No teacher for September

[skybluefalling]

I know there's a teacher retention / recruitment issue and lots of us will be in this position I'm sure but currently, Dd class won't have a teacher in September as they can't recruit.

It's a SEN school, autism. I can't begin to tell you the level of distress it causes not having a stable adult in the class who is specialist in SEN teaching and understands the needs on the EHCP etc.

Currently the only option is to have 2 TAs take the class until they can recruit - no guarantee they will get one all year. No supply available (only really works with supply if you can get long term contract change is too difficult for the children)

I'll be amazed if I can even get her in to school in September as her anxiety will skyrocket through the summer. Her school journey has been crap from a MS start to covid, school refusal and now a string of teaching gaps post covid. I know why were in this state - teachers are overworked and underpaid but (wailing now) why is it always my child that seems to get the shit stick 😡

It is absolutely no wonder teachers don't stay though. My husband has years of experience as an SEN and as a science teacher. Kids absolutely love his lessons yet every day he has someone from SLT telling him something ridiculous like 'that kid turned around in your lesson why aren't you shouting at them' . It's absolutely bizarre!

Won’t the school have to pay for a long term supply teacher? If they can’t get a specialist SEN cover then the two TAs can support with the EHCP needs? Not ideal but at least there will be a qualified teacher in the room that way.

We haven't been told anything really - not yet anyway.
Dd is a teenager and very aware of what's going on.

@Libertybear80 same here! My husband (head of department) nearly had a breakdown in his last school through the constant nit picking and scrutiny of SLT.

He left this year and taken a massive pay cut to be a teacher with no responsibility, his previous school can’t get a replacement (and certainly not one with 15 years experience in leadership with outstanding results)

Nothing on this Earth could persuade me to take up teaching…I’m glad parents are beginning to see how shit it is so changes can happen.

Government should offer free university fees for students who will fill these gaps and stay for say 7 years

I agree with this because when they gave 'golden handshakes' to graduates in 'shortage subjects' in schools , these new teachers left within two years. Waste of public money.
Likewise Graduate Entry Prison Officers - quick promotions to higher pay and leave as soon as they can as the real problem of shit conditions, understaffing and real danger in high security prisons have not been tackled.

I'm a TA in a special school for autism. In our school, when there's no teacher available an HLTA runs the class. What level TA are they putting in charge? I'd be very surprised if it were anything lower than a level 4. If it is lower, then another teacher will likely support them and regularly check in to make sure everything is going ok. At least that's what I'd expect, and what I've seen happen at my workplace.

It's a crap situation though, definitely. I hope they manage to recruit soon.

Her whole class is the same as her (whole year actually) so anything I'm worried about, so will all the other parents. All the children will struggle which in turn makes everything more challenging!

This is so often quoted, but I don't think it is as simple as more money. How do you keep getting TAs, in the same class with the same conditions, dealing with the same kids, on much less money, but can't get the teachers? Much of the time TAs are trained teachers themselves.

Speaking as a a qualified teacher working as a TA, what put me off is the class system, snobbery, pretension, politics and the extra demands in the evening.

🤷‍♀️ not sure. I think supply teachers are in short supply too.

It's becoming common practice I'm afraid and is often hitting SEN schools and those with challenging catchments worst. The problem is these are the very schools that need good teachers the most.

If your daughters school is like the SEN school where I work then almost every TA and HLTA is an ex teacher, including me, so it might not be as bad as you think.
We are having similar problems, we can't recruit anyone.

...and that I would be starting on low pay but doing the same job as the senior teachers, who have watched this modern education system develop and done nothing but try to protect their prized status, with no guarantee that I would not be managed out in a few years due to age or politics.

The misogyny and ageism combined in Britain is a big factor too.

@Daisycat76 do you have classes being run long term by HLTAs or just for gaps? I'm not sure how long it's acceptable to go on for if you can't recruit - few weeks, a term, a year?

How much do HLTAs get paid? Do they carry out annual reviews and deal with all the big struggles in the classrooms / have meetings with parents and plan lessons / interventions, deal with psychiatrists and medication etc - seems an awful lot of work but maybe they are paid more than I realise!

@HollyandJingles does it bother you doing the teachers job that you used to do for HLTA money?

@RosaGallica We can't employ TAs lately. 3 vacancies and no applicants.

It's utterly shit, I'm.so sorry for your daughter.

I work in FE - we can't keep staff either. It's brutal - the hours, the cover, the nit picking and constant demands

I'm old and care not a jot what my inexperienced managers think so tend to just crack on but ECTs and late career changers tend to give in to more, break and leave

The system is completely broken.

@skybluefalling no it doesnt because I dont do very much teaching now although Im getting more and more pressure to cover if I can. It is often hard to say no as you are always thinking of how it will impact the children, and SLT know this!
I am firmly a TA now, underpaid certainly, but not undervalued where I work which is good.
But just as others have said, I loved teaching, I was a teacher for many years but the workload is ridiculous.

I taught in mainstream though, forgot to say.

As an ex teacher, considering going back to teaching the cut off date for applications is 30th June.

Why do you think your school will not find a teacher?

There are many TAs who have loads of qualifications and experience but have not become class teachers because they've worked with class teachers, seen the ridiculous workload of the teachers and sat down with teachers as they've cried, listened to them before they leave the profession. It's not that appealing after you've seen it happen so many times. It's very sad what is happening at your dads school. Do you not have much faith in the TAs? We do have quite a lot of responsibilities nowadays. I was joint safeguarding lead at my previous schools part of SENDCo role and have carried out many multi- agency meetings and applied and successfully secured EHCPs for kids.
Don't underestimate what underpaid staff are doing!

Excuse the poor use of punctuation! Ha!

*dd's school

Don't underestimate what underpaid staff are doing!

Exactly

Because they've told us they haven't got one. They been advertising for months and had no applicants. Obviously there could be a late surge but I guess they're working with the info they have ahead of transition starting shortly.