Three in four headteachers are struggling to recruit teaching assistants, with most secondary and special school leaders anticipating needing more to cope with rising SEND demand.

A government-commissioned report also found low pay was a “key reason why some TAs considered leaving the role”, and that a lack of opportunities for progression is a bugbear for around half of them.

The Department for Education commissioned the report from CFE Research, which includes surveys of school leaders and TAs by pollster YouGov in May and June 2023.

Seventy-five per cent of leaders surveyed found it fairly or extremely difficult to recruit TAs. This was higher for secondary school leaders (82 per cent).

Retention was “less of a concern, but still difficult for under a third (29 per cent) of leaders and the challenges were again greater for secondary leaders (47 per cent) compared to those leading primary schools (25 per cent)”. 

Eighty-nine per cent of leaders said they struggled to recruit TAs with the desired level of skills.

READ MORE