Bryan Slater Director of Education	Distribution
	Headteachers of all Norfolk schools

This document needs your action as detailed below:

ACTION	Title	School Workforce Remodelling Higher Level Teaching Assistant - training update
	Summary of contents	letter and self-audit of professional standards for HLTAs
	Associated documents	MI 80-04 TTA standards for HLTAs (available at www.tta.gov.uk/hlta) Approved training and assessment providers for HLTA status (available at www.hlta.gov.uk)
	Date	21^st May, 2004
	Summary of action required	To read the attached interim letter and take action where appropriate.
	To be completed by	As detailed.
	LEA Contact	Peter Simmonds, Remodelling Project Leader Roger Eagle, Senior Adviser	(	01603 754278 01603 433276
	E-mail address	peter.simmonds@norfolk.gov.uk roger.eagle@norfolk.gov.uk
	Norfolk Self Review reference	3. How well are pupils taught? 5. How well does the school care for its pupils? 7. How well is the school led and managed? 8. How well does the school use its resources?
	Document reference	MI 114-0404

School Workforce Remodelling

Higher Level Teaching Assistant training – interim update

I write further to my letter, sent to schools with MI 80/04 in March, to inform you that the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) have decided to put back Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) training until the Autumn Term 2004. However, I thought that it would be appropriate to provide you with provisional details of the criteria for HLTA training, dates and venues. It is hoped that this will enable schools to plan ahead, decide whether they have Teaching Assistants who will be seeking training and to gather information towards the application process.

The number of training places is currently being determined and it is likely that the majority of places will be for the assessment only route in the first year. It is expected that applicants who apply for the 3-day assessment should fulfil the following conditions:

• Meet the assessment criteria (see attached self-audit sheets);
• Be currently employed as a Teaching Assistant in a school in Norfolk;
• Have the full backing of the Headteacher;
• Have a named mentor within the school – this would preferably be a member of the teaching staff.

Where potential candidates do not fulfil these criteria, the 50-day training course, i.e. 20 days’ external Inset, 20 days’ school-based Inset and 10 days’ e-learning, might be more appropriate but if Teaching Assistants opt for this route, they must still have substantial experience and expertise.

Headteachers will also need to make clear to potential applicants whether they will have, or intend to have, a HLTA post in their school when training is completed although this is not obligatory.

In the Autumn Term, the first training rounds are likely to start for small groups in the weeks beginning 20^th September, 11^th October and 8^th November, 2004. The likely venues for this training are: West Norfolk Professional Development Centre (Kings Lynn), Norwich Professional Development Centre and North Suffolk Professional Development Centre (Lowestoft).

Once finalised information on the training venues, dates, available places and funding has been completed, a follow-up letter and relevant documentation will be sent to you by the Norfolk Education Advisory Service, probably in the last week of June. Applications will need to be in by the end of this school term and selection will take place early in September when all candidates will be notified of the outcome. If candidates are not selected for the first round of training but have met the criteria, their application will be carried forward to the second round obviating the need to reapply. However, although in 2004/05, demand may well exceed available funding, it is anticipated that HLTA training will be a rolling programme with increased levels of funding anticipated in future years.

It is hoped that this interim letter will allow you and potential HLTAs to become oriented with the process and standards. Please use the attached ‘self-audit’ sheet with any prospective candidate and this will enable you and them to determine whether to consider the 3-day assessment only or 50-day training route. Crucially, the TTA have made it clear that candidates for the 3-day assessment should meet all of the criteria on the self-audit sheet.

If you have any queries regarding HLTA training please contact:

Roger Eagle, Senior Adviser, on 01603 433276 or via roger.eagle@norfolk.gov.uk

Ralph Cross, Adviser, on 01603 433276 or via ralph.cross@norfolk.gov.uk

Peter Simmonds, Remodelling Project Leader, on 01603 754278 or via peter.simmonds@norfolk.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Director of Education