Forced into 1:1 role

[SuperNerd88]

I have worked as a class TA in a primary school for the last 11 years. I love this job, and last year we had a child join our class who is very challenging, with quite complex behaviours. Someone was employed as her 1:1 TA shortly after she joined us, however this person has found the role particularly demanding and I think would actually prefer a more general TA role.

Because of this, the rest of the TAs within our school have now been told (rather than asked) that they must also share the timetable for this child's 1:1 provision, while she covers our class TA roles. The child in particular does not listen to me at all, and I am finding it so hard whilst also, somewhat selfishly perhaps, feeling quite resentful that I am having to do someone else's job while they are doing mine.

My issue here is, is it fair that the rest of us are now having to share a 1:1 role that we have neither applied for nor chosen to do, when our colleague actively applied for this job? Please offer thoughts as I'm in unsure if I am being unreasonable, but it is greatly affecting my ability to enjoy my work.

Probably not fair but almost certainly legal and enforcable unfortunately. Not ideal for this complex yp having various reluctant staff to support them.

What does your contract say? I imagine it might be considered a reasonable adjustment by SMT but you could try to discuss it with your line management. It must be disheartening for you and does seem a bit unfair if they recruited a TA for that specific role and they can't do it. Does the student benefit from continuity or a range of people and approaches?

What does your contract say? I would have thought it was quite normal for TAs to be assigned to different individual students or groups of students as needed?

Have you asked for help on managing this child? It can’t be great for her either. Pretty sure this is TA job description.

It comes under ‘any other duties’ in your job description. There may be several reasons why the 1:1 role has been divided between existing TAs:
The child may benefit from a variety of staff - it’s sometimes better for them to get used to different 1:1s so they don’t become over reliant on one.
Sickness absence (staff) is easier to manage when there is more than one member of staff assigned to a child.
The original 1:1 may have demonstrated skills that are valuable to the school in other areas and good TAs are increasingly difficult to find, so partial redeployment may mean the school can retain a decent TA.

I would be asking the SLT and SENCO what you need to be able to support the child more effectively. ‘Not getting on’ with a child isn’t really a valid reason for not wanting to work with them unless other strategies have been implemented and have failed. It will depend how approachable your SLT are, I’m afraid.

My son has a 1 to 1, but we were told that the school would routinely swap in their other TAs every now and then, so that he is used to them (important if his regular 1 to 1 is off sick/doing training etc). I did query at the time whether they all have the necessary training and was assured that the TA role includes 1 to 1 work or group work, they’re just allocated by the school wherever needed.

If you’re really not happy then raise it with your manager I guess, but my understanding is that this would be a normal part of your role.

I work in a lot of schools as a supply teacher and really the only classes where TA’s are employed as actual TA’s rather than 1 to 1’s has been in nursery and reception, where adult to child ratios are, I believe, higher than key stage 1 or 2.

I have never seen a TA in KS1 or 2 who I doesn’t have responsibility, at least in part, for managing at least one named child.

So I don’t think, unless you have a very watertight contract, you will be able to change things.

Have you looked at your local independent schools? There may be TA only posts available in them.

I’m afraid that this is just part of the TA role. My old school said there were no class TAs and 1:1 TAs and it was down to needs.

It can be really hard to be a 1:1 and I think the logic is that it is fairer to share this role out. So I don’t think you can begrudge sharing the TA roles to be honest - I’m sure you’d want them shared if you were the one allocated the 1:1.

I would lightly query it maybe, but I would be careful as if you have been a class TA for 11 years they may decide that it’s your turn to be a 1:1 and they need to ensure that everyone is skilled in both.

If there’s a TA who the child does listen to, you could ask them what strategies they use. Lots of children, with or without any additional needs respond better to some staff over others. With that sort of advice in your skill set you might find it very rewarding when the child does listen to you! There’s always a point you can meet them at, even if you don’t initially feel you’re making any kind of impact. The child might be reacting to the transition to multiple 1:1s and it’s a process you have to guide them through.

