Member Spotlight: How Como Secondary College support their TAs with ATA resources
As a Professional Learning Champion School with Australian Teacher Aide (ATA) for five consecutive years, Como Secondary College in Western Australia is a shining example of how schools can build the professional capability of their Education Assistants (EAs) through sustained and purposeful use of online learning.
With a student population of nearly 800 and a dedicated team of six EAs, Como SC has embedded ATA professional learning into their school culture. Learning Support Coordinator Mileva Tubbs and her team shared how ATA’s flexible, self-paced resources are helping them lift both the confidence and capacity of their EAs.
“What originally attracted me to ATA was the bespoke learning,” Mileva said. “If our EAs want to learn more, they can do so at their own pace. There’s a huge array of topics—it’s fantastic. It’s a one-stop shop for professional learning.”
The team makes time for ATA learning in structured and flexible ways. They are allocated an hour every fortnight for professional development, and also access resources independently during spare moments throughout the week. Friday afternoons, when staff are not required to join teacher PD sessions, have become an ideal time to log in and complete ATA webinars and modules.
The school integrates ATA into their Performance and Development Planning (PDP) process, with each EA setting SMART goals aligned to professional standards.
“We meet at least once a term to reflect on progress and identify supports,” Mileva explained. “ATA resources often form part of that support—whether it’s watching a webinar or observing practice.”
This structured approach ensures that professional learning is not just a ‘tick box’ activity, but something that informs practice and leads to better outcomes for students.
“It improves teaching practices, boosts staff morale, and most importantly, improves student outcomes,” said EA Jane, who is a former recipient of the Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Award. Jane’s principal intentionally presented this award in front of the school body. Jane said “It was a lovely moment, and a great way to acknowledge all the work we do.”
The team spoke highly of ATA’s recent mental health webinar, highlighting the core learning of understanding anxiety and spotting the signs in high school students. “That content was really valuable,” said Liz. “The speaker was excellent, and it gave me confidence to better support our students.”
They also appreciate the ease of use and responsiveness of the ATA team.
“Whenever I email ATA, they’re very professional and get back to me quickly,” added Alex. “We also love how webinars are recorded and can be watched any time.”
As the school looks to explore the Australian Teaching Assistant Professional Standards (ATAPS) next semester, the team is excited about the opportunity to further enhance role clarity and performance through the framework.
In Mileva’s words:
“ATA brings such a professional angle to the work of EAs. It complements and elevates the valuable contribution they make in schools. That’s why our connection with ATA needs to remain strong—we’re part of something bigger.”
Congratulations to the Como Secondary College EA team on being members with us for five years! We were delighted to hear how ATA’s resources are being used to enhance your practice and improve support for your students!
