Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

One to one teaching at primary level

92 replies

justasking111 · 01/02/2022 13:00

School are unable to get more teaching assistants budget cuts. So they're pushing for more one to one staff to fill the gap. It's causing a bit of a kerfuffle with parents, but is it of benefit to all pupils if this happens??

YANBU it benefits the school no matter how it's achieved

YABU the school shouldn't have to resort to this for extra help

OP posts:
CristinaYangismySpiritAnimal · 01/02/2022 13:03

I don’t understand your question, or the scenario. If they can’t afford TAs, how can they afford ‘one to one teaching staff’? Which I’ve never heard of. Can you explain a bit more?

Howeverdoyouneedme · 01/02/2022 13:04

I don’t quite understand what you mean, can you expand?

Howeverdoyouneedme · 01/02/2022 13:04

Do you mean the schools are trying to get ECHPs?

PurpleDaisies · 01/02/2022 13:06

Do you mean taking away one to ones to function as general tas?
I’m confused.

SatinHeart · 01/02/2022 13:07

Do you mean 1:1 support funded through EHCPs for individual children? I'd be pissed off if my child was awarded a 1:1 TA for additional needs who was then used for general classroom help because the school were short staffed. It might benefit the school but to the detriment of the child needing 1:1

RussianSpy101 · 01/02/2022 13:07

How have people never heard of 1-1s?

Children with EHCPS usually have a 1-1.

Myumbrellaisred · 01/02/2022 13:07

I think she means 1:1 TAs that are supposed to be there to support a child with an EHCP are being used unlawfully to support the class (like a classroom TA). Schools do do this, they shouldn't but i can see why they do!

CristinaYangismySpiritAnimal · 01/02/2022 13:10

@RussianSpy101

How have people never heard of 1-1s?

Children with EHCPS usually have a 1-1.

I’ve heard of one to ones, but the post appeared to be about one to one teachers, which aren’t something I’ve ever encountered. I was asking for clarification from the OP.

I’ve worked in schools for 15 years, so I have a fair understanding of the procedures.

Kitkat151 · 01/02/2022 13:13

What do you mean? Some children have always had 1-2-1s.... way back when my 3 were at school in the 90s this existed ( kids had statements then before they became EHCPs)

Original poster
justasking111 · 01/02/2022 13:21

@CristinaYangismySpiritAnimal

I don’t understand your question, or the scenario. If they can’t afford TAs, how can they afford ‘one to one teaching staff’? Which I’ve never heard of. Can you explain a bit more?
Different pot of money
OP posts:
Original poster
justasking111 · 01/02/2022 13:25

@Myumbrellaisred

I think she means 1:1 TAs that are supposed to be there to support a child with an EHCP are being used unlawfully to support the class (like a classroom TA). Schools do do this, they shouldn't but i can see why they do!
Exactly school can get funding for one to one but not TAs. Parents worried about their child being Categorised aged 4
OP posts:
Original poster
justasking111 · 01/02/2022 13:28

School have 22 in reception full time but an extra 15 from 9 to 11 in the morning then from 1 to 3 another group of 15. So most of the day 37 children. They have one teaching assistant were refused another. The extra numbers come from the adjacent playgroup

OP posts:
Phos · 01/02/2022 13:48

Surely if the child needs help its a good thing to get the intervention early? I wouldn't see it as being "categorised aged 4"

Does this affect you directly?

PurpleDaisies · 01/02/2022 13:58

If you’ve ever had anything to do with the ehcp process you’ll know it’s a bloody nightmare getting funding. This isn’t something that would be undertaken lightly in the way you’re suggesting.

Mumofsend · 01/02/2022 14:03

Huh? None of this makes sense.

Schools 9 times out of 10 when there's an EHCP they are required to fund the first 6k of the provision.

Mumofsend · 01/02/2022 14:05

If a child has an ehcp providing 1-1 school would be in the wrong to use as a class TA. However, it can help reduce the load on the classroom staff having those in need of 1-1s sorted

Preschool age has different funding streams.

If school can't run a preschool provision without it having this much of an impact and causing a big staffing issue they shouldn't have a preschool

PinotAndPlaydough · 01/02/2022 14:06

I don’t know what other schools are like but getting an EHCP around here is bloody hard. Even if you do get one it doesn’t guarantee 1:1 and if you do get 1:1 it probably isn’t all day every day.
U would be very shocked if schools were seeking out EHCPs where they weren’t needed, they have to first of all show how £6,000 has already been spent supporting that child before they receive any additional money.
As a parent of an SEN child who I am attempting to get an EHCP for I would be absolutely fuming if that 1:1 was being used as a TA.

Sockpile · 01/02/2022 14:09

My son had 1-1 for a few years.

In secondary his 1-1 was used for others in the class too. It caused many arguments as the funding was for DS and he was missing out. The schools should not be doing this!

PinotAndPlaydough · 01/02/2022 14:10

Are you in the uk? I have never heard of these random groups of children coming in for half a day. Where are they the rest of the time. Also double check but I’m pretty sure the uk has a limit on how many children can be in one class and it’s definitely not 37!

merryhouse · 01/02/2022 14:16

ohhhhh...

I originally read it as "they're pushing to get [employ] more 1-1 staff; so that they can fill the gap" and I suspect a lot of other people did too

What OP appears to mean is that "the SLT are pushing for more of [the existing staff that have been employed specifically as 1-1 support staff] to take on general class TA work"

Which - yeah, not strictly allowed

tpmumtobe · 01/02/2022 14:24

Totally happens at our school. Standard allocation is one TA shared between two classes. Child in one class finally got an EHCP and 121. That 121 now acts as the class TA for their class, and the other TA covers the other class f/t. Parent of EHCP child had to fight so long and hard to get anything they're just grateful for any support even if it's not exactly as prescribed by the EHCP...

Original poster
justasking111 · 01/02/2022 15:21

@Phos

Surely if the child needs help its a good thing to get the intervention early? I wouldn't see it as being "categorised aged 4"

Does this affect you directly?

No not affecting me. Just wondering why schools have to do this to get extra staff. No budget for TA but okay for one to one.

We are in Wales so the rules maybe different to England and Scotland

OP posts:
Original poster
justasking111 · 01/02/2022 15:25

Another thought do the school need to provide evidence to get a 121 or are they taken at their word??

OP posts:
Flitter123 · 01/02/2022 15:29

If the school can get funding for 1:1 help for a child, that child will need it because it’s not easy to get. If the school then use that help for general classroom assisting instead of the child in need that’s obviously very unfair.

Flitter123 · 01/02/2022 15:30

Unfortunately it does happen though.

Swipe left for the next trending thread