Support work in schools (parent support)

The TDA funds the support work in schools (SWiS) (parent support) qualification and has allocated funding for 1,000 training places to local authorities in England for 2008-09, as part of the school support staff training and development fund.

For more information, please contact your PSA champion.

The aim of the qualification is to ensure that PSAs:

• understand the common core of skills and knowledge for the children’s workforce and can apply these to their role
• are aware of the ethos and policies of the school in which they work, and
• can access a choice of optional units that cover key aspects of their role.

The qualification forms part of the wider framework of SWiS qualifications and is made up of two strands:

• a certificate, covering the basic skills and knowledge needed to provide effective support for parents, and
• a diploma which is broader in scope and includes optional units in subjects such as improving attendance and meeting parents’ needs.

Both draw on existing SWiS units and the relevant national occupational standards. See mapping training to the PSA qualification in the resources list.

From this page you can download an overview of the qualification and a briefing for headteachers, a full list of the units that make up the SWiS (parent support) qualification plus a guide that maps the PSA induction and initial training to the qualification. A list of local SWiS training centres is also available.