Roles and Responsibilities of School Staff

Roles and responsibilities of governors, senior management team, support staff, teachers and tutors.

Running a school smoothly and efficiently is not an easy job. The governor body and key members of staff, in a team effort, take on their roles and responsibilities to create a successful educational community and to achieve great outcomes.

The Governor Body

All schools have a Governor body which has a strategic role in running process, working with headteacher and all key members of staff. Members of governor body give their time, abilities and knowledge, in a voluntary effort, to help their school to provide quality education and keep students in a safe, respected and valued environment, assuring they growth healthy and approach a positive way.

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The Governor Body offer support, constructive advice, raise questions, seek information, improve proposals of the staff, and help in any aspect of school’s life. In a close relationship with headteacher, staff and the Local Authority, Governor Body make decisions in managing budgets and school building, safeguarding, health and safety, in curriculum and in appointing new staff. Governor body must prepare every meeting and attend these meetings, involve in school activities, assist the school, and respect confidentiality.

Depending on the size of the school, number of elected governors varies and can meet as a full group, or as smaller committees to discuss different aspects of school management and then feedback their decisions.

Anyone, with age over 18, who is interested in the education, wellbeing and opportunities provided for children and young people can be member of a governor body. Parents, members of school staff, members of the local community and members of the local authority or charity foundation are part of the governor body.

Parent governors are elected by parents of school’s pupils and they can be present or past parents of children in the school. The headteacher of each school is automatically member of governor body, and with a teacher and a member of support staff elected by school’s staff, form staff governors.

Members of the local community may be associate governors with abilities, as example in law or business, which can be helpful in managing different aspects from school. Faith schools are including a representative of the church in school’s governor body and their responsibility is to ensure the continuation of the character and ethos of the schools.

Being a school governor means to be a dedicated person who care about developing education and children's future. It is a voluntary role but some payments as training or transport costs may pay by school or by the local authority. (Governorforschools.org,uk, ND)

Senior management team

The senior management team take care of the daily paining and management of the school and is made up of the headteacher and deputy head and other senior teacher within school. The senior management team concentrate their activity on guiding, supervising, and improving teaching and learning, ensuring that the school obtains good results at inspections.

A senior management team will differ in number and structure acting on size and nature of the school. This will usually consist of the headteacher of school, deputy headteacher, special education needs co-ordinator, senior teachers and in some case may be school governors.

They have responsibility for achieve the school’s goal and values, and they lead by example. The senior management team ensuring that the curriculum is follow and attractive for all the children. They help school to implement innovative and creative ideas to improve learning environment that make students to enjoy at school’s activities and development their abilities. The senior management team also closely monitor that all children that attend the school are happy, safe, and well, ensure the school knows all pupils’ need.

A good SMT is made up of members that create an excellent communication with the staff of the school and implement strategies of management on all aspects of rules, education, and organization. (Inspiringleaderstoday.com, ND)

Teachers and tutors

The main role of teachers is to motivate students to improve their ability and encouraging them to learn. Teachers plan and prepare teaching and learning activities, inspiring their students to change and develop their social, personal, and educational skills.

They carry out and mark exams, prepare students for assessments and evaluate pupils’ progress. They organize classroom’s activities in a safe and supporting learning environment, working closely as a team with school staff, and take account of the student’s needs.

The students’ progress and achievements are monitoring and communicated by teachers to the parents and carers at meetings, that are usually organized at the beginning and middle of the year. As teachers and tutors their duty is to promote equality and diversity, supervising and modelling students’ behaviour at all the times. ( App.croneri.co.uk, ND)

Support staff

Support staff in school include a wide range of staff members who play an important role in ensuring pupils are taught in a safe and helpful learning environment.

They improving educational climate creating a link between school and parents/carers, building a positive and trusting relationships with students, modelling students’ behaviour, sustaining and offering support to teachers.

Teaching assistants

Encouraging student’s learning and supporting the teachers at indoor and outdoor activities are the main roles to teaching assistants. Their roles and responsibilities are varied and differ depending on the type of school: nursery, primary or secondary school.

Their responsibilities include assisting to prepare the classroom for lessons and make up equipment for activities, cleaning them after lessons. TAs provide assistance to students who need extra help with their work, sustain children to improve independent learning skills, help the teacher with their marking and evaluations of students, support teacher with various events and school trips, offer first-aid for pupils who had accidents at playground and take care by children who are upset, (Theschoolrun.com, ND)

One to one support worker

Support workers in schools provide one to one and small group assistance to pupils who need it, helping them to have access at education with equal opportunity. There are children who need extra help with their literacy or numeracy, or English is the second language for them. There are children with talent in music or creative arts. Many schools employ learning support workers to offer extra help for children who have special educational needs.

