To think Children in Year 4 and Year 5 should not have a Teacher in class only four days a week?

[Arachnophobe]

Is it reasonable that TA's should have to cover every Friday on a permanent basis?
Due to DS1s Teachers working four days a week it happened in year 4 and is happening again now in Year 5.
Disclaimer: I am not dissing TA's abilities in any way but shouldn't class sizes of 29 should have Teacher and TA and therefore shouldn't the school also arrange a supply Teacher for Fridays?
Friday is partially taken up with P.E and Assembly but I have written (nicely of course) to Head to find out what the situation actually is and what will happen in Year Six.
Am I being precious/over-the-top?

Thanks for that Euphemia. My Mum is a secondary teacher with Renfrewshire Council so don't know how I missed that one! She certainly has some horror stories!

So, back to your original AIBU, I don't think you are being unreasonable if we lived in an ideal world. With my teacher hat on or my mum hat on I would want to know why/how etc.

I'm a 'floating' teacher at my school (there are two of us). I used to have my own class in the same school (been there seven years) but, since having DD, I now do PPA cover every afternoon and don't work in the morning.

I have the same classes every week (some for the third year in a row and one was 'my' class when I was F/T)). I think this would be the best situation for all schools, with HLTAs as stand-ins on occasion. HLTAs are usually fantastic, but they are not paid enough to teach regularly IMO.

Unfortunately, it is extremely expensive to employ qualified teachers to cover PPA. My contract is 0.48 of a full-time teachers yet I earn more than a full-time TA and not much less than an HLTA.

Thanks. The timetable has been changed and P.E no longer on Friday. Will keep monitoring how things are going and do my bit.

If TAs, or other people not qualified as teachers, are to be used in a teacher's role, them they should be paid a teacher's rate.

Schools should not be allowed to save money by not providing children with the education they exist to provide.

If the TA can do the job - great, pay them the going rate.

If they're not worth that then don't use them to cover classes.

My main concern was there only being one LSA instead of there being an LSA & Teacher but there are two LSA's at the moment so that is much better. I hope that they do get paid accordingly and I also don't moan when Teachers strike for good reason but that's another story...
Last Friday, one LSA took half the class (15) in PSHE/Circle Time and Another LSA took half for ICT then they swapped. After break they had Mandarin with a Chinese Teacher (this is new) until Lunch. After lunch there were two LSA's and it varies week to week - He can't remember what they did in the afternoon until assembly but said sometimes R.E or silent reading.