To think Teaching Assistants are vastly underpaid for their role?

[altoran]

When the role of Teaching Assistant was created, the idea was that they would help with basic tasks like photocopying, wall displays, etc. It was a very basic role with no real responsibility.
Now Teaching Assistants have a lot of responsibility and are very involved in children's education, although under the supervision of a teacher. But they receive very little over minimim wage for this.
AIBU to think they are vastly underpaid?

It can be very dirty work - I often go home and jump in the shower as I feel so dirty from all the contact I've had with poo But for that part of the job I think the pay is about right- apart from being a nice person, it's not particularly skilled.

There are other aspects of the job such as teaching phonics and ensuring all children are reaching their reading potential pass the phonics screaning test, Ensuring EAL children who have zero English can access the curriculum, and the behaviour management etc are skills that not anyone who wants a term time only job can do before they've been trained. The training these days is as an apprentice on an apprenticeship wage.

We're going to be recruiting a 1:1 to work with a child with SEN. It's not going to be easy to find the right person. Although we'll only be looking for someone with level three qualifications, they'll need specific skills, and in return for those skills they will be paid less than £10ph. It's not a job I could do.

If my colleague who spent this afternoon having her face licked by a child is reading this- you're definitely not paid enough

Don't be under any illusion that LSA or nursery nurse work in the lower year groups isn't physical and very unpleasant at times

I have taught YR for over 20 years, I know exactly what it’s like. I think teachers and support staff are fantastic. The point I was making was that even now with the pay being crap, people are still queuing up to do it because they like the working hours.

I think this thread is too focused on TAs

The thread is about TAs!

I need a job at some of these schools!

After NI and pension I still don't take home 1k(after many years at the same school and excellent performance reviews). I'm in 8 am until 3 pm and have a long list of jobs and responsibilities, on top of actual class work and admin/displays stuff. I've also ended up teaching more than once, including on my own, especially in lockdown.

18k is far ,far away.

TAs do get different pay, different T&Cs and have different responsibilities, it is true, but overwhelmingly they are vastly underpaid (as are Nursery staff in daycare).

I can't understand that 16% have said YABU - I suspect they don't realise what the role actually entails for so many.

I am not a TA and I think they are massively underpaid. In most cases they are looking after couple of 'special' children in the class. I was very surprised when I found out how much they are earning.

The reason that lots of women , and it is women not men, apply to be TAs is simply down to this. It is virtually THE only job a mother can do which guarantees she can spend time with her children when they are not at school. The reason I didn't apply to work as a bin was was simple. Who will look after my children from 7.30am?
It's that simple.
That is why it is low paid because it is predominantly 'women's work'. Where I live there is never, ever a shortage of bin men. I happen to know someone who managed to get her son a full time job as a bin man. It was only through personal contacts that she managed it.
Every single TA I know, and I know plenty are very intelligent, well educated women who left much better paid well respected jobs. Again the reason was that they became mothers and did not have child care so needed a job to fit in with their children. If you could take unpaid leave in other jobs or work more flexible hours or had a husband who had the guts/employer who would support flexible working then things would be different.
As for it not being a dirty job are you joking?
You think cleaning vomit, shit and piss up is not dirty?
You think being told to fuck off and screamed at or hit is not poor working conditions. The trouble with working in schools is that you are increasingly doing the job of the failing parent. A young relative of mine is a TA she was bitten by a child.
I doubt most people would have to go back into work and work with the same person who had bitten them, all for around £11500 a year.

@Onlinedilema you're right it is a highly female dominated job, particularly in primary. Purely anecdotal, but my husband is a TA. He's works in a secondary PRU which is a tough environment and being a man possibly helps in some ways.

For us, my dh being a TA does fit in with children and holidays. I'm a teacher so it means we get the same holidays together which is nice. I'm currently pregnant but one day we'd like to share the childcare and work. Even if I only teach one or two days a week.

And yes, TAs can be over qualified. When I did the job before teaching, I was hired at a school with 6 other ladies. 4 of us had degrees. Doesn't mean much in the role though unfortunately. My dh is also a qualified counsellor but chooses to do TA work for the regular, consistent income, as well as the holidays even if the pay if rubbish.