Support workers may help children with learning difficulties, sensory impairments, or behaviour issues in performing properly in the classroom. (Skillsforachools.org.uk, ND)

Higher level teaching assistant (HTLA)

The Higher level teaching assistants have more responsibilities than a regular teaching assistant. Due to their advanced experience in the classroom their responsibilities may include: prepare and develop materials for learning activities, work cooperatively with other professionals or agencies to support activity of children, provide educational activities for small groups of students or whole classes in short absence of teacher, help teachers in adapt the national curriculum according pupils needs, monitor and report students’ progress in work, communicate with parents or carers on various issues of children.

They also attend staff meetings, supervise a group of Teaching Assistant, and have duty for some aspects of health and safety. (Skillsforachools.org.uk, ND)

School secretary/administrator

School secretary is one of the key staff on daily life of school which provides administrative assistance ensuring that everything running smoothly and efficiently on the office. Secretary administrative deals with staff, parents, pupils and visitors in person, as examples: plans appointments, order and inventory supplies, inserts lunch information into the system and verify information in notes from doctors and parents, answers phones, sends and receives the mail, keeps records on students, attends meetings and books the proceedings. (Ucas.com, 2020)

School lunchtime supervisor

Lunchtime supervisors known as midday supervisors or lunchtime assistants have duty to keep children in safety during the lunch break and if required assist at playground. Lunchtime supervisors have responsibility to support pupils and encouraging them to eat, helping to cut up the food and providing good table manners.

They must clean spillages and supervising children using toilet facilities, such as: checking if they wash and dry properly their hands. Midday supervisor help catering staff to clean tables and dining area, maintain order, warn children who misbehave and inform duty teacher or head teacher about unresolved problems.

They make sure the students who are ill, allergic, or injured receive properly medical attention and are safe. Lunchtime supervisors must also report to a senior supervisor or the head teachers any signs of child abuse, in accordance with child protection legislation. (Skillsforachools.org.uk, ND)

Cover supervisors

Depending on the type of school, primary, secondary, or special, cover supervisors’ responsibilities are different. Cover supervisor’s main duty is to manage a classroom for teaching staff in their absence, supervising the behaviour of students, dealing with possible problems or emergencies following the school’s policies. They also collect any completed work and resources after lessons and returning it to the teacher, in generally they provide guiding to students through the lesson. (App.croneri.co.uk, 2019)

Science technician

Science technicians work usually in secondary schools and colleges and their main role is to provide a safe and efficient technical support to the teachers and students. Their typical duties include as example: to prepare equipment and solutions for practical experiments, ensure the students are safe during the practical and technical activities, maintain, repair and made inventory of apparatus, conduct experiments and demonstrations, in close interacting with teaching staff over equipment and safety issues. (Edustaff.co.uk, 2016)

Library assistant

Library assistants support the daily activity of the school library and enjoy helping and interaction with students in finding resources for class activities. Their duties are varied and include assisting pupils and staff using the library, teaching students to use library facilities, keeping the library tidy and shelving materials in a correct order, cataloguing new material and assist with entering data into the library computer system, dealing with the reconditioning of damaged materials and organizing special library events, such as book sales. (Skillsforachools.org.uk, ND)

School cook

School cook is responsible with delivery nutritious, healthy meals for pupils in a safety environment day to day in term time. School cook duties include ordering food and planning menus, providing both breakfast and lunch services, maintaining quality standards for health inspections, ensuring special menus for children with intolerance to certain products, assisting the work of catering staff, cleaning and care of all kitchen equipment, in a connexion with food supplies, recycling and hygienic clearance of waste food. (Skillsforachools.org.uk, ND)

2, The roles of external professionals who may work with a school or college

Educational psychologist

An educational psychologist may be consulted when parents or school are concerned with children’s learning progress. They work with local authorities, using their skills in psychology of learning and teaching and in education development for children with special needs, to assist children and young people aged 0–19 years, in pre-school, maintained and special schools.

In a connexion with school and parents or carers, collecting details about children’s history, educational psychologist observe when children have difficulties in their educational develop. They talk with parents, to know about children’s progress on developmental age stages, and then go to monitor children’s interaction with his colleagues, level of language, and their behaviour in school environment.

They maintain a relationship with headteacher, provide training and counselling to class teacher, support staff and parents, offer treatment and solutions, helping children to change in behaviour and progress in learning. (Prospects.ac.uk, 2020)

Speech and language therapist

Speech and language therapists work with children who have various of communicate difficulties. They assist children with autistic spectrum, traumatic brain injuries or developmentally delayed, working one to one in a space designed outside the classroom or in small groups.

In every state schools there are children with speek difficulties who need special support, also there are special schools where children are helped to develop their understanding and communicate abilities. SLTs use a range of methods such as speech, symbols, photographs and objects to help children with voice and hearing impairments, language disabilities, with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties or children with cleft lips or palates.

