ABOUT US

MITA was developed at UCL and has now been utilised by over 1000 schools, the Research Schools Network and developed with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Maximising TAs is now held by Sally Franklin and Matthew Parker, and delivered as consultancy.


MITA was developed as a Knowledge Exchange programme at UCL Institute of Education, to explore the findings of the DISS materials and to implement a programme of workforce review and development with school leaders. The team was led by Rob Webster who created and developed the MITA Direct Leadership Programme, Paula Bosanquet, creator of the MPTA training programme for Teaching Assistants, with Sally Franklin and Matthew Parker.


Our most recent publication, Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools - A Practical guide for School Leaders was published in 2021 and is available here.


SALLY FRANKLIN

School Improvement Consultant, Associate Teaching Fellow

As part of the MITA team, I deliver the MITA school improvement course for school leaders and Maximising the Practice of TAs training for school staff. I also co-ordinated the EEF-funded Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants project. As a Senior Teaching Fellow based in the Centre for Inclusive Education, UCL Institute of Education, I have lectured extensively across all aspects of SEND. In addition to the MITA work, I work as a SEND consultant, supporting schools both in the UK and internationally to improve their practice. 

MATTHEW PARKER

School Improvement Consultant, Associate Teaching Fellow

Matthew is a school improvement consultant for leadership, SEND strategy, systems and workforce review. He was a Senior Teaching Fellow with UCL Institute of Education for the MITA programme and the MPTA TA and Teacher Training programme. He is also a tutor for the National SENCO Award.


Matthew began as a teaching assistant in a Complex SLD/PMLD, before qualifying as a teacher, senior leader, and headteacher across phases in mainstream and specialist settings.


As a system leader, Matthew is passionate about using research to bring principles into practice, and raising the strategic profile of learners with SEND. He has experience working with headteachers, SENCOs and senior leaders in reviewing SEND provision and workforce deployment, and supporting primary, secondary and specialist settings in audit and critical evaluation to establish their strategic priorities and systems for inclusion.

MATTHEW PARKER

School Improvement Consultant, Associate Teaching Fellow

Matthew is a school improvement consultant for leadership, SEND strategy, systems and workforce review. He was a Senior Teaching Fellow with UCL Institute of Education for the MITA programme and the MPTA TA and Teacher Training programme. He is also a tutor for the National SENCO Award.


Matthew began as a teaching assistant in a Complex SLD/PMLD, before qualifying as a teacher, senior leader, and headteacher across phases in mainstream and specialist settings.


As a system leader, Matthew is passionate about using research to bring principles into practice, and raising the strategic profile of learners with SEND. He has experience working with headteachers, SENCOs and senior leaders in reviewing SEND provision and workforce deployment, and supporting primary, secondary and specialist settings in audit and critical evaluation to establish their strategic priorities and systems for inclusion.

ROB WEBSTER

MITA Programme Developer

I'm a Reader in Education at the University of Portsmouth, where I'm also the Director of the Education Research, Innovation and Consultancy (ERIC) Unit. Between 2005 and 2021, I was based at UCL Institute of Education, London, where I developed the Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants initiative after working on a number of research projects focusing on the deployment and impact of TAs.

ROB WEBSTER

MITA Programme Developer

I'm a Reader in Education at the University of Portsmouth, where I'm also the Director of the Education Research, Innovation and Consultancy (ERIC) Unit. Between 2005 and 2021, I was based at UCL Institute of Education, London, where I developed the Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants initiative after working on a number of research projects focusing on the deployment and impact of TAs.