To ask if you’d rather be a TA or nursery nurse and why?

[Annabeth67]

Posted this for my DD
She’s interested in both jobs but is unsure about which one she’d like to go for more. Anyone got any thoughts?

I was a nursery nurse in a reception class

That's really interesting, how long ago was this and was it in the UK? It's not something i've come across when working in schools.

Nursery Nurse.

I am an NNEB qualified nursery nurse (showing my age), I have worked in schools as a teaching assistant supporting children with additional needs, I have worked in day nurseries, child minded, I've worked on maternity wards, neonatal wards, SCBU and NICU, I have worked in a children's hospice and as a specialist clinical nursery nurse.

@watersheep Five years ago, they are common in the schools in my area, more common in deprived areas. Just looked on a job board and there’s still lots of nursery nurse reception jobs being posted.

I worked as a nursery nurse for 10 years or so ( level 3 qualified) pay was crap with lots of paperwork. I am now a LSA , pay is much better ( although term time only which suits me) Don't think I could go back to nappies and snot!

Something like an EYPS/EYT in a nursery (work her way up from nursery nurse) or TA in pre-school/reception (work up to HLTA) would both be good.

nursery nurse has more opportunities for progression I think

Thanks everyone, your posts have all been really useful. Definitely a lot to consider

Nursery nurse pay depends on if you work in a private nursery or a school nursery. Private tends to be lower pay,, often not much over minimum wage and long hours full year.

In a school nursery it is higher paid and mostly term time. Good pension as well. I get paid the equivalent of £14.60 an hour term time and the council pay over 20% into my pension (I put in 5.5%)
I’m in Scotland and the free 1140 hours funding is being phased in . There are going to be loads of jobs to fill. Senior practitioner positions were created last year which pay a lot more and also early year managers. So progression is there if you want it.

TA’s are lower paid than school nursery nurses. The last few years funding for TA’s has been getting cut too.

To nursery nurses reading this - I’m sorry you don’t get paid more. You look after the most precious (and tiring!) “thing” in my life 3 days a week and it’s not an easy job at all.

I'm a school nursery nurse, I get paid more than a ta but it's not exactly a handsome salary. I also have a huge work load and a lot of responsibilities but I love my job (and the holidays aren't bad!)

@8misskitty8 yes, good point, I too have a very good pension, as well as all the usual perks of working in the public sector such as decent sick pay etc

Some TAs just sit there and do nothing

And you're basing that on..... what exactly?

@ThisIsNotAIBUPeople exactly! The ta I work with never sits down, she works so so hard and is on such a low wage. We wouldn't survive without her!

TA but in secondary school. My main reason.... small children are annoying.

The other reason is that I do agree with all the paper work and target setting for two and three year olds. They’re babies, just let them stick crayons up their nose and eat mud!

@velocitygirl7 I'm a TA, I barely stop for a wee never mind a nice sit down

That should be don’t agree. Stupid phone.

Also, I don’t think there’s a big pay gap between them from what I’ve seen online so it’s interesting that a PP has mentioned that

Have you taken the pro rata salary into account?

A full time TA might get similar pa to a nursery nurse, but unless the nursery job is also term time the salaries will be different when the TA salary is adjusted to take into account weeks worked

@ThisIsNotAIBUPeople exactly that!! Especially this point in the year, most of us miss our breaks helping to settle the children into school life, September is tough!! Point me in the direction of the school that employs a ta to sit and do nothing

I always thought I'd work in a private nursery but when I went on placements in different settings I loved the TA role. Could she volunteer in a local primary school to see if she likes it?

Some primary schools do still have the nursery nurse role but they have been phased out recently in my area unfortunately (they were on a different pay scale to TA's and earing more so council wanted rid and now TA's do it!)

If I'm being honest both jobs are not the best paid but many childcare workers do it for the love of the job not the pay. Its very rewarding.

Nursery hours are long and usually minimum wage. There is a lot of paper work to do in the role of being a key worker. There is a chance to become a room leader though and work way up.

TA hours are usually 8.30 - 3.20 (every school is different) the job role is becoming more demanding and quite often TA's will be left with a class to do PPA not every school does this but its happened to me many times in the past and I just didn't think it was fair as I'm not a qualified teacher. Thankfully the school I work in now has HLTAs who cover lessons when needed.

