to think if I give notice as a teaching assistant by 1st august I don’t have to return on 1st September?

[OverworkedANDunderpaid123]

Lots of mixed feedback looking online and I can’t find my contract!
I am sure as support staff I need to give a months notice which surely applies over the holidays but lots saying this is incorrect and I have to return to give a months notice whilst working in September?
I have been majorly stitched up by being sent to a year group I have absolutely no experience in at all and want out.
help!

The school won't need to recruit because you probably won't be replaced.

In my school TAs have to give 2 months - insane!

It will entirely depend on what your contract of employment says. My mum was a teaching assistant in this situation and she wanted to resign in August because she would have lost out on pay had she resigned a tiny bit earlier (like, in July for example) even though as a TA she didn't work in the summer holidays. In her case the contract was written in her favour although the school tried to argue that she couldn't resign until after September term began. They obviously thought it was unfair but unfortunately for them the contract they had written allowed my mum to give notice in August, effective September.

I’m a SBM and very much still working, running interviews on Thursday this week!

Our support staff contracts say one month, and that is just what it means. You could give notice on 01 August and not return. Do check how you have to give notice though, and where you have to deliver it to. Ours would be to the Chair of Governors by post if the school was closed.

But as previous posters have said, think about a reference and how willing senior leaders will be to provide these in a timely manner if you’ve dropped them right in it. There are loads of TA job out there at the moment, go back in September and leave at October half term with a new job to go to. It’s only 7 weeks in a class you don’t want.

I want to do this but I don't work directly with pupils and I can do my job in different sectors for double the wages. My Head is leaving anyway and I've asked him for a reference so in the secondary school I work in think you can as he has not suggested otherwise.

I'm surprised you are so cross about being in an unfamiliar year group. Surely you go where you're needed. At our school, TAs are completely flexible and are able to provide support to any year group. I'm not sure that it matters that you've never been in that year group - you learn on the job under the direction of the teacher.

Do you know any other TAs in your school who you can ask to check their contract?

Surely no one is in until beginning of September so you'll have to wait until then and speak to someone and see if you can swap year groups, if it's that bad, or hand in your notice.

Just do it! They’re not going to sue you, are they? If any questions are asked, say you’ve had to go and work somewhere that pays better due to the cost of living crisis, eg Aldi!

I'm HR in education (college though so maybe different) but one month's notice means that. You can resign at any time and weeks worked have nothing to do with your notice period, unless your specific contract is different but I haven't come across a contract with a clause like that

I have been majorly stitched up by being sent to a year group I have absolutely no experience in at all

I don't understand why this means you've been stitched up? And surely you have only got experience in the classes you've worked in so far. Once you've done some time in this class you will have experience.

Isn't this like feeling stitched up at being put on the deli counter at tesco instead of the fish counter?

When I was a TA the holidays didn't count towards your notice period. I handed my notice in at the end of the autumn term and couldn't leave till the end of January as we had two weeks off for Christmas.

You don’t need to give notice at all OP. You can leave jobs anytime you want. Unless you’re in the army.

in theory they can sue you for the cost of a replacement. But they have your wages so that is zilch and never happens.

Seems a bit knee jerk to want to resign over the year group move. Why not give it a shot, you might enjoy it.

When they were planning the placements for 2022/23 were you not asked where you wanted to go? Although it's not always possible, the school I'm in tries to accommodate what teaching and support staff ask for.

I think nearly everyone..teachers included get a big of a wobble when they are changed but one month in and it's like you are there all your life. All your experience to date will count as the most important thing is to work alongside the class teacher and you have plenty of experience there l presume.

I think pp saying 'just do it' are giving irresponsible advice. Of course you will want to adhere to the terms of your contract, leave on good terms, get a good reference, not burn bridges etc I would also be thinking of the child or children expecting your support in September. I think the school deserve a fair period of notice to advertise and recruit a replacement if you are going to leave. If they had done something truly awful to you I would have more sympathy, but an unfamiliar year group is part of the job.

You haven't been stitched up. Everyone knows there is a possibility of support staff (as well as teachers) moving year groups. I'm going to guess you're moving up to a year group and are worried about the more difficult curriculum? I totally understand but surely it's a good thing to learn new skills? It seems like a bit of a knee jerk reaction to leave before even trying it. And it's pretty shitty to leave so suddenly without giving them a chance to find someone else before September

If your contract says one month (which most school support staff contracts will say), then it is one month, regardless of when that month falls.

A couple of years ago, I was working in a school support role - I was looking for a non-school role, and was offered my current job on 6th August that year. I emailed my notice to the HT that same day (and copied my line manager into it) - HT responded the same day with a very sweet, yet professional email, confirming that she had received my notice.

I had to work until 6th September (as per my contract - one month).
With return data after the summer holidays, it worked out that I had to return to the school for 3 days in September, which I gladly did (it was essentially just a detailed handover with my line manager, and I produced documentation in that time for my replacement).

I've spent many years in schools, and support staff hand in notice during the holidays all the time - some return for a few days (like I did), some don't come back at all (if they handed in their notice at the end of July/before 1st August). I have also known HTs and other senior staff, to go into schools over the holidays, to conduct interviews if needed.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do OP!

Are there wider issues? Everyone who works in schools knows TAs are held to professional standards while being paid for monkey work, and teachers are not what they should be. Is the thought of transferring to a different teacher an issue too?
Too many seem a bit blinkered about the reality of working for teachers on a third of their pay, but usually one doesn’t walk out of a job without another lined up.

Teachers have set leaving dates tas vary

Are you a TA? Actually I agree with the poster. I prefer ks2. If I was sent to a lower keystage I wouldn't enjoy it as much. I would give it a go to be fair but I need to be challenged in my job. Don't get paid well for it so I need to at least enjoy it!!

I have to disagree with the ‘just put up with it’ comments on here. TA pay is shit and they are generally treated badly. We don’t know the full story here and perhaps there are other issues in the school and this is the final straw for the OP. I’m assuming she has already considered just getting on with it and has decided that she’s not willing to do this for such a terrible wage. She’s probably also let her employer know that she’s not happy but they are unwilling to listen. It’s no different for teachers, some of my experienced colleagues handed their notice in last term because they were no longer willing to teach subjects they didn’t enjoy and weren’t trained for while their subjects were given to NQTs! This affects morale massively.
Nobody wants to go to work to be miserable and especially not for a TA wage!

I was a TA and left my job 2 years ago - I was moved from Y6 (which I loved) to reception for a ‘new challenge’. I am flexible and would (and had) moved across KS2 but didn’t want to work with very little ones, which is a different skill set. I was offered a job in secondary before the end of term and the school knew I was leaving - I officially handed in my notice on 31 July or would not have been paid in August.

Yes you can. 4 weeks notice for support staff, that includes holidays.