One of my TA friends is working towards her level 3 qualification, which will lead to an increased hourly rate. But she's a one-on-one support and the funding for the child is fixed. So when she gets her qualification, she won't get more money but a reduction in hours for the same money. Not many jobs where that would happen.

When I left my role as an la I got a support job with adults. The pay was double.

Lsa

@RockingMyFiftiesNot that's an unusual way for it to work. For us dropping hours wouldn't be possible as the dc needs support for the full amount of hours (and for the dc that have support allocated, it's hours that are allocated regardless of where the person is on the pay scale). A new qualification would not normally make a difference within the same job. You'd need to apply for a different job role on a different pay scale to see any difference in your wage.

Sadly many EHCPs aren’t specific though so don’t state the number of hours support which is actually needed. I had to battle to get Ds a plan which was specific and ensured the level of support he needs.

[quote cocoloco987]@RockingMyFiftiesNot that's an unusual way for it to work. For us dropping hours wouldn't be possible as the dc needs support for the full amount of hours (and for the dc that have support allocated, it's hours that are allocated regardless of where the person is on the pay scale). A new qualification would not normally make a difference within the same job. You'd need to apply for a different job role on a different pay scale to see any difference in your wage.[/quote]
Maybe my friend has misunderstood what the head told her, that the LA had awarded x amount for support for the child she works with so they couldn't increase her pay, and would reduce her hours instead.

Yes the only dc at are school that have allocated hours have downs or other major medical need. Many more need 1:1 support but don't have the allocations. What it means is there are no general support TA's after the budget has been used up covering the 1:1 support and the 1:1s are stretched doing the job of 2 or more people because those classroom jobs still need done and there are plenty other kids that still need additional support outside of those allocated the 1:1 - which is exhausting and also doesn't do justice to the child

The local authority do allocate a certain amount of funding to the school based on what’s in the EHCP. The setting then uses this (on top of the nominalbudget for SEN) to cover what’s in section F of the plan

I'm sure it works differently everywhere but we have 3 dc that qualify for the allocated 25 hours support then the rest needs to come out the general budget (we do get more than other schools due to the area) we are currently going in to the new term in August with 21 dc needing full time 1:1 support plus others that need regular support (due to conditions such as diabetes) the staffing has been allocated and there are no general classroom TA's after this has been covered

New EHC plans rarely state hours these days, it’s usually amount/banding of funding, so that makes sense with what the pp was saying-if the support staff wages rise, the funding will cover them for fewer hours. It’s rubbish really as it might encourage some heads to have the cheapest possible member of support staff in order to cover the most hours for the child.

For us though the job has a pay scale which you work through by time in the job. It's not a very big one. Qualifications are irrelevant. I could go on to take several degrees and it would not affect my progression through the scale nor could I exceed the top end. My contract is for 25 hours a week and the dc I support needs 1:1 for those hours despite them not being allocated to him by the LA. If I wanted a different pay scale I'd have to apply for a different job that offered one.

One of my TA friends is working towards her level 3 qualification, which will lead to an increased hourly rate. Most TAs where I work have taken the level three TA qualifications, having been encouraged by the HT to do so. It was made clear though that pay would still only be as a TA 2, unless covering a class. This means many of us have two pensions. My TA 3 pension is worth a grand total of £12

Many jobs are underpaid in my opinion: from NHS band 2 nursing assistants, to carers, therapy assistants, admin roles, cleaners.

The advantage of TA work is it fits around school holidays and school hours, and you need minimal qualifications to apply. Many TAs go on to become teachers.

It's interesting to learn from this thread that so many TAs don't have qualifications. I know a few TAs who have gained or are working towards qualifications because most schools in our areas ask for them to at least be working towards qualifications.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot I think many schools will judge it overall on an individual basis. For example, when I was an LSA before teaching, I had a degree in early years education and I had paid &. voluntary experience in schools. I don't think there would have been much point in the school getting me to do a TA qualification.
To be honest it's the sort of job where individual skill, personality and experience, is worth more than any qualification.

But some schools do have to/like to tick boxes.

In our LA they are called Pupil Support Assistants and get paid £10.07 an hour. Which considering the starting rate for an EYP is £11.78. They aren't too badly paid.