One thing to beware of is the way TA jobs are advertised it will say £18k - £20k but that's based on full time hours when in reality you get paid for 39 weeks of the year spread out each month. So roughly I get around £10k a year.

I prefer working with foundation stage children and not a big fan of working with toddlers.

There are many schools that have a nursery attached on so if your daughter wants to work with younger children this could be an option.

Benefits about working in a school is that your paid by the council so get quite good benefits for example sick pay, years of service etc...

Ive done both jobs and I'm much happier being a TA plus its lovely to get the half terms off

TA wage for me - £850 a month doing 28 hours a week

Nursery nurse wage for me - £1050 a month doing 40 plus hours a week

I'm based in the North West area.

Good luck it's a great rewarding job to do x

Having done both, TA.

I prefer year 1/ year 2, when they are able to have a conversation, have fewer toilet accidents and cry less but are still quite little and sweet. Plus as a TA is you can move around the year groups a bit, so if DD decides she actually doesn't like little children all that much having worked with them then she'll still have TA experience and can work with slightly older ones, or in some schools she might even be split across different year groups.

Pay is not great because of it being term time (my actual salary is £13k) but there are breakfast clubs, after school clubs and holiday clubs if she needs to bump up her hours, I only don't because childcare means its not worth it.

I am a primary school teacher, and now own my own private day nursery, so experience with both.
TA - days will be shorter, more holidays, depending on the school, could be a calmer environment. However, although the hourly rate might be similar, due to holidays and the shorter day, the take home pay is likely to be less. If the TA role is assigned to 1-2, classes, your daughter will be working very closely with 1-2 teachers, to whom they are accountable, with potentially much less capacity for chat. - so arguably, a more intense role. Role development to HLTA, SEN specialism.
Nursery Nurse - longer hours, but capacity for overtime, therefore earning power could be increased. In my opinion, a day nursery is a much more busy and loud environment than most classes I have taught, especially the older classes. Nursery nurses have more capacity to have daily contact with parents, something I think those who work for me enjoy. Nursery work is more physically demanding. There is potential to develop a nursery nurse role. One of my staff completed her apprenticeship with me and is now working on a level five in nursery management, and would be more than qualified to be a deputy.
Hope this helps

I've been a TA, SEN TA & I'm currently a nursery nurse... I'm paid better now than I ever was being a TA, but TA's have less hours and more holidays.

The job is very similar just age groups, I must say though, a nursery nurse's job is way underestimated sometimes.

about advancement for nursery Norse’s, but a TA would have good career progression

There is virtually no career progression for TAs in any school I’ve worked in!

I wouldn’t worry too much. The jobs are similar and experience is transferable. As a reception teacher, I know people who have been nursery nurses and TAs across different settings-wait and see what she’s offered.

The pay is not great for either, sadly.

@Annabeth67

I've worked in private homes, hospitals, schools, nurseries, for social services and in my own home
Oh that’s interesting! Could you explain a bit more about what you did in those settings?*

I've worked with under 8's for over 40yrs so a lot of jobs.

But I've worked as a nanny in private homes.

In schools as a classroom assistant, and the nursery leader. Probably was more progression there but I moved on before that happens.

In a hospital nursery looking after the staffs children and on the maternity wards as a nursery nurse which involved helping the new mothers with daily care, breastfeeding etc.

As a maternity nurse in private homes, working the night shift, doing night feeds and establishing routines - very well paid! About £600 a week back in the 1980s.

As senior nursery officer in a social services day nursery, excellent job, good money and sad but interesting work.

And since I had my own, as a childminder at home. I've looked after over 100 children over the years, some for as long as 10/12 years. Very rewarding and very knackering. Some of the children I looked after are in their 20's now and still visit. Pay is as much as you want really.

I'm sure there are tons more but there are so many places to work as a nursery nurse.

I love children and I love my job

I would say a TA.
Nursery nurses can work 8.30AM-6PM everyday and the work is physically demanding. TA is a shorter day, get the school holidays and more rewarding I think.

Depends on role. I feal that a tA can be lumbered with a lot of responsibility but with out the pay, status or recognition as a nursery nurse I feal we do get recognition from the parents, pay is still bad but guess i'm used to it. My Qualifications have let me work in Britain and france with nursery's afterschool clubs, play scheames, holiday companies, special needs and also opened doors to working in adult care of elderly and additional needs, and working with child protection.