Is it normal for Y1 to only have a TA in the morning?

[BieneMaja]

I have recently found out that my DD in yr 1 only has a TA in the morning.

It is a large school, 4 or 5 classes per year, apparently in reception they have a full time TA but all other years just have the morning.

Is that normal? I asked a friend with a child at another local school and she said they have TAs all day there.

[prettydaisies]

Our year 1's don't even get that. Two classes and about 10 hours support a week shared.

[prettydaisies]

Sorry, year 1s

[mrz]

I teach Y1 and have a TA two lessons a week.

[shellyf]

Sadly budgets do not stretch to full time TAs in most classes.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

No it's not normal to have a at mornings only.

It's more normal to have 1 or 2 TA s shared amongst the whole school

[BieneMaja]

Wow fair enough. Feel lucky now. Honestly thought that all classes had TAs.

[simpson]

Gosh, really!!

My DC school have a TA in every class (unless they are sick).

Although I only have experience up till yr4.

DD is in reception, I read with yrs 1,2 and 4 and DS is in yr3 and they all have TAs and in DD's class more than one but she is in a large class of 90 with 3 teachers and 3 TAs so I guess it's the same ratio...

[mrz]

I feel fortunate to have a TA for two lessons for the past three years I haven't had a TA at all.

[simpson]

I think my DC school must be in the minority as they have a school nurse to themselves too, which I thought was the norm until I read other posts about it on here.

It is a bog standard primary school btw....

[mrz]

Both my children went through primary school without a single TA not even in reception

[simpson]

The school I have my placement in (not my DC school) has 2 TAs in the reception class although one of them is a 121 but she does help out with the rest of the class as well.

Not sure if the rest of the school have TAs in each class though (it's only an infant school so just till yr2).

Mrz - doesn't it make it tougher, not having a TA?? Or I guess you are used to it, if you have never had one.

The TA in yr1 is often not in the class but takes kids out maybe 4-5 at a time to do extra work....

[simpson]

The yr1 TA is at my DC school not my placement school, sorry for confusion....

[LynetteScavo]

I think it's normal.

DS1 was in a Y3 class with no TA. When he did a runner another child was sent after him.

At the school my DC are at now, they have full time TA's in KS1 (Reception has 3 (sometimes 4) TA's for two classes.

KS2 has one TA between two classes. (Unless there are DC with SEN)

[mrz]

Sometimes having a TA makes it tougher ...it depends on how good the TA is simpson.

I do have a child in my class with 1-1 support but that doesn't benefit other children in the class.

[UniS]

yes, morning only is normal.

[coldcupoftea]

Yes because most schools do maths and literacy in the morning, which is when the TA is most needed. Afternoons are usually topic work/ art/ music/ PE/ ICT etc. In my school even though most classes have a full time TA, we usually spend afternoons taking kids out who need extra 1:1 help or doing classroom resources/ photocopying etc.

[Butterfly1975]

In our school this is the norm. The TA's only work in the morning with parent helpers to support the class teacher some afternoons.

[littleducks]

Our classes all have a TA, except reception which have a nursery nurse instead, most have a 1:1 as well. DS's class normally has 3/4 adults in.

[Tgger]

We have TAs in DCs classes, YR, 1 and 2 anyway.

[sazale]

In my son's small primary (1 class per year) they have 2 TA's in every class all day and in my son's year 1 class there are 3 as a couple of children (including my son) need a lot of differentiation ans support.

My dd was diagnosed ASD at secondary and they said she had coped so well at primary due to the high level of in class support.

[mrz]

High levels of TA support can mask SEN and also create a culture of dependence.

[EuphemiaInExcelsis]

TA? What's that? I teach P2 on my own all week.

[blackcoffee]

sometimes having a TA makes it tougher .... absolutely

[teacherwith2kids]

We have 'class' TAs for Maths and Literacy each day. For the remainder of the day, those TAs deliver specific interventions to children who have particular difficulties. Depending on the intervention, that may be to children throughout the school or it may be to children from their 'home' class. We have chosen to spend money training TAs in SEN interventions rather than training teachers in them, so our TAs are very highly skilled.

[sazale]

High levels of TA support can mask SEN and also create a culture of dependence.

Spot on Mrz! That's exactly what happened with my dd and hindered us requesting input from outside agencies because school said she was fine! My dd was only fine because of the level of adult support she had but is now 100% reliant on adults within school to the point she now attends a special school to help her develop independence in a safe setting even though academically she's above average.

My son is having difficulties with reading/writing and talkinKg in school and their reassurance to me was the high level of in class support as there is always a TA sat at his table. My response to the SENCO was support is only any good if it's the right, targeted support. She looked at me gone out!!

I think they do it to stop parents applying for statements as there are hardly any statemented kids in the school (if any) but the amount of stories I hear of the kids that leave there having their difficulties identified as soon as they start secondary is ridiculous!