Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the TAs/HLTAs who have so generously offered their time, skills and resources. They have provided inspiration, instilled admiration and shown the ‘art of the possible’. Those who deserve special mention include:

• Trailblazers – Those involved in the Sheffield City Council pilot for HLTA training in 2005 and who contributed to evaluation sessions and subsequent research, including Neil Billingham and Rachael Hall from Talbot Special School, Karon Ransom from Oakwood School, Joanne Rawlings from Yewlands School, and Sheila Taylor and Helen Tedder from Greenlands Nursery Infant School. Neil is thanked posthumously.
• Conference/focus group participants – All those who provided evaluation data and feedback at focus groups (2005 to 2008), or attended and contributed to the conferences on ‘Taking the Lead’ (2005 and 2006) and ‘Taking the Lead – Learning from Experience’ (2007).
• Presentation contributors – Those who provided or contributed to presentations at local authority conferences and school training sessions, including: Daphne Butters (HLTA) from Fir Vale School; Jane Clay (headteacher), Shadia Miller (TA) and Joan Anderton (TA) from Holt House Infant School and Children’s Centre; Steven Green (HLTA) and Jane Knight (HLTA) from Mansel Primary School; Karen Heeley (HLTA) from Stannington Infant School; Tracy Klein (HLTA) from Arbourthorne Community Primary School; Karon Ransom (HLTA) from Oakwood School; Joanne Rawlings (HLTA) from Yewlands School; Sacha Schofield (teacher mentor) from Talbot Special School; and Margaret White (HLTA) from Pye Bank Church of England Primary School. Their work can be found in the Resources section.
• Other contributors – Those who provided feedback and other material which has been anonymised for the purposes of this resource, including: Sharon Barnsley (HLTA) from Mundella Primary School; Vicki Beckett (HLTA) from Greystones Primary School; Sharon Butcher (HLTA) from Marlcliffe Primary School; Sherryl Cartwright (HLTA) from Talbot Special School; Pauline Hepkin (HLTA) from St Thomas More Catholic Primary School; Jackie Rowan (educational support team leader) from High Storrs School; Margaret White (HLTA) from Pye Bank Church of England Primary School; and Steven Green (HLTA) and Andrew Machell (headteacher) from Mansel Primary School.