Teaching assistants and other school support staff will be able to join the Chartered College for Teaching (CCT), with a new associate membership.
It comes at a time of insecurity for classroom support workers, with some schools struggling to fill vacancies due to low wages and others considering cutting teaching assistant numbers amid squeezed budgets.
The professional body said the extension of its membership would offer “recognition of the important role of TAs, while providing a community of professional support”.
Support on offer from the CCT includes online short courses, access to “extensive professional development” and research, and access to consultations, surveys and events to “shape the profession”.
