Teaching assistants quitting schools for supermarkets because of 'joke wages'

[noblegiraffe]

Finally getting some mainstream press attention:

www.theguardian.com/education/2022/oct/09/teaching-assistants-quitting-schools-for-supermarkets-because-of-joke-wages

The article is very clear that schools cannot afford to pay higher wages for support staff. The DfE comment at the bottom says it is up to schools to improve support staff pay.

The education sector is falling apart. Teacher redundancies mean bigger class sizes. Fewer teaching assistants means zero in-class support unless your child has an EHCP. Recruitment issues mean that even if your child has an EHCP, they might not be able to hire anyone to support them.

The way provision for the most vulnerable students has been eroded over the last decade of school underfunding is devastating.

^mostly schools pay as little as possible, so most posts only pay 25 hours a week - 5 hours a day, which is enough 9-3 with an hours break. But of course you don’t get that hour break, and are expected to stay after hours if you want any teacher contact or to run clubs. There are a few more 32.5 hr posts appearing in my neighbourhood, but it’s not enough to tempt me back into mainstream. The attitude of teachers to anything is all too often “get a TA to do it” as they are poorly paid and oh-so-superior too. Schools have been taking the absolute piss, running on good will and the relative wealth of baby boomers and early gen x’ers for years. They have now gone, and we younger x’ers have not got the wealth needed to support the country.

It’s because if support staff strike the only impact will be towards the children and teachers. Joe Public won’t be impacted so actually won’t care

@Hawkins001 not as straightforward as having 2 types of schools. My DD is extremely well behaved (at school at least) and high achieving but is on the ASD pathway. Just because you are SEN doesn't mean you aren't academically able. For example, my nephew is at an SEN school because of ASD and is too disruptive for a mainstream classroom without a dedicated support worker. Problem is the work being given is far below his academic level. Despite many school meetings and discussions with the LA, it's looking like my parents are going to have to home school him during their retirement. Main stream schools can't support his needs because a 1:1 TA can't be reliably provided and SEN school can't meet his needs as the children he's with have considerably more complex SEN than him.

Unison have just asked me to vote in a pay deal suggesting I accept it.

I totally agree. Imagine your little darling is gifted and talented do no need to worry about the pesky SEN needs kids? Wrong! As funding withdraws more and more SEN kids end up unsupported in mainstream, taking the teachers time, hitting the NT kids.

This isn't a good thing for anyone. The issue is that Aldi pays more so why go into being a TA for less money potentially dealing with literal shit and violence? Everything needs uplifting.

A good, well written EHCP can be fully costed and funded. DS is in a mainstream secondary with a fully funded EHCP covering full time 1:1, including break and lunch, therapies and equipment. The problem is too many EHCPs aren’t good and well written, so aren’t funded for all the support the pupil requires.

Yes Beverley there is that too.

There was a strike about 7/8? Years ago. It does actually have an affect on general public in a way because they need childcare. However most TAs are woman and they realise childcare is more often than not picked up by woman when there's a strike. It's a really difficult position to be in.

But I think timed right with the state of politics atm it could really open general Joe public eyes. The ride is already turning.

@oakleaffy
Your question touches upon a lot of issues. But sticking purely with the behaviour aspect of pupils i can say that over my 9 years as a TA the general standard of behaviour fell each year.

Every year there were a few more of the NT children arriving in yr1/2 unwilling to comply with the most basic and essential requests, such as sitting down and being quiet for a few moments. Standing in line. Basically doing what they were told by the staff. Stroppy. Answering back. Refusing. ''You can't touch me/tell me what to do'' stuff. And less and less back up for us in their homes.

That alone made the whole job that much harder, more dispiriting without all the other issues.

Children need consistency ( not a stream of different volunteers) and TAs have specific training in various reading and phonic schemes, maths systems etc In 20 plus years of working in schools I’ve seen huge changes - many TAs used to be former teachers, mothers with degrees and often with so much extra training ( all the TAs I know have infinitely experience at helping children with specific learning needs than the teaching staff as teachers’ remit is so vast that they can’t possibly attend all the additional SEN courses) However , due to budget cuts, in some areas schools are just grateful to get ( almost) anyone , which means children are often short changed on support hours and teachers are then ( even more) overloaded. Vicious circle as then everyone’s job gets harder and the children are the ones to lose out.

