Teaching Assistant

Connection‑First Support for TAs: Trust, Warmth and Boundaries

Want to transform your pupil support through positive, lasting relationships? This essential TA CPD course grounds your practice in connection-first support. Learn to use warmth, clarity, and steady boundaries to build trust, improve emotional regulation, and boost engagement. Gain practical, actionable strategies to deliver confident, high-impact inclusive support.
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Adam Barrett, Jess Hursit & Carly Watkins

2 hours

Online Course

By completing this course, you will:

understand why strong relationships help learners feel safe and ready to learn;
use warm, predictable routines that build trust over time;
practise active listening and simple relational language;
maintain professional boundaries while still being caring and supportive;
build relationships that support engagement and confidence.

Course Lessons

Course Lessons

Written by: Adam Barrett 

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Adam Barrett is an experienced teacher, academic and SENCO. He has previously specialised in behaviour management, leading and reforming approaches to behaviour management in primary schools with the aim of creating inclusive environments for all.

As well as a PGCE, Adam has an undergraduate degree in History and an MA in English Literature.

Presented by: Jess Hursit

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Jess Hursit is an experienced teacher with a strong background in maths education. As a former maths lead, she worked closely with Maths Hubs and supported the development of her school’s maths curriculum.

Jess has worked in a leading training school, where her teaching was regularly observed by visiting educators, and she served as a mentor to trainee teachers and early career teachers.

In collaboration with: Carly Watkins

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Carly Watkins has over 20 years of experience as a primary school teacher, including several years as an assistant headteacher, with responsibility for whole-school curriculum development and overseeing learner progress and attainment. She also holds a master’s degree in Education Practice and an NPQ in Leading Teacher Development.

Carly has been a mentor for both student and early career teachers (ECTs) and currently facilitates the Early Career Framework for ECTs and their mentors, delivering training at conferences and via online seminars. At Twinkl PD, Carly heads up pedagogical professional development, a role which means she can support educators to develop their personal practice and pedagogy — something she is passionate about — on a national scale.