During the academic years 1996–98 the authors undertook a series of one‐day training and professional development seminars for learning support assistants working in secondary schools. Delegates attending the seminars represented sixty‐two local education authorities. They were asked to complete a questionnaire recording details of their qualifications and experience in post. During the course of the seminar, their wider comments were collected and examined. Many found their experiences shared or their views challenged by fellow delegates. This article discusses the findings of the survey, juxtaposing questionnaire data with the contextual field data of steered discussions. Its conclusions represent the views of 274 non‐teaching professionals currently supporting learning in secondary schools.
At a series of one‐day seminars for newly qualified teachers, Denise Dew‐Hughes and Howard Brayton collected information regarding the element of special educational needs the participants had experienced during their initial training. Much of what they unearthed was predictable but there were one or two surprises. The authors conclude that there should be a continuum of training that supports individuals well into their professional career.
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