Teachers leaving and long term sickness

[Jennybeans401]

Middle moved school last year due to bullying. She settled well into the new school and things have been okay for her.

About 5 weeks ago the lovely, long term TA left the school. The TA worked in dds class, dd liked her a lot and she provided a lot of stability. The class has a lot of children with SEND requirements. The HT hasn't replaced the TA, dd said the class was difficult but she loves the class teacher so tried to get on with it.

The class teacher took sick leave 2 weeks ago, she seemed very stressed and now the class just have a TA from Reception teaching them (no other TAs to support this young lady). The class is very disruptive now, dd can't concentrate and doesn't understand the work anymore.

I spoke to the HT yesterday who said they don't have any other options but to continue like this until the teacher is back.

AIBU to think of moving dd again if the problem doesn't get resolved?

There are plenty of men in schools, @Innocentsongs , they're disproportionately represented in SLT rather than in