Book excerpt: Achieving Outstanding Classroom Support in Your Secondary School shows how secondary school teachers and other school staff can work with Teaching Assistants to ensure that classroom support is maximised and an optimum working relationship is developed. Based on research taken directly from the classroom, all recommendations and guidelines explored in this book are based on the findings of those who have consulted Teaching Assistants about their work, in order to better understand the dynamics of classrooms where at least one of the adults present is supporting the other, directly or indirectly. Topics studied include: Understanding the roles and responsibilities of the Teaching Assistant What the research tells us about Teaching Assistants How to plan before the lesson How to involve the Teaching Assistant in the lesson How to provide feedback and advocacy for the Teaching Assistant after the lesson This accessible text provides a highly supportive framework to prompt teachers to be proactive and plan ahead for effective use of their Teaching Assistants in the classroom and will be of interest to all secondary teachers, SENCOs, heads of departments and school managers.