To want a TA job

As a teacher, I was never able to go to any of my children’s performances at school when I was working. I was fortunate to only work part time but think I missed every nativity my DD was in as they were always a Friday and I worked the end of the week.

As a teacher working with TAs for a good few years their jobs have changed, with far more responsibility sometimes teaching whole classes but not earning that much. Teachers on the other hand earn far more with huge pressures on them to reach targets etc. I now do supply which I love as I no longer have to spend weekends and evenings planning and marking etc. it’s a big step to want to train as a teacher and you need to be sure you want to make that commitment. Certainly don’t consider it if it’s because you want the holidays. I used to spend days at the beginning of the summer holidays sorting the classroom and the same again at the end of the summer setting it up for the new class. This was Primary which is very different to secondary .
Alternatively there are also jobs in school kitchens which fit in with child care and you also get the long holidays.

This is the false equivalence that has ruined working life here. Dinner ladies are not TAs, do not have the demanding role and are not required to be so educated and knowledgeable. There’s no reason to say that one group can’t have a privilege earned through harder work.

Just interested in what areas have schools that let TAs out for their child's events in case its near me. I would suggest looking on the Local Authority jobs pages or if an academy at the schools websites.

The problem is events are held to satisfy OFSTED quite often.
If you let TAs go to them you also have to let dinner ladies, receptionists etc. cover starts to become very complicated.

Won't or can't? In most schools, it just isn't going to be possible because there isn't enough staff.

If you want to dip your toe back in, could you look into exam invigilation? It's freelance, so you could choose your own days. Only available for a few weeks a year but there's a shortage of people who'll do it.

Agreed. I don't think you're going to find the unicorn job that you are seeking.

I think you’re coming across as a bit of a fantasist OP. You want something that pays pretty well, gives lots of flexibility but doesn’t require any training, despite being out of the workforce for years? Lots of people on good salaries graft hard for years (including when their kids are little) to get to a level of seniority to have more control over their diaries. Likewise, lots of people in jobs that don’t require much formal training and have lower salaries are forced to accept that they are at the whim of someone else’s timetable. Most working parents, no matter their salary or seniority, have had to miss things at school - none of us are shouting that they should therefore be cancelled! We just accept it’s part of needing 2 working parents to live.

I think you need to decide what’s more important. If you want to be 100% available for your kids then you probably should suck up your marriage and stay unemployed. If you want to leave your marriage you probably need to accept that you’ll need a job. Wether you use some of your wealth (you must have some wealth, living mortgage free) to pay for training to get a job that has more personality flexibility then being a TA, or wether you don’t do any training and settle for a TA job, accepting you have all holidays off but less flexibility in term time, only you can decide.

Add in that parents have to work to make ends meets so they send children into school who they know are ill. Even if you have children of your own ( I had 2) you will catch every flaming germ going.

My sister is a TA in her child's school. Which is the "holy grail" to some.

When it comes to events it's a lot more than just the nativity and sports day (which my sister is actually given permission to attend albeit she may not be able to stay for the whole of sports day - which is a full afternoon off of school premises). So far this year she's missed her DC class learning assembly, music concert and family reading morning. She hasn't been able to volunteer for any trips / attend the after school bake sales or events. Granted a lot of working parents would miss all these things too but it's frustrating as my sister is in the vicinity and her DC knows this and is often disappointed mummy can't come along.

My DN also has to attend before and after school club everyday as sister works 8-4.

There is no scope for annual leave in this particular term time contract and even when DN puked in class one afternoon, they weren't happy for my sister to go off one with her sick child (she's a single parent). She was expected back in the next day even though child had to follow the 48h rule.

@QuestionAndAnswers1Spend money getting qualifications for a better paid job then! Except it won’t be term time only!

TAs in my school are frequently called on to cover when teachers are off ill. This means you are in charge of a class for minimum wage. It sucks. Badly.

What did you do before kids @QuestionAndAnswers1 ? Is it something you could get back into?

What qualifications do you have / what experience do you have re careers / jobs / what did you do before children ?

My DD was a TA. She had a first class degree and a masters. She is single, no children. It was her first job after university. She supplemented the salary with holiday jobs such as on play schemes or forest school. She eventually left after a year for a job in the charity sector that paid more.

My area (NW) went through a spell of asking for graduate TAs. On minimum wage, naturally, doing planning.

Well you're not in the South Devon / South hams area as our schools do ask for qualifications. It may not be in the advert but in the job specification and / or job description.
and even if they weren't asking for qualified you will not get short listed if x amount of qualified apply.

even our nearest school has level 3 with 1st aid for the after school club.

Or you are def applying for 1-2-1 TA jobs as many people will not apply for them.

Tho you would prob get a job in our specialised SEN school as they always always need staff.

What area are you in?

@QuestionAndAnswers1Why do you think being unqualified means you can work in a school? Maybe choose a career you are qualified for and if you are not qualified, it’s low wages I think.