To want a TA job

Horses fir courses?

Just because you’re mortgage-free does that mean you’d still be able to buy two smaller houses mortgage free
and run one of them on a TA wage?

It’s a little unclear what your set up is (I don’t know if you are a single parent or not). DH and I aren’t teachers but we have 3 siblings who either are teachers or are married to teachers (and one set where both are teachers). DH and I are both LTFT. The teachers are mostly full time but a couple are LTFT.

Id actually say, overall, we have it easier than the teachers do. While they obviously don’t have the stress of holiday cover, during term time there is very little flexibility. Their kids are in wraparound care longer than ours are during term time. They also have a seemingly bigger headache covering sick days.

Obviously being off for the holidays is great. But during term time, my impression is teaching isn’t always that family friendly.

Just seen your update. If you were going it alone in teaching you’d need watertight childcare. And I’d get on with being qualified before separating. I have no idea of your finances, but on the face of it, it would be extremely difficult to make ends meet on a TA wage alone. You say you are mortgage free on a high value house, so I assume your DH earns extremely well. It would be a massive shift in QOL for you and the kids. How many kids do you have and how old are they?

I think it’s too little money for the total lack of flexibility. I used to recruit for schools and they are a nightmare to recruit go now as people can get school hours in supermarkets packing orders for much more money.

Please consider volunteering in a school to get some experience before committing to a job as a TA.

When people become TA's purely because they want school holidays off and a job that fits around their kids it becomes apparent very quickly, and they generally don't last long.

It's not all putting up classroom displays and reading with children, our TA's are skilled professionals who work with the most complex and vulnerable pupils. They run small group interventions around Speech and Language, Fine Motor Skills and Social Communication. They work closely with children who have experienced significant trauma including neglect and abuse, which can manifest in some very challenging behaviour. They also provide personal care to pupils who have physical disabilities or who can't toilet independently due to SEND.
In addition to a good standard of literacy and numeracy (we do a written test for this at interview stage) they need to have knowledge and experience working with children with additional needs.

It can be a rewarding job but only for somebody with the right temperament. The best TA's I work with (and the ones who seem happy in their role) are calm, patient, resilient, flexible and adaptable, and able to keep a sense of humour when nothing feels like it's going according to plan.

Can you manage on a wage thats likely to be 80p-1200 a month? Are you qualified? Level 2/3/HLTA?
I love my job but its very very different from when I started 13 years ago.
You'll never get to go to your child's assemblies sports days etc. No holidays during term time not much flexibility for appointments etc. I almost missed my best friends wedding, she had to change it to a school holiday day if she wanted me to attend.
I did 6 years in primary and now in my 7th year in secondary, im in mainstream school have had tables flipped on me, been bitten by fleas, dogs a pupil.
My husband can no longer work due to illhealth/disability and its hard to be the main wage earner on a TA salary. I work 7.30-3.30 daily

Workload, constant micromanagement, pointless yet incredibly time-consuming tasks, long working hours, behaviour (pupil, parent and SLT!), a feeling that you are never good enough, Ofsted, lack of budget/support for SEND, crumbling buildings, budget meaning anyone experienced (expensive) quickly finds themselves on a ‘support’ plan.

I wouldn’t recommend primary teaching to anyone now.

I was thinking that. This just seems a back of a fag packet idea without working out what is really needed.

I'm not a TA but my son has 2:1 TA support at mainstream primary school. They don't get paid anywhere near enough for the responsibility they generally have now, especially with SEND children.

I'm incredibly grateful for TA's. They are bloody amazing.

Are you qualified ?

Most schools can pick and choose these days and don't need mums applying, they can choose from qualified childcare staff. Level 3 in Early years etc. 2 year course.

Primary or secondary?

Big difference between the two

Its alot of work. Its full on.

And you will be working alot with kids with sen or behavioural needs in secondary

Don’t do it unless you are considering it as a first step towards teaching. Even that is a route that requires a lot of thought.

TA’s are no longer the mum’s that want term time jobs. They have to support children who’s need far outstrips their own ability, unless specifically trained to do so. They are required to 1:1 with kids that everyone knows should not be in mainstream school for a vast variety of unique reasons. It is common to be hit, kicked, sworn at, spat at and blamed.

Frankly, it should be talked about as the educational scandal it is.

Very true! I left being a teacher as it was so awful, but would definitely have considered being a TA if the money was better!

That said, I think I’m would have enjoyed being a TA about 15 years ago when you were attached to a class/teacher but the TA role now in most schools is supporting very high need children 1:1 and it’s very full on dealing with nappy changing, smearing, hoisting, and sadly a fair amount of physical aggression -that is not for everyone.

If TAs were paid better, teachers would have to be paid a LOT more or they would all quit to be a TA instead.

I'm a teacher and wouldn't do the TA role - too much responsibility for very little pay. It is a scandal how little most TAs are paid. Mind you, being a teacher is only any good if you are really, really invested in it - otherwise you'll be ground down by all the negatives. In many ways it's not a flexible career for a parent; my husband is the one who does all the school related stuff for my own children.

Are you expecting to become a single parent?

I’m still doing it long after my children are grown and I no longer need term time
hours just because I love it. I don’t rely on it as our only household income though, and nor do we claim top up benefits.

There are plenty of things you can do to supplement the TA wage, but they need to be done outside school
hours obviously, which much defeat the point.

The pay is stretched across 52 weeks when you are only actually paid for 39 plus holiday pay. This makes the wage per month lower. It's hard work but can be rewarding in the right school. Responsibilities vary widely depending upon the school and it's cohorts.

I absolutely love my job. Been doing it for 13 years fitted well around my children. The job has however changed an awful lot and is getting harder. More is expected of us we are not just TAs. We support children and families in many ways. There are more children with SEND in mainstream, behaviour can be challenging. The pay does not match the workload but thankfully for me I’m not the main wage earner.