So why was the "my DD is being used as an unpaid TA" thread deleted then?

[CabbageLooking]

Looked reasonably innocuous when I posted.... Did it descend into fisticuffs?

applause for lougle

Nail. Head.

Wow, this was a can of worms thread! For the record, I'm a TA and a parent of DCs with SEN and found the post horrifying from both sides; as a TA, IMO getting advanced NT pupils to support SEN pupils is shockingly lazy teaching/class mgt - if pupils need additional support, that's what a TA is for. In my school pupils are seated (for core subjects) roughly according to ability so that the teacher can deploy her resources (me!) where most needed..sometimes this is with the lower ability group, sometimes with the highest (who still need to be stretched and challenged in their learning for many reasons I haven't the space to go into here). So I am in total agreement with the OP that it was unacceptable for her child to carry out this role, especially as her own results were affected. However, as a parent of SEN kids, I found many of the subsequent posts offensive and very disablist (new word to me - I like it!) and stopped reading after a couple of pages... please note, parents of NT children, not all SEN pupils are disruptive/negative influences - both of mine are very well behaved in school , and I work with many SEN pupils who are adorable and positive members of the school community who just need a little more support than others, and I also work with a lot of NT pupils who are little shits and can be complete pains in the arse!

Very well put Onwards.
I wish all teachers did move their TA about and monitor the progress of all their pupils. Sadly it does not always happen.

I've helped in a class where the TA was just parked with the lowest ability group. The class teacher tried to stretch the top group and keep a group of very disruptive non SN boys quiet and other DCs in the class, especially the second to bottom group learnt absolutely nothing.