Lead a Team of Support Staff – Being a Team Player

Promotion from within the team is a mixed blessing. You know the school and the children, but your colleagues know exactly how you used to do things. When a request meets a flat response, it's tempting to slip back into being one of the group.

It pays to decide how you'll lead before you start. You'll work through the conduct standards for teaching assistants and what modelling each looks like, down to checking on a vulnerable pupil before anyone raises a concern. You'll also compare three leadership styles, and when each suits a quick change everyone must make by Monday or a new intervention the team needs to shape.

Keeping the child at the centre gives you firm ground when you challenge practice. Pupil views, parent views and one-page profiles show what should change, and a measurable target (two ten-minute tasks, logged on a tally chart) shows whether it has.