The statistics show there were 899, 000 full-time equivalent staff in England's schools - teachers, teachingassistants and other school staff - up 23, 200 on the previous year.
It was a radical recasting of the teaching profession to embed teachingassistants alongside teachers and give them a defined role - now more than 130, 000 of them, double the number in 1997.
Mr Holledge said teachers' working hours were unaffected as the school paid for teachingassistants and other people, including sports coaches, to conduct the extra activities.
Schools needed to 'build on the creative use of teachingassistants' with schools using a mix of staff 'fulfilling complementary roles - qualified teachers alongside trained classroom assistants, learning mentors and technicians'.