To describe the period between March 2020 and February 2022 as one of the most challenging of times in recent history, affecting millions across the globe, would be an understatement; not least for those working in education. It has been documented that education and those working within the education sector have been significantly affected by the pandemic and the disruption caused by school closures (e.g., Kim et al., 2020; Munir, 2021). Existing literature has documented UK teaching staff experiences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly elicited through large-scale online surveys (e.g., Marchant et al., 2020; Scanlan & Savill-Smith, 2021). The literature available documenting educator’s first-hand experiences during the pandemic has predominantly focused on teachers’ perspectives, within a problem-saturated context (e.g., Kim et al., 2020; Kim & Asbury, 2020). This thesis seeks to capture the experiences and successes of teaching assistants (TAs) using Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a positive, social constructionist approach that aims to bring about transformation within an organisation (Cooperrider, Whitney & Stavros, 2010). Four Teaching Assistants within the same English primary school took part in focus groups structured to follow the 4-D AI cycle. Five main themes were identified and discussed in relation to existing literature, research and theory. These were relationships, community, personal growth and role, the children and during an everchanging context the potential impact on staff wellbeing. Implications for the TAs, the setting and Educational Psychologists are also considered.
