"Gold dust" school jobs

[Smartsub]

I am currently trying to recruit for support staff in school. I need kitchen, staff, admin and TAs. All term time only and all school hours. The jobs I've previously seen referred to on here as "gold dust".

We are getting hardly any applications and those we do get a poor. Admittedly the money is poor, but that's always been the case. Until a couple of years ago the difficult part was sifting through the 100s of applications we'd get for such jobs, now we rarely get more than a handful.

What's changed?

What’s changed is that pre-pandemic, mothers had very limited employment options in their home towns and were forced to either work in a supermarket, or a school, for ridiculously low money (I saw a part time teaching assistant job for £1k p/a last week!)

Post-pandemic, many city employers have been forced to make work from home an option. This means mums can manage school dropoff and pickup and just catch up with the work in the evening.

You’re competing with an army of work from home jobs in the private sector.

I agree @Sunquench.

We're all well aware of this. What we're saying is that no TA or office admin (apart from SBM) pays anything like 24k FTE. I am Grade 3 NJC for office admin which I think is about £19650 FTE and I am worth so much more for what I do. They're very careful when they advice school jobs with the LA not to state in the job description the actual salary. FTE would be £10.19 an hour. The Living Wage is £9.90 I think. So whoopee doo, we get 30p an hour more than the Living Wage. But we get paid term time only so of course we don't get a full year's worth of that because it's pro-rata'd. So no, you CAN'T live on that unless you're propped up by another much higher salary. More and more I'm seeing office admin downgraded even more to NJC Grade 2.

No they don't.

I'm sure teachers used to go on to teach with A levels

I'm sure teachers used to go on to teach with A levels

To teacher training colleges, yes, but not since the early 80s. Teaching has been an exclusively graduate profession since then.

It's alarming to hear of the abuse of QTLS. It was Gove who introduced parity of QTS and QTLS about ten years ago. Prior to that colleagues who had trained in FE had to do assessment-only QTS.

@ZoyaTheDestroyer

The course is a smoke screen. My local college states it’s for those working in FE but they still accept primary entrants as long as they have a placement school. At 2k it’s a worthwhile investment for QTS as it’s not the schools who are funding it, but of course they’re happy to release the TA on day release as they get a cheap “teacher” for an academic year.

There are a few different routes to teaching. A PGCE is one way, but not the only way.

Dd is doing a teaching degree, so won't be doing a PGCE. Her 3 year degree qualifies her to go straight into her ECT years and includes QTS, as did mine several years ago.

At my school we have a few SCITT students, another non PGCE route into teaching,

Confusingly a PGCE course is not the only way to attain the PGCE qualification. Some SCITT courses lead to a PGCE.

@Abraxan I said the traditional route is a degree in education and a PGCE is another route.

@CurlyhairedAssassin I was referring to the TAs in the schools I have worked in.

@Abraxan

@ZoyaTheDestroyer

Both of those routes require a degree though don’t they? Therefore preserving the graduate status of the profession.

A college route after GCSEs is a downward spiral and they know that or else they wouldn’t be sneaky by accepting people onto the course, for which the course technically isn’t even designed for.

It states it’s for those working in further education, however primary and secondary TAs are also welcome to apply. Entry requirements are a level 2 in English and Maths, functional skills or GCSEs.

Most likely because people can work from home now and probably can pick their kids up and carry on working so no longer need a school hours job

The government told me to get a better paid job so that’s what I’ve done!
A hybrid role with rather generous holiday allowance and a salary that’s 3 times what I’m on now, with clear progression through the company if desired.
My school role is ridiculous, high level of responsibility, I work every evening at home because there aren’t enough hours in the day. When I’ve asked about training opportunities in the past to support professional development I’ve been told every singe time that it’s all probably on YouTube. Disgusting approach to supporting your staff.
Can’t wait to get out at the end of the school year and I won’t miss it.

@TheChosenTwo congratulations! What’s the new job?

@TheChosenTwo

It is the best feeling leaving those gates at the end of the summer term 👋.

Thanks @Benjispruce4 it’s an admin based team support role. I can’t wait to get out, this past couple of years have been horrendously stressful with the behaviour and violence we walk into every day. The wages as support staff are utterly scandalous for what we are asked to do.
The new role looks really varied, a mixture of being in the office and out and about plus the hybrid aspect is so appealing. I couldn’t believe it when I got the job to be honest, it’s a big change but I’m so ready to get out of there.

Can I ask what this role is please @TheChosenTwo ? For a friend 😉

Ah sorry, just seen your update!!

I’m none the wiser @TheChosenTwo but hope you enjoy it. Good luck!

There has been a noticeable decline in the calibre of TA / support staff. Demographics does play a part I’m sure, in my previous affluent Home Counties village, well educated SAHMs were queueing up to volunteer for these jobs, whereas in the bigger less affluent towns, there was no such supply. Now it is positively dire, we’ve had TA staff who have seemed totally unable to assist children with basic learning, and most of the supply TAs being sent to us now, are new to the country and can barely speak English!

@Homez

Sounds just like care sector supply.

greatblueheron · 18/05/2022 20:36
We have the same problem and need numerous roles filled. Used to get stacks of applicants, now they're few and far between and not qualified for the roles.
I think a lot of it stems from the treatment of teachers and TAs from the start of the pandemic. We were already blamed for so much ... and then it got worse. Not only did we have to hear that we were merely babysitters, everyone was furious at us for wanting to safe safe and healthy as well even though we stayed open for so many children (covid knowledge was very different then and pre-vaccines). I know soooo many TAs in particular that left and said never again after that.

Yes and their appears to be a 'convenient forget of fact'. School staff did not make decisions about Schools during Covid - the government did!

Ancient thread, but why would I leave my cushy office job (8-4) 4 days wfh 1 day office with career progression to work in a school with appalling insulting money and deal with peoples feral kids? Lol, no thanks. I can also do drop off and pick ups (split them with dh days wise). I have option to work remotely, however I enjoy going office 1 day a week so it suits me :)

The hours?

Often highly educated people with degrees want to do these jobs soley to be able to work but also support their own dc through school.

I've heard from friend the hours have been changed.