This happened in our school. Unfortunate for you but being a 1-1 to a challenging child can lead to burnout in one person so the school is trying to help share the burden and stop that happening. The traditional class TA is sadly a thing of the past. If you are generally happy working at the school you will probably have to grit your teeth and accept the change, as you could jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.

I do empathise. I worked briefly as a 1-1 for a challenging child and it just wasn’t for me AT ALL (violent outbursts). I’m now admin (in a different school) and even in this role I have to deal with challenging children (and parents!). However, our staff team has each other’s backs and SLT are generally supportive.

People who don’t work in schools can’t understand how tough it can be. ❤️

This is normal practice. It's very unusual these days to have a 'whole class' TA. Most TAs are used as 1-1 or very small group support. You should ask for training though to help adapt to the child with needs.

Does the original 1:1 not do the role at all now?

This arrangement has been standard in our primary for years.
It avoids the situation where the child becomes dependent on one person, who then goes sick or leaves the post.
Also of course, it enables several staff members to brainstorm and share tactics of what works and doesn’t work.
I think you may have to grin and bear it.

We have no class TAs, the job does doesn't exist any more in any of our local schools-there isn't the funding for it.

We either have TAs who cover teacher absence/PPA by delivering whole class lessons, or we have TAs that work 1:1 with very high need pupils with an EHCP.

The days of class TAs are ending in most schools.

Being a TA surely encompasses the possibility of working with any number of children within reason who need that support. Be it one or the whole class. And this could realistically change from time to time depending on staffing and level of need.

So to me I don't really think you can complain. It wouldn't say in your contract 'will only ever work with x number of students'.

Are you able to say what year group the child is in? If it’s Yr6 then the 1:1 may have been on a fixed term contract until the child leaves the school. If SLT don’t want to lose them they might have spread the hours so that the fixed term TA doesn’t lose their job in July. That’s not to say that those hours will be cut for all of you, just that a contract might have been redrawn and duties redistributed.

Yes being a TA does involve working 1:1.

However if the job was advertised at a higher pay scale it would be unfair to them split it up between others or if EHCP states training on X and you e not been given that you have a conversation starter.

In our school we are all expected to do both, it can vary year to year. I'd be looking at how you can build a relationship with this child so that they do listen to you. I prefer being a class TA too but it's always good to build relationships with all children x

In most schools now the majority of budget for TAs goes to supporting children with SEN. Sadly there is more need than there are people or money in a lot of cases.

It sounds like this is about to become a lot more common than it was in previous years too, especially given the proposed changes to the EHCP pathway and how it's splitting into tiers, meaning less children will be able to access specialist settings and more of the children who are fighting for specialist will spend longer in mainstream due to lack of available spaces and specialist schools overall.

I don't think this is specifically an issue in your school, but equally I think the situation is going to get worse, not better, and you'd be wise to consider your own personal limitations for the forecasted education system changes.

If you are all the same grade and paid the same I think it is fair. Many hands make light work and it is much easier to put up with a nightmare child for a day or half a day, than 5 consecutive days. Have a bit of empathy.

However, if she is being paid more than you, then f*ck her!

Tell her to do her job.

A child with SEN who has just had their 1:1 swapped for several 1:1s isn’t a ‘nightmare’. They are a child struggling for whatever reason in mainstream education and deserve a team around them who do their best to accommodate those needs as laid out in an EHCP (which includes being proactive in tackling behaviours that block a productive working support relationship). No one is saying it is easy, but as pp have said, that’s the reality of mainstream state education these days and it’s going to become far more common.

I feel sorry for the young person maybe there needs to be more training in how to manage this child's needs or outside help.

I was wondering that too.
Quite a while ago I worked as a TA for over 10 years, both as a general TA and 1-1.
A general classroom TA at my school was paid at a lower rate than a 1-1 as the role of a 1-1 was considered more complex.
Things may have changed, but I would definitely check.

Depending on the extent of the challenging behaviour a local Pupil Referral Unit might agree to give some training to staff. We also belong to a schools cluster partnership who share specialist training from an independent behaviour support provider. It would be perfectly reasonable to ask for similar in your situation, OP, if the skills aren’t something your school already has. Is the child the only one with a 1:1?