Workforce Remodelling: Training needs analysis - support staff

The Local Authority is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the development and training needs of school support staff in order to inform a County-wide programme which helps meet the requirements of the National Workload Agreement and the new National Occupational Standards for Support Staff.

As part of this process, NAPTA (National Association of Professional Teaching Assistants) have been commissioned to undertake an audit of the existing skills of all support staff and their capacity to broaden their role. It is anticipated that up to 45 schools from all phases will take part in this process. These schools should be willing to share the results of this audit in order that we can build a County-wide picture of training and development needs.

The profiling exercise provides a quick and effective way of gaining information. Data is collected through a positive, carefully worded online questionnaire, completed by each support staff member. The information from the questionnaire is analysed and presented as a Professional Development Review, which is designed to help the senior management team develop strategies to:

• Make the most of their staff's existing knowledge and skills;
• Increase the contribution staff make to helping pupils and colleagues;
• Plan professional development for support staff;
• Complete Ofsted self-evaluation forms using data from the exercise.

The process can be conducted online in about an hour using the school's own ICT facility or a 'host' High School (see below). Although staff complete their own questionnaire online, this is not a test and they are encouraged to discuss specific questions with colleagues. They do not need prior knowledge to complete the questionnaire and could complete it on their own if they wish.

The Norfolk Remodelling Team has agreed to pay for the training, profile analysis and production of reports for both the individual and the school, and any associated supply and travel costs.

Schools would need to release a member of their senior management team to attend an hour's briefing with a NAPTA Consultant to explain the process. There will be five briefings, one in each of the five Children's Services' areas, at a 'host' High School:

Venue	Date	Time	Area
Acle High	Thursday 26th May	09.15	East
Downham Market High	Wednesday 25th May	10.30	West
Reepham High	Friday 20th May	10.30	North
The Blyth-Jex School	Thursday 26th May	11.30	Central
Wymondham College	Monday 16th May	10.30	South

At the briefings, it is for participating schools to decide whether:

1. To release a member of the support staff to attend a day's training on the use of the profiling tool. They would then take responsibility for explaining and facilitating the completion of the online questionnaire in school (this might be preferred by, for example, Special schools); or
   
   
2. To release all support staff throughout the school day to complete the online questionnaire at the 'host' High School - this takes about one hour (plus travelling time).

The dates for the training and/or completion of the questionnaire are:

Acle High School	13th June
Downham Market High School	Thursday 9th June
Reepham High School	Friday 10th June
The Blyth-Jex School	Friday 17th June
Wymondham College	Thursday 16th June

Schools selecting Option A would need to arrange for the online questionnaire to be completed by the end of the Summer Term. Results will then be fed back early in the Autumn Term.

If your school is interested in taking part, please complete and send this online form by e-mail to virginia.wakely@norfolk.gov.uk or by fax to 01603 219050, by return. We are looking for schools across all phases in the five areas. If there are more applications than places, the earliest applications will receive priority. Because of the tight timescale, we will ensure that all participating schools are notified of the outcome of their application within a week so that the necessary arrangements can be made.

Colleagues may be interested to know that, in the longer term, a new post, Training & Development Co-ordinator, based within the Advisory Service, will be responsible for developing, implementing and promoting programmes of training, support and development for school support staff.

If you have a query, please contact either Peter Simmonds, Remodelling Project Leader, or Virginia Wakely, Remodelling Support Officer, on 01603 638092.