Is it acceptable for TAs to teach a class for one day

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

every week? Have just found out that DDs (yr5) class is being taught by their teaching assistant for a whole day whilst her teacher is in school but not in class.

[LadyMuck]

Well I thought that each teacher gets at least half a day for prep and admin, and if the teacher has any other responsibilities (eg dep head, or foundation stage co-ordinator etc) then there may be more.

[dinny]

our class (year 1) has assistants every Wednesday as teacher is newly-qualified and does some sort of training.

[pointydog]

no, not acceptable at all.

[wheresthehamster]

If she has HLTA (Higher Level Teaching Assistant) status she can cover for a teacher in the same way a supply teacher can.

If the class would normally have two adults in it then hopefully she will have the same support.

The above is in the ideal world. Sometimes TAs cover lessons/odd days without the extra training and without additional support

[wheresthehamster]

All teachers have 10% non-contact time a week preparing lessons (PPA time). Additionally an NQT will have 2/3 hours a week away from the class. So if your teacher is an NQT then one day a week out of the classroom is about right.

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

LM, teacher does her PPA on mondays when they do sports developement and language, however she is also senco for the school, it just means that DD is only being taught by her for 3.5 days. As for dep head, that joy we have to look forward to in yr 6 and I know from previous experience she will get even less time with her "proper teacher".

Dinny, her class work very closely with their TA most days of the week which doesn't bother me as long as their class teacher is present.

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

Techer is not a NQT, she has 18 yrs experience. WTH, that's a good point, I don't know whether she is a HLTA. I will find out before I start to complain!

[pointydog]

well, not acceotable at all in scotland

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

From what I've heard PD they do things much better in scotland. (Bad grammer,can't think how to re-phrase that)

[islandofsodor]

In secondary lessons are regularly covered by Cover Supervisors who are even less qualified than TA's.

It is not acceptible in my view, but it is common paractice.

[Feenie]

Some schools use HLTAs in this way. Not mine, thank god. My view is that they are not qualified or paid enough to teach. They go on what I believe is a 15 week course, then are deemed qualified enough to deliver any subject. I studied for 4 years at university to teach, and with 14 years experience consider that I am still learning! The HLTA position was devised in order that headteachers may be able to give teachers their 10% planning and preparation time without actually being given any money to pay for this.
Incidentally, the new framework for Foundation stage, which comes into force in Sept 2008, states that a qualified teacher must be in place in the classroom at all times. The appendix goes on to clarify that this adult CANNOT be a HLTA or similar. Now if it's good enough in Reception.....

[southeastastra]

they're probably more experienced than the teachers

[LadyMuck]

In that case it does seem unreasonable. We have a fulltime SENCo so not sure how it would work if it was one of the class teachers (presumably your school has exceptionally few pupils with special needs?). Last year ds1 was taught by a deputy head, but a part-time teacher covered for the day that was taken for those duties (and when the part-time teacher went on maternity leave an NQT was used). This year ds1 has an NQT but mostly her observations seem to come out of her non-teaching time (ds1 has 3 PE/Games lessons as well as single lessons in swimming, music, ICT, French and singing which are taught by other teachers). I know that she has had one day out on a course but can't remember who covered. Your OP would have made me assume that the TA was covering the PPA time, and that possibly PE etc was being covered on that day too so no real loss of teaching time.

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

Alas, my children are too old now to go through the EYFS, I don't wish the TA any bad feelings but I'm just concerned about my DDS education.

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

LM, you have made me laugh with the few pupils with SN! There are more than the HT lets on or is willing to admit to (but thats an entirely different thread)DD3 (yr2) has SEN which we are fighting to get help for!

[wheresthehamster]

Henni, the lesson plans are the teacher's, right down to the differentiation and the resources to use. The TA will have to use them. Presumably she is capable of managing the behaviour of the class otherwise she wouldn't have been asked.

I woud go in and talk over your concerns.

[LadyMuck]

I believe that parents at the dcs school suffer from the opposite: they get affronted by the fact that the SENCo could possibly indicate that there is anything wrong with their child, and view that she is only interfering to justify her existence. Who would be a SENCo?

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

WTH, there are a few of us who are concerned (without going into tmi- or I will give myself away)two of whom are directly connected to the school and another whose career is in education, we are going to talk after christmas if it carries on.

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

LM, not me!

[Feenie]

I would be concerned about the daily Literacy/Numeracy lessons on that day if the teacher is out for 2 half days on the same day. Even if the HLTA is following the teachers' planning, they are not qualified to teach these core subjects, although they are lawfully able to take a class. Most HLTAs take foundation subjects, such as Art or PE. My school uses supply teachers to deliver planning and preparation time lessons, and we see it as a selling point that we only use qualified teachers.

[Hennipenniinapeartree]

Thanks Feenie, shall take that on board.

[Squirtle]

My understanding is that teachers are not supposed to have to plan the lessons that happen in their PPA time, however HLTAs are allowed to cover PPA.

[AMerryScot]

The primary schools in this area tend to have supply teachers in for PPA cover. I have a friend who does 3 days in one school and 2 days in another basically doing this. She does the same cover each week, and knows the pupils and the schools.

I don't think it is very sensible to get too prescriptive about using HTLAs to cover lessons as I'm sure most are very competent and able to do so. It is abusive to timetable it simply because they are not getting paid the appropriate salary for this.

If a class usually has a qualified and unqualified teacher in it, it seems wrong to leave it with just the unqualified teacher for the day. She should have the support that she would normally give.