Education Support Staff Working in Classroom Support Roles

Key improvement strategy 3: Collaboration and consultation

Guidance for improvement

Promote productive and inclusive partnerships between all staff, including teachers, education support staff working in classroom support roles, parents/carers and community services. When teaching staff and education support staff are part of an active network of parents/carers, Koorie engagement support officers (KESOs), student support services (SSS), allied health professionals and other community services supporting all students, they can promote student wellbeing and engagement within and beyond the classroom.

Action 3.1

Establish agreed protocols and processes regarding liaising with parents/carers, the education support staff role within these processes and the importance of maintaining professional boundaries when communicating with families (protocols to be aligned with the Dimensions of Work — Education Support Class and the school’s values)

Action 3.1 What does this look like?

Schools have clearly documented protocols that provide guidance on the responsibilities of teaching staff and education support staff working in classroom support roles, which outline:

• that responsibility for student information and outcomes clearly rests with the teacher and families
• the formal processes around providing information to and communicating with parents/carers about student learning and progress, the forums for this and their regularity. For example, parent-teacher interviews and Student Support Group (SSG) meetings
• specific ways to communicate with parents/carers ethically and professionally during both informal and formal communications
• identified professional learning opportunities for staff to access, regarding how to provide effective feedback to parents/carers on student engagement and progress

Action 3.2

Allocate time for teachers and education support staff to self-reflect and negotiate adjustments with relevant colleagues, regarding learning interventions for groups of students implemented in the classroom.

Action 3.2 What does this look like?

• School leadership teams allocate collaborative planning time between teachers and education support staff to enable them to prioritise the review of teaching and learning approaches and learning interventions for groups of students.
• School leadership teams support teachers and education support staff by providing regular opportunities for teams supporting students to:
  • meet and understand the role of education support staff in supporting the learning interventions that have been developed, and negotiate with education support staff how they can support student learning
  • discuss the impact of interventions for groups of students and negotiate adjustments, sharing the knowledge and expertise of all staff

Action 3.3

Provide time for teaching staff and education support staff to participate in SSG meetings to develop a collaborative and evidence-based understanding of individual students’ achievement, engagement and wellbeing needs.

Action 3.3 What does this look like?

• School leadership teams provide time for teachers and education support staff to meet with parents/carers, SSS, KESOs, relevant service providers and allied health professionals to:
  • discuss students’ strengths, learning support needs and preferences
  • provide feedback about each individual student’s engagement and progress with the learning interventions and consider further interventions or reducing support
• School leadership teams support teachers to collaboratively plan Individual Education Plans or other student support plans with parents/carers and other support personnel, and to identify the role of education support staff in assisting with these plans
• School leadership teams actively involve parents/carers, staff and service providers supporting students in SSG meetings.