To only have a qualified teacher 3 days a week?

32 replies

Goalhappy · 02/07/2026 06:25

My son is in primary school KS2, for the past 2 years he has had his main teacher 4 days a week and a different teacher on a Friday, slightly annoying but it is what it is. Since Easter the Friday is being covered by 2 teaching assistants, not a teacher. Not particularly liked this but seemed temporary.
now we’ve found out next school year, he will have a main teacher 3 days a week, and the 2 other days covered by 2 teaching assistants together.
Is this allowed? For teaching assistants to be permanently leading a class almost half the week?
(absolutely nothing against teaching assistants, most are brilliant and some more experienced than a teacher.)
It’s more the inconsistency that bothers me, he really struggles with confidence and anxiety and that relationship with his teacher really matters as the whether he feels comfortable enough to stay calm and able to learn.
Is there an external body I can raise the issue to? Am I being unreasonable to be bothered by this?

OP posts:

Candleabra · 02/07/2026 06:47

I wouldn’t be ok with this. The children should have a teacher. And I doubt the TAs like it either. It doesn’t speak well of the management set up or staff harmony if this is their policy, no one on the teaching staff will be pleased about this (though they’ll just get on with it as they have no choice).

Sunshineclouds11 · 02/07/2026 06:44

i don’t think I’d like this either.
of course there’s been times a TA has had to cover for a meeting etc but it’s always only been one or two lessons.

ClassicalQueen · 02/07/2026 06:42

Strange set up, even if they are HLTA’s they shouldn’t be timetabled to have full class responsibilities for 2 days a week. That’s a teachers job. Sounds like the school is trying to cut costs.

FlatCatYellowMat · 02/07/2026 06:40

At my eldest's first school they had a teacher job share, which actually worked brilliantly, as the two teachers worked well together and had different strengths. So not having the same teacher all week, I wouldn't be concerned with.

Having 2 TAs for half the week does feel like a problem though - are the TAs not technically supposed to be there to support particular children? Or are they literally being employed as teacher substitutes? (I'd be surprised that the TAs don't have a problem with it too TBH)

WhatAMarvelousTune · 02/07/2026 06:39

YANBU.
Although I imagine the school don’t like it either, and they can’t find a teacher who’ll do two days a week.

As a PP has said, they might be arranging the weekly timetable so that some of the time for those two days is covered by other teachers eg at my DDs’ school they have a specialist PE teacher and a specialist music teacher.

WarriorN · 02/07/2026 06:34

Are they TAs or HLTAs?

NeededANameChangeAnyway · 02/07/2026 06:33

Are the TAs in the class all week? They will have a level of consistency if so. Are the class having other input on those days eg gym, music, art etc which could be delivered by a specialist with T A support?

Saying that, I would find the lack of a teacher for half the week very strange and I'm a teacher!

Ask for clarification on how the two day are covered and structured, is the teacher setting work for TAs to deliver? Where is the growth in those days? Nothing against TAs but it's the teachers job to teach not theirs.

The TAs should be going to their union, why should they be teaching on a TA salary....

Unflip

1 2