To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much has been allocated for the employment of teaching assistants in each year since 2000; and what funding has been allocated for each of the next three years; (151183)

The information requested is not collected centrally.

The allocation of funds for the employment of teaching assistants is a matter for individual schools and local authorities.

Research commissioned by the Department into the deployment and impact of support staff in schools has looked at a range of characteristics of support staff as well as their deployment and impact on pupils. The first wave of the study, conducted in 2004, estimated that teaching assistants work an average of 26 hours per week. The report of the first wave can be found at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR776.pdf. The report of the second wave of the study, which will contain an updated estimate of average hours from fieldwork completed in 2006, will be published on Thursday 26 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what formal training is required for a person to obtain a post as a classroom assistant specifically working with special educational needs pupils. (151209)

The employment and deployment of support staff, together with any training required in order to take up a post, is a matter for schools or local authorities to determine as the employer.

Support staffs, including teaching assistants, play an important role in schools, often working closely with pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. In recognition of this, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), which has responsibility for the training and development of the whole school workforce, has developed national occupational standards for teaching/classroom assistants. These contain elements relevant to working with pupils with SEN or particular educational needs. National Vocational Qualifications at level 2 and 3 are based on these standards.

In addition, the TDA has also developed induction training materials for teaching assistants and introductory training materials for other support staff working in primary and secondary schools. Both sets of materials contain discrete modules covering inclusion, SEN and disabilities.

The professional standards for higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs), for which the TDA is also responsible, require HLTAs to know how to support learners in accessing the curriculum, in accordance with the SEN code of practice.

All schools can use their own budget to fund the training and development of their staff. They also receive a school development grant which they are able to use to support improvements in any aspect of teaching and learning. This can include sending teaching assistants on specialised training courses. Local authorities may retain a proportion of this grant, in certain circumstances, to provide specific training and development in relation to SEN and disabilities. The TDA also provides local authorities with grant funding to support candidates through the HTLA training and assessment process.