In schools SLTs work to improve students’ communication abilities, test them, and then evaluate their progress. They do research into impairment area, work together with other professionals in care plan, keep day to day notification while working with children and communicate the progress to the parents. (Communicationmatters.org.uk, ND)

School social worker

School social workersare employed by local authority and play a key role in schools and education system, assisting students, families, and teachers in solving emotional, mental health and behavioural problems.

They offer individual and group counselling therapy, building positive relationships with families, helping children who are affected by social, emotional, or economic problems and assisting them to improve their academic performance and emotional well-being.

Mobilizing community, school, and family resources they assist in creating a positive environment where children can perform in their educational program.

They assist the students to improve social interaction abilities, to become more confidents and accepting self and others. Social workers duty is to help students in managing anger crisis and conflicts.

Social workers assist parents who need support to children with special needs, or to access community and school resources such as funds, training, food, and medical service.

They provide for teaching staff support and information to understand the aspects, health, economic, familial, or social, who influence children behaviour in school. Social workers are trained to support children abused or neglected, identify and report domestic abuses. (Socialworkdegreeguide.com, ND)

Education welfare officers

If a child does not attend school more then few days without a reason EWO may take action to ensure is not there any attendance issues. EWOs are employed by the local authority and most of the time work in schools ensuring that each child of school age has access to education and attends the school.

Their role is to have regular consultation at school with the headteacher or a senior teacher, verify registers with students’ attendance and discuss about any children’s absences and what are the reasons.

They may have meetings at children’s home with the parents to talk about children’s absences issues. Some families choose for their children to be home educated, and in these cases, EWOs do visits at home to ensure the children receive proper education.

Their responsibilities are to interfere with the families and to get resolve for any possibly issues. They may work in a connection with other professionals such as GPs or social workers, who may involve with the families, to help children receive full-time education. If the parents have illness issues or disabilities, then EWOs may organize children’s transport at school. They also work outside of school, in the city such as in parks, cinemas or shops, checking if young people attend school. (Lgcareerswales.org.uk, ND)

Physiotherapist

The physiotherapists are health professionals trained to help children in schools who have physical or mobility issues. They assist pupils with problems that affect bones, muscles, circulation, the heart, or lungs. The physiotherapists use physical methods, exercise programmes, and adaptive equipment to treat injury or illness and improve children quality life.

They work in relationship with parents and teachers giving advice and discussing any concerns that could affect the school activity of students with special educational needs. (Scotens.org, 2008)

Occupational therapists

Occupational therapist are health care professionals who help children with motor problems. They are trained to improve children’s gross and fine motor skills which are necessary in daily activities such as running, skipping, catching a ball, and drawing, zippers, cutting with scissors.

Occupational therapists work alongside with teachers and parents to help these children to improve their abilities. For children with this type of issues, OTs may recommend adaptation of the classroom or school furniture to help them. They monitor children's involvement during school activities, on the playground, in the classroom, or at PE, preparing documentation and support teachers in applying strategies to help children with motor difficulties to succeed. They play an important role in understanding whole physical, mental health, emotional and behavioral children’s needs. (Nhsggc.org.uk, ND)

Portage worker

Portage workers are qualified to support pre-school children (aged 0-5 years) with special educational needs. They usually work by visiting families at home but may provide services part of the time in schools and nurseries.

Portage workers help parents to develop skills in teaching their children to play, communicate, relationship and learning. Their responsibilities include various tasks such as an evaluation of children’s need, social, motor, cognitive, and stablish a program with activities which may help children to develop their skills.

Portage workers work in accordance with parents or cares, visiting regularly to check the progress and designing new tasks. The parents are trained to practice activities with their children, to keep a diary with tasks and record what happen.

Collaboration with parents and consultation with other professionals such as psychologists, or health visitors, are important in the work of PWs in supporting children with special needs to develop their skills and be include into community. (Lgcareerswales.org.uk, ND)

NSPCC

The NSPCC is a charity organization and is not associated to any local authority. It acting as an independent organization and is funded by donations. The NSPCC has role to provide therapeutic assistance to children and young people who have suffered abuse.

The NSPCC offer support in service centers to children and families who have faced domestic abuse, also facilitates access to a telephone line where they can talk confidently and ask for help. The NSPCC involve community and work in schools to prevent children abuse and helping them to be safe. (Nspcc.org.uk, ND)

School nurses

School nurses work with children, young people, aged 5 – 19 years, and their families, to ensure a healthy life and prevent illness. They are usually provided services to a school or group of schools, establishing a connection between home, school, and the community.

School nurses may be employed by local authority or by school and their day to day role varies on the type of school. Providing health education, making visits to families in need, taking out health assessments, giving advices on healthy eating or stop smoking programmes are examples of the school nurses’ roles in schools.

They may also advise on childhood illness such as eczema, asthma, or diabetes. Besides these, the school nurses provide safeguarding such as observing and report any sign of abuse or neglect. Their essential role is to supervise and to keep children safe and healthy into educational environment. (Healthcareers.nhs,uk, ND)

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