....to think my daughter's class has a right to a qualified teacher?

[pokemeinthemorning]

So we had a message tonight on the system to explain what is happening in my daughter's year 5 class. Apparently, their teacher will now be teaching another class because one teacher left two weeks ago and they have said they have 'dispensed of any supply staff'. Basically the TA will be teaching the class for the foreseeable future.
I know there are many dedicated and wonderful TA's who could make great teachers BUT we are not qualified to teach classes on a regular basis.
On questioning my daughter I found out that from the start of this year she has her teacher in class 2 days a week and the rest is taken on by the TA. We were not told about this.
As a TA myself, I know that they often cover classes but this is on a regular basis for a prolonged period of time.

I feel that this is very unfair and they should at least be employing supply teachers in the meantime.

We've got several vacant teaching posts at the school I work in with TAs covering them. We've advertised and are in daily contact with agencies to get cover until we can employ someone. We've not managed to find a single person. It's not just our school, all other local schools are having the same problem.

I think this is really complicated and it's hard to know what's the right solution, but I will say - schools hiring a TA in place of a qualified teacher is not a new thing.

When I finished university in 2003, I applied for lots of TA jobs as I thought I might like to go into teaching. The interview that stuck in mind was the one where, during the course of the interview, it became obvious they actually expected me to teach the entire year, for GCSE students, but because I would be 'delivering lessons planned by another teacher' who'd be teaching a different class, it'd be fine.

The feedback when they rejected me (all of 22 and terrified) was that I had seemed 'a bit too nervous'. Thank goodness for that! But I am retrospectively shocked they even considered hiring a 22 year old with no experience of teaching, or even just holding down a full-time job, to guide a whole class of children through their entire GCSE course.

@beigebrownblue

Heads are lobbying the government. Along with the teaching unions and plenty of teaching staff. Perhaps parents could join us now you're becoming aware of the low level of school funding.

@Appuskidu

Not true at all. I know as I'm currently employed as one!

As far as I know, the old HLTA course isn’t run any more. Heads can employ anyone they like, and call them an HLTA. We have TAs with no TA qualifications who are ‘deemed’ to be an HLTA when it comes to covering for absent staff because there’s no one else to do it.

There are plenty of HLTA courses being run. It's not up to the head to decide

It’s very likely the TA is a qualified teacher.

I would say there is a small chance this is the case. It is certainly not ‘very likely’.

If my children were at school I would rather an experienced TA than a NQT with a PGCE. A teachers qualification is not that hard to obtain and the entry requirements are low.

The insurance in our schools only kicks in after 2 weeks, and that is to cover staff for sickness as far as I am aware, not just because you can't recruit someone.

Gosh! Well then I’d suggest a very very strongly worded letter to the LA. They should be supporting the schools, a) keeping oversight of their budgeting and b) divvying out more money when it is needed. They will have to find it from elsewhere- send in an advisory teacher to cover, for example.

@nohouseyet
So much misinformation.
LA's do support maintained schools and academies under statutory duties.
They do have oversight of school budgets, governing boards cannot legally run with a deficit, licensed deficits and in serious cases LA control of budgets are in place.

'Divvy out more money' - brilliant - from where? - given the huge Tory cuts to Local Authority's. In my LA, 2 out of every 3 schools have a licensed deficit. ( not enough money to run the school).

'Send in an advisory teacher' - again who? Restructured out to save money. Senior advisers are cut to the bone too and have statutory duties to fulfil.

I agree all children should be entitled long term to a qualified teacher, however that right is being eroded. Academies do not have to have a qualified teacher, though neither do private schools.

Locally schools are reverting to online through a shortage of teachers.

Please complain to the Chair of Governors. Not only is it unfair on the children, it is unfair on the poor TA who presumably would have become a teacher if she’d wanted to be in that role and won’t be getting the pay to go with this additional responsibility. I know of good TAs who are leaving education because their competence and willingness has been horribly abused in this way.

Thank you Missdread. The kids keep us going! Nothing else.

@pokemeinthemorning

Beigebrownblue that is an interesting point. I had to give up work to homeschool as did many others, taking a huge pay cut. I'm still struggling to get back on my feet.

Me too. No one asked how we were managing. And just for reference DD got niine A stars in her GCSEs.

missdread thank you for your synopsis with a political angle methinks about what you regard as "low pay".

As you say, comparing apples with pears; or even lemons with blackbirds.

If I could pick a profession or sector that needs some arbitrary scrutiny it would be the LAs themselves; best pay and conditions found in most non-SE locations.

Pretty damn good when they're LEA staff. All the public sector T&Cs, whilst none of the front line shit that most Teaching Staff deal with. Just put that answering machine on is the LEA way.

Are the classes full? Would it be possible to mix classes/year groups?

There are plenty of HLTA courses being run. It's not up to the head to decide

It is up to the head.

The course is not a requirement in order to be called an HLTA.

I had to give up work to homeschool as did many others, taking a huge pay cut.

I am so sorry that you couldn’t take up a keyworker place since you were education staff. I too couldn’t, in the January lockdown because we had to do live lessons at my school all day and our registration is at 8:05, so there was no way to get my DD to school and collect etc. She pretty much learnt something by watching CBeebies all day.

It was a nightmare, I agree and which is why I firmly believe we are still ‘in the pandemic’ in the sense that we are not in the recovery stage yet because of situations like yours.

It’s a disaster that our government could have avoided if they didn’t hate school staff so much

Academies and free schools don't have to employ people with QTS

that is my understanding

The TA will be told and know the planning for each lesson. They will deliver it as the teacher would. Wouldn’t worry too much unless you feel dc is being taught as they should be

Is it an academy? If so, then there's no requirement for the teacher to be an actual teacher.

However it is not acceptable to be taught by unqualified teachers in the long term. Or for that matter supply teachers.

It isn't acceptable, no. But it's happening across the country. Teachers have been shouting about the critical shortage of teachers, and the teacher recruitment and retention crisis for years but apparently people only pay attention when its their kid directly affected.

Write to your MP, ask it to be forwarded to the Secretary of State for Education. No point in writing to the head, they already know.

@ChloeDecker

I had to give up work to homeschool as did many others, taking a huge pay cut.

I am so sorry that you couldn’t take up a keyworker place since you were education staff. I too couldn’t, in the January lockdown because we had to do live lessons at my school all day and our registration is at 8:05, so there was no way to get my DD to school and collect etc. She pretty much learnt something by watching CBeebies all day.

It was a nightmare, I agree and which is why I firmly believe we are still ‘in the pandemic’ in the sense that we are not in the recovery stage yet because of situations like yours.

It’s a disaster that our government could have avoided if they didn’t hate school staff so much

You are not the most hated love.

They hate parents even more. Wait in the queue for the awards for who is most hated eh?

A teachers qualification is not that hard to obtain and the entry requirements are low.

Meow.

@lawnotorder

Academies and free schools don't have to employ people with QTS

that is my understanding

And neither do LA schools as long as the head is satisfied they're up to the job

@HaroldSteptoesHorse

The TA will be told and know the planning for each lesson. They will deliver it as the teacher would. Wouldn’t worry too much unless you feel dc is being taught as they should be

Depends on the quality of the TA. When DH was a teacher he had a lovely TA, brilliant with the kids but completely lacked authority and couldn't handle year 6 maths (which some year 4&5 kids are doing).