Extra people in the primary classroom

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Abstract
The move to parental involvement in school is being accompanied by less well recognized moves of other people into the classroom. Given the possible implications of these conjoint moves, this study examined the extent of the trend in one region: 86 headteachers responded to a questionnaire and provided general information on the topic, and 82 teachers completed timetables for one week outlining the ways in which people were involved alongside them in class. A wide variety of people is shown to be involved, with parents involved in 87 per cent of the classrooms, and with additional people working in all but one of the classrooms. People were typically involved for 1‐2 hours at a time. Hearing reading and working with children with special needs accounted for 40 per cent of all the sessions of help. Involvement declined as age of children in class increased. It is concluded that the general trend is important, perhaps radically changing the traditional picture of the classroom, and requires monitoring and support.