HLTA covering two whole days every week?

[SuperSange]

Hi all; I've just found out that a HLTA in my daughters school is taking the class for two whole days a week. (Y3) we were told at the induction meeting that she was full time, but she has a full day PPA and another day for 'study', perhaps for an additional qualification, I do t know. I didn't know PPA was a full day, and surely they shouldn't have the TA for two full days? I'm minded to ask the school, but I'm not sure how to approach it with the head. Is it a common state of affairs, or is it worth asking?

The answer might be 'we can't recruit' but I would want assurances that they have tried, and will continue to try, in acknowledgement that this situation is not ideal.

This is how the govt is hiding the huge huge problem of teachers leaving the profession in droves. If each class has half a teacher you could have lost half the teachers and still look as if everything is okay....

It will end up teaching by numbers/powerpoint if not too careful...

It's taking the piss out of HLTAs who should really refuse this shit.

Whereabouts is this?

You’ve no idea what hours they are working. It doesn’t have to be on site. For many teachers with children, work starts again 7 or 8 pm at night. It’s very unusual to have no staff there before 7 .30 ior after 4.30 but doesn’t mean teachers are only working between those hours.

Really? What?

Sure, we did lectures and essays and stuff as well but none of that was relevant.

most of the course was placements, and placements were observations and practice.

we really didnt do anything that TAs don’t do

Many teachers are working for far less than £12 per hour. I certainly have done for many many years. Teachers salaries are larger, but their hours are typically well over double what TAs work, so pay per hour is low.

at one stage around 2 years ago my union was collecting data on the number of teachers technically working for below the minimum wage. It was quite shocking

TAs don't plan for, teach, assess and feedback to whole classes. Or if they do, they are mugs.

Please teachers, don't try to outdo TAs and HLTAs with who's on the lowest 'hourly' rate etc. A teacher's salary will always increase and will always be a living wage. Support staff will be lucky to get any increase for years and a £12 ph HLTA rate will only amount to c. £15k pa. It's disgusting that support staff have to plan, prep, deliver and assess with usually no TA of their own and still be expected to live on peanuts. No national standards, salaries, terms and conditions and dedicated unions for us!

No choice in primary. If you are 'asked' you either do it or look for another job. Not all schools, just those with no money.

Your course was obviously much different from mine then, as I spent the majority of my 1st, 2nd and 3rd years in lectures and taking lessons on effective planning, assessment, pedagogy, and child development; it wasn't until my 4th year that we spent the most of the year in teaching practice, where we had to use all the theory we had learned to actually plan for and teach a class of children.

HLTAs often do though, at least in primary.

I didn't say HLTA and neither did the previous person I was responding to.

HLTAs still shouldn't have responsibility for a class though. They should be directed by a qualified teacher.

The problem with TAs on this thread saying 'it's not right but we have to suck it up' and parents saying 'yeah but there's a shortage of teachers so what can you do' means that NOTHING will change and things will get worse.

People should be kicking off. Parents should absolutely not accept this. They should be asking the school what is being done to recruit a qualified teacher and writing to their MPs and asking what will be done to change things.

Parents - it's YOUR kids. Stand up for them.

I was pissed off my DC had their class covered by a HLTA for 8 weeks, then the teacher returned part time ( mornings) but apparently the teacher is wonderful and lovely and sweet, so none of the other parents shared my concerns. I did complain though. I have no issue with the teachers personality, I just wanted a qualified teacher teaching my year one child, because my child is struggling and I feel they fell through the gaps of this system. The HLTA in my opinion didn't seem to be able to cope.

Completely agree @noblegiraffe. But every time TAs vote with their feet there's a queue of people chomping at the bit for term time jobs. There'll always be a cheap supply of teacher substitutes sadly.

there's a queue of people chomping at the bit for term time jobs

Interestingly, this doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Threads of people saying they can't recruit for term time jobs because the wages are terrible and can't compete with the supermarkets, or people don't need term time working because they can work from home.

I think we should differentiate between a TA and an HLTA. Our HLTAs ONLY cover classes (3 form entry primary) they plan, assess and teach, they don't perform 'TA duties'. The only difference between them and the teachers is that they don't have class responsibility, for that they are paid less - they're not on a terrible wage though (similar to an ECT)

Our HLTAs our employed with this in mind, they are well qualified professionals (some have QTS, all are degree educated) ... they're a flipping asset to our school! I love the fact I don't have to think about the subjects they take responsibility for, mine teaches RE, PSHE and Art.

I think the problems arise when Mrs Smith, who has been there for 30 years as a TA, automatically gets promoted to HLTA because she's part of the furniture and friends with the head (which I've seen in some schools!!)

The whole point of having an HLTA is that they can do class cover. But they are not for long-term regular cover. Which is when a school should be using a teacher. The whole is a teacher better than a HLTA debate is completely pointless. It depends on which teacher and which HLTA. In this case a teacher ought to be used.

There really aren't any more in many areas.

We have lots of schools in our Borough constantly advertising for support staff because they just can't fill the roles.

The only difference between them and the teachers is that they don't have class responsibility, for that they are paid less

Let's be clear, they don't have to have a teaching qualification and they shouldn't be job sharing instead of covering the odd class/PPA.

If they do have a teaching qualification and are teaching a job share and being paid HLTA rates....why would they accept that? Although the OP says that this is not the case here.

@PoorMegHopkins is correct with this view - This Is becoming increasingly common- schools cannot afford supply and it’s almost impossible to recruit teachers in many areas.
I’ve seen lots of people tell teachers to stop moaning and do something else if they don’t like it. Well they have. The Conservative govt have cut school funding to dangerously low levels. It’s going to get more and more common.

HLTAs are great but they shouldn't be teaching for days at a time, the clue is in the TA part of the title... teaching assistant.

In my own experience it's always been mums with children in the schools who are the main applicants. Co-ordinated school runs and holidays are a better option than supermarkets even though the earning potential is less.

We mostly seem to attract qualified teachers who want something with a bit less responsibility/stress

I have worked at both primary and secondary schools, in primary the hlta had her own class and another hlta had a class share and did all the afternoons with the teacher who did senco work in the afternoon. Now in secondary there are about 10 hltas who teach full time, it wouldn't be obvious who is a hlta and who is a teacher I don't think any of the children know.