HLTA-worth pursuing?

[LoudestRoar]

I posted this in Education, but haven't had any replies.
I am currently an LSA/121 in a primary school. I'm considering my next steps, and wondering if training to be a HLTA would work for me. I love the idea of teaching, but not having to do the planning side of things to fit alongside my family needs. Am I right in thinking level 4 is what I should be aiming for? I'd probably self fund the course and do it in my own time.
If anyone who already does this role would mind giving me a ball park figure to what you take home each month, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!

Bump

I'm a teacher and we have both TAs and HLTAs in my school.
When we advertise for a TA now we always say HLTA is desirable but not essential.
They cover all the PPA in my school.
I'm not able to give you a figure, but I know that in my school they are paid a regular TA wage and only get paid up as an HLTA for the time they actually do.
Eg if they cover a class for PPA every Monday afternoon, only that Monday afternoon will be paid at the HLTA rate.
Does that make sense?

Thank you, yes that does make sense. Need to weigh up my options, the course looks like hard work, especially with sorting a young family alongside!

I’m sorry but HLTA basically means cheap teacher. Everything is a mess in this country.

Usual wage is stated as being nearly £30k normally, but then you have to pro rata that. Depending on the hours offered, it comes down to maybe £16-18k, and as pp said it’s often only offered for a few hours of the day.

I wouldn't advise anyone to do this, it's a huge amount of extra work for for little extra money. I'd go for ta roles.

We employ HLTAs to cover PPA, both are part time. They generally plan the subjects that they cover, then mark and assess, apart from if they cover English and maths where they follow the teachers sequence of lessons. Generally however they would cover a non core subject or two all year and plan and assess throughout. They are paid HLTA rates for all the hours they do as that's all they do!
We also have two TAs who are also HLTAs. They cover some short term staff absences- a day or two at a a time at most. The rest of the time they are TAs. They follow the teachers planning. They are only paid as HLTAs for the hours they cover for absences.

HLTA here 👋🏻

I get paid a TA wage, then 'overtime' for any hours I teach.

In reality, the difference in take home pay is negligible. I did the qualification because I love teaching (I'm now doing a PGCE), not for the money.

It's a great qualification to have - if you can afford to self fund and aren't that bothered about not getting a big pay uplift, then go for it. Good luck!

Thank you all. Lots to consider!

I wouldn’t recommend it.

In our school (an academy) you would be expected to cover PPA and any teacher absence. The rate of pay only works out as £3.50 more per hour than a normal TA role for a lot more responsibility. You only get paid for the hours you teach, all the planning and marking are done in your own time so will be unpaid. By the time you take into account the extra time spent planning and marking, the extra money isn’t worth it.

We only have one HLTA and have been asked if anyone would like to further our training to become one, we’ve all said no.

If you're going to put the work in to be a HLTA you may as well train to teach

It's disgusting what they are asked to do for the money. I'd look at a PGCE and then work part time as a teacher if it fits in better. I would feel extremely resentful.

I'm in SLT- I wouldn't be an HLTA, I always strive to improve conditions for them at work but essentially you'll end up teaching basically full time in pretty much a TA wage.

@Stmstm our head put a course out in the staff room for hlta training. No one applied. I think staff have realised its not worth the hassle. You could go in one morning and be told oh today you're covering year one etc. That often leaves the hlta's teacher without a ta and if you are covering the class where you are a ta then you don't get an extra ta to cover you.

HLTA is not a level 4 qualification, it’s a status. You have to be employed as a TA and supported by the school for this. (Sounds like you are)

You need to submit a portfolio of evidence to show you meet the 33 standards, and then there’s an interview with you, the head and another teacher, to basically back up your portfolio.

I did mine year even though I know there’s no chance of getting a HLTA job within my school. All our classes have a TA who covers PPA and absences, without extra pay, however it looks good on my CV and will hopefully look good when I apply for teacher training.

@Thisisnotmyname2022 absolutely this. If you are going to move on to teacher training this will give you a real taste of what teaching is like. But not to be a hlta for the next twenty years on rubbish pay!

I forgot to say that as you’re a HLTA you won’t have a TA in class to support you and when you do go back to your own class in your non HLTA role, you need to try and catch up on the work you missed because you’re behind on that!

Again, thank you all for the honesty. This may not be the best course of action then

For me it was more a case of I do what a HLTA does anyway without officially being recognised so I may as well claim the status. We have 5 in school with the status, 2 more in the process. No one employed as HLTA as he doesn’t need to.

@LoudestRoar have a google of the 33 standards, if you already meet them all then you may as well take the status. What level TA are you now?

Honestly, if you’ve got TA experience, you might as well look at training on the job for your PGCE. You can get salaried training places (paid at unqualified teacher level for a year), or get a student maintenance loan for a year.

Then you could either teach part-time (lots of job shares 2/3 days a week), or work as a substitute teacher.

I had nearly completed my HLTA training and realised that all the extra amount of work I’d need to do (planning lessons, marking, preparation etc), wasn’t worth the minute amount of extra money I’d receive. I changed roles instead and became a cover supervisor ….it is more or less what I was doing before as a LSA/ HLTA but the pay is sooo much better…and a lot less stressful than being an LSA ever was! Plus there’s no lesson planning/stress involved as you’re basically delivering a prepared lesson. I’d definitely go this route rather than the stress of HLTA x