. Sarah Robinson, from Luton, and Jane Hammond, from Essex, talked to participants about their work in schools and how this had developed following their HLTA status. Before lunch Jo Salter (the UK’s first combat ready fast jet pilot) gave a presentation about her role in the RAF which engaged a largely female audience very well. Jo then took questions and stayed for lunch. In the afternoon there were four workshops, two in science and two in maths, which were enjoyed by all and helped to develop HLTA skills in supporting children.

The venue itself provided the perfect backdrop to what was an exciting and enjoyable conference. All left clutching their ‘goody bags’ and feeling that they had been part of a really good day.