Why this guide?

New class or new school? This playbook keeps your first ten school days simple and effective. You’ll set calm routines, run tiny interventions that actually help, and log the right things without drowning in paperwork.

At a glance

• Days 1-2: learn the class fast and fairly.
• Days 3-10: run two high-impact habits every lesson.
• Always: calm behaviour, sharp safeguarding, smart notes.

Days 1-2: get the lay of the land

Goal: understand who needs what so your time goes where it counts.

• Ask for the basics: seating plan, top five behaviour routines, three priority pupils (why + what helps), this fortnight’s curriculum focus, and who to speak to if worried.
• Skim any IEPs or pupil info. Note triggers, strengths, access arrangements-nothing personal, just what supports learning.
• Create a quick pupil profile grid: names down the side; “what helps”, “next step”, “follow-up” across the top.
• Agree signals with the teacher: when you prompt, when you stay back, when you step in.

Why it works: you align with the teacher’s plan and avoid over-supporting whoever shouts loudest.

Daily habits that lift the whole class

Goal: reliable, low-prep moves you can run in any lesson.

• Retrieval check-ins (5 mins): two or three “last lesson/last unit” questions. Circulate. Note 3-5 pupils who need a quick prompt or a mini re-teach.
• Whisper coaching: short, specific nudges: “Read the verb in the question.” “Underline the keyword.” “Start at the scale’s zero.”
• I do → We do → You do: model one, guide one, watch one. Then leave them to it.
• Pause → Prompt → Praise: pause the task, offer a nudge, praise the strategy used—not the person.

Subject quick wins (examples)

• Maths: place value grid and manipulatives for two pupils; one worked example, then fade the scaffold.
• English: sentence stems for evidence (“The text suggests… because…”); highlight verb prompts.
• Science: “variables” mini-card; check for units and labels first, then method steps.
• Humanities: Frayer model for one key term; timeline strip to anchor dates.

Mini-interventions that don’t hijack the lesson

Goal: help pupils move on without creating dependence.

• Pre-teach vocabulary (3-5 mins): two key words, example sentence, quick confidence check.
• Micro-scaffold: a sentence stem, worked step, or part-completed diagram-then fade it quickly.
• Error clinic (table-side, 4-6 mins): reteach the single step behind a common slip (e.g., regrouping; PEEL paragraphing).
• Now/Next cards: “Now: Q1-2. Next: show me. Then: extension.” Great for pupils who freeze or flit.

Guardrail: keep groups flexible and short. Hand learning back to the teacher so pupils stay part of the class.

Behaviour: calm, consistent, boring (on purpose)

Goal: protect learning time with low-drama responses.

• Private, positive, precise: “Liam, you’re talking. Track me for the next instruction-thanks.”
• Choice with consequence: “You can move here and get started, or stay put and catch up at break. Your call.”
• Partial agreement: “I hear it feels unfair. For now, phone in the caddy; we’ll talk at break.”
• Refocus line: “First, read the scale. Then point to where the reading starts.”

Routines that help: threshold greeting at the door, visible Do-Now on entry, phone/bag routine, and a 30/60/90-second reset (quiet proximity → whisper prompt → move seat if needed).

Smart logging and solid safeguarding

Goal: capture impact in under two minutes and handle concerns correctly.

Your one-page TA log: Date | Class | Focus pupils | What I did | Evidence | Next step | Safeguarding note?

• Evidence can be tiny: “Q1-3 correct after vocab cue.” “On task 12 mins with timer.” “Used Now/Next without prompt.”
• Safeguarding 101: if something worries you record, report, don’t investigate. Know the DSL, use the school system, keep it factual and dated.
• Confidentiality: no pupil data in personal notebooks or phones. Follow school rules for storage and sharing.

TA log: sample row

Common snags (and how to avoid them)

• Learned helplessness: if a pupil won’t start without you, fade prompts sooner and praise the strategy they chose.
• Parallel lessons: don’t design a separate track. Coordinate with the teacher or SENCO.
• Data sprawl: stick to the one-page log; write what helps next lesson, not a diary.
• Role creep: medical or personal care only if trained and agreed. If unsure, escalate.
• Boundaries: no personal contact details; keep all communications via school channels.

Quick checklist to print

• Seating plan + routines + three priority pupils.
• Two daily habits: retrieval check-in + whisper coaching.
• One mini-intervention per lesson (pre-teach, scaffold, error clinic, Now/Next).
• Behaviour lines ready; phone/bag routine clear.
• One-page log done before you leave; safeguarding recorded and reported if needed.

Serving schools and candidates across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.