Teaching assistants to lose their jobs at Oswestry school
Teaching assistants face losing their jobs at one of Shropshire's largest schools.
The role is to disappear at the Marches School in Oswestry and instead there will be a team of specialist support professionals called 'access leaders'.
A meeting of the National Union of Teachers in the county this week was told that all TAs were facing redundancy at the school, part of the Marches Academy Trust.
The union says it understands that some teaching assistants have been offered other roles but six will leave their employment altogether in July.
A statement from the school said staff involved were given the opportunity to apply for the newly created roles.
It said the aim was to provide students with special educational needs increased support.
The statement said: "In line with the national changes and developments, the developing school strategy is to provide special educational needs students with an increased level of specialist support to facilitate progress and meet statutory requirements. Therefore the tradition role of teaching assistant is no longer part of the staffing structure.
"We wish to introduce a team of specialist support professionals called ‘access leaders’ who, through individual and group intervention, whole class teaching support and professional liaison, will impact on the teaching and learning outcomes of our students, whilst at the same time provide a valuable link to home and other agencies.
"Staff were given the opportunity to apply for these newly created roles and appointments have been made. We have been working closely with our union representative throughout this process and will continue to do so."
Jean Evanson, division secretary of the NUT in Shropshire said: Teaching assistants are highly valued by teachers. They provide support to students with special educational needs and disabilities. They often support the role of the teacher in other ways too, enabling teachers to deliver effective lessons where every child can achieve their potential.
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