[quote theresapossuminthekitchen]@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair
No need to be rude. As I said, I'm not sure exactly how it works for TAs starting mid-year. What I do know, however, as I work in education for a local authority, is that TAs are not salaried workers so your point it irrelevant. It is not an annual salary, it's an hourly (totally exploitative) wage with a casual contract made to look like an annual salary - she is paid for 39 weeks work and they have given an equivalent annual salary. Her paraphrased quote about the terms of employment says this quite clearly. It is also absolutely the standard employment situation for TAs. www.tes.com/jobs/careers-advice/teaching-assistant/teaching-assistant-pay-and-conditions.
Essentially, with term-time only contracts, TAs are unemployed for the holidays (but can't claim unemployment benefits, so pretty screwed).
OP will probably have a 6 month contract - her contract will be need to be renewed before September - she will work and be paid for March, two weeks of April, c.3-4 weeks in May, June and 3-4 weeks of July + 6 months of annual statutory holiday allowance (14 days). So c.20 weeks. If this is split across the 6 months, so she gets a pay packet every month instead of nothing in August (which is what happens in the USA for teachers and used to happen in U.K. too), then it's 20 weeks pay split across 6 months (20/26). The new contract from September will pay her the full amount originally quoted, split over 12 months. 39 weeks pay + 28 days statutory holiday spread over 52 weeks (43/52) which will work out slightly more. Not to mention the fact that actually the holiday entitlements are likely to be less than the full statutory amount as the contract is not for a full year (as I said, TAs are often screwed over). It's more likely that she'll get 21 days (39/52 * 28 days).
When I put this amount into a tax calculator based on an hourly wage of around 10.40 ph (calculated from her 26.25 hr week over 39 weeks and adding in paid holidays), I get just over £800, which is not far off what OP has been paid and suggests that this is quite likely to be what has happened. Or it could be tax codes. Or both.
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This is utter rubbish as is the post above that talks about when she started and accruing holiday and not getting paid for them. I do payroll in a school office and am responsible for all TA and teacher contacts and pay.
First you need to check your contract and see if you are paid for 38 or 39 weeks. Some TAs are not paid for inset days and claim for OT if they work them and some are. Then you should be able to see on your payslip if you have paid into LGPS the pension scheme. If you don't want to do this, by the way, you can opt out entirely or some LAs do a 50% opt out. Also, if you did not give them a P45 then previous posts stating you are probably on the incorrect tax code are probably correct.
Also, TAs, unless being employed as maternity cover are generally not employed on a fixed term contract. If you are, you should know it. If you've a permanent post then you should know that too.
Your pay, whenever you start in the year, previous posters going on about not being paid for some holidays and paid for some depending on when you are start are completely wrong, includes approx 4 weeks holiday pay. You are not paid hourly, again wrong, but annually. Your annual rate plus holiday pay will be divided by 12 months and you'll get the same each month every month.
I'm betting on wrong tax code. Those posters spouting about stuff which they have no knowledge but are just guessing should think before they post!!! No one needs incorrect guesses!