How do we build pupil independence rather than TA dependence?

Name the pattern first

The “Velcro TA” pattern is when a pupil only works while an adult is physically next to them. The support that was meant to help has quietly become the thing the child relies on. You reverse it without removing support the child still needs: deploy TAs to scaffold, not to sit beside a child: give the least support first - wait, prompt, clue, model, correct - then fade it as the pupil copes, so the adult becomes a bridge to independence.

Use the scaffolding ladder, least support first

The Education Endowment Foundation (the EEF, the body that synthesises classroom evidence for schools) sets out a ladder of increasing adult input. The rule is to start at the top and only move down a rung when the pupil is genuinely stuck:

1. Self-scaffolding - the pupil reaches for the resource, working wall or checklist themselves. Most independent.
2. Prompting - a nudge to act: “What could you try first?”
3. Clueing - a hint that points at the next step without giving the answer.
4. Modelling - showing how, then handing the task back.
5. Correcting - giving the answer. Most adult input, used least.

The single most useful change is wait time. Before a TA prompts, clues or models, they pause and let the pupil try. The EEF's updated guidance on deploying teaching assistants (March 2025) makes this its second recommendation: TAs should supplement what the teacher does, not replace it, and scaffolds should be temporary and faded as the pupil copes.

Keep the teacher accountable for progress

Under the SEND Code of Practice 2015 (paragraph 6.36), the class teacher - not the TA - remains responsible and accountable for the progress of every pupil, including those working with a teaching assistant. Paragraph 6.37 adds that high-quality teaching, adapted for the individual pupil, is the first response to special educational needs, and that extra intervention cannot compensate for teaching that does not reach the child. The fix is therefore teacher-led: plan the scaffolds in advance, brief the TA on which rung to start at, and review them, rather than simply asking the TA to do less.

If a pupil has EHCP-funded hours

The same principles apply on SEN Support and for pupils with an EHCP. EHCP-funded hours pay for a level of support; they do not require that support to be one adult glued to one child. You can meet the hours through scaffolded, fading support and shared deployment across an intervention, then record the move towards independence as evidence at the next annual review. If you are unsure whether a change reduces the provision named in the plan, check Section F before you alter how the hours are used.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.