I would very happily give time to do 1-2-1 support to an idiosyncratic learner. Provided we agreed on the goals and the desired outcomes.

The problems in schools are a lot more complex than anyone ever wants to admit to on here.

First of all, a lot of teachers prefer to work for agencies because they have fewer responsibilities and can pick and choose which days they will work, etc. Agencies are charging schools in excess of 50% of what they would pay if a teacher was on the payroll. That’s where all the money is going in schools - into the pockets of the greedy agencies, most of which are run by ex-teachers. (It’s the same for nurses and the NHS, by the way).

Secondly, it’s the local authority which determines how much a child with an EHCP is awarded for 1:1 support. It’s more than £18,000 a year for 30 hours, by the way, so if the schools are paying the TAs £9000 (which I don’t think is possible at minimum wage), the school is keeping half the money. Probably to pay the agencies. Of course, if the TA is employed through an agency, £18,000 won’t cover it. It costs £750 a week to hire an unqualified nursery assistant from an agency; the daily rate for a TA is in excess of £180 a day.

It’s the agencies who are bleeding the schools dry, not the government. Or not just the government anyway.

I worked as a TA for about 18 months. I personally left because I felt unsupported and disposable to the management, not because of the money. I had no training and was pretty much left to work it out for myself. I didn't receive any feedback or encouragement on how I was doing, and it knocked my confidence. On the contrary, the teachers seemed to be valued - as they should be.

@XingMing
Excellent! You can come and give some 1:2:1 support to a child we have in year 3. He's very idiosyncratic so you will probably get on fine. He has just been returned to Mainstream school from a pupil referral unit as specialist provision was refused. Obviously he did try to strangle his last 1:1, but don't let that put you off. He is non verbal, so if you can just learn makaton. And you will need a strong stomach as he is doubly incontinent but I'm sure clear goals will work wonders. The desired outcome would be to get through the day in one piece!

EYProvider - I am a bit confused. My school never uses anyone from an agency unless as an absolutely last resort - perhaps for one or two days maximum per term. No budget, so internal cover used unless there are literally not enough adults left to cover the classes. Agencies are not a significant contributor to the difficulties in schools ime.

Same here. And internal cover can often mean just squashing several classes in together in one room if there aren’t enough adults to go around.

We definitely don't use agencies for TAs. If we can't recruit or they are off sick, the children just don't get support (though teachers and TAs do their best).

@spanieleyes i did have to wonder at the idea of volunteers agreeing/disagreeing about educational goals.

A few thoughts:

• clearly a diabolical situation to be in. Shame on anyone who votes Tory.
• to all the lovely TAs out there - stop enabling this. Please do strike!
• to anyone whose children have additional needs and are entitled to a 121. Complain long and loud. Take legal action against your LEA if you child is not getting their due. Using a 121 as a class TA or someone else’s teacher is not on. Consider legal action.

This situation will not be resolved until the last of the baby boomer TAs move on and there is literally no one left! But for now, those propping up the system are actually doing more to prevent systemic change than help.

I've just had enough of spending most of my working week covering (increasingly badly behaved) classes on my own on a TA/joke wage. Cover wasn't even mentioned in the job interview! Can't wait to leave!

We havent used agency staff for years. But i do know a local semh school that does because they struggle to recruit.

SEN funding is a bit odd but the cost of employing someone is more than their salary, it will have employer NI contributions and pension contributions too.

Same here. Sickness absences mean that lots of children are totally unsupported.

That's very unpleasant. If all the babyboomer TAs quit, then classrooms are in crisis mode.

TA's are the gold dust. I really feel sorry for the children if they can't get great TAs because they won't pay enough.

My dc's school had to let go of HTLA, just because they couldn't afford them. What a shame. And now the regular TAs are leaving, it's detrimental for children.

I volunteered as a parent. But it's not the same. I can't have responsibility, I don't want to have responsibility.

As parents, we should be angry. It's not ok for children to suffer. Who benefits cut? Who doesn't have any consequences of school funds been cut?

I disagree. We have barely used agency staff for years in my primary school and still have no money.

It's not that schools WONT pay enough, it's that they can't.