Best Practice

The unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic…

Pay and conditions Support staff Workload Coronavirus Trade unions
The Unsung Heroes report has revealed the key role played by teaching assistants during the pandemic. However, Jon Richards says that if these support staff are to play their part in the recovery effort, then they need proper training, a healthy career path and a decent wage


As we stagger out of lockdown and begin our contemplation of the future, the sound of ministerial pronouncements and government plans have begun.

The trick for us all will be identifying what is worth keeping from the last year and what we can thankfully consign to the past.

With this in mind, UNISON commissioned the Institute of Education at University College London to look at the work that classroom-based school support staff have been doing over the last 12 months.

The resulting report – Unsung Heroes (Moss et al, 2021) – was based on a survey covering more than 9,000 teaching or classroom assistants (TA/CAs). These are the most common job titles used across UK schools, although others include learning support assistant as well as several different titles for staff working with children with special/additional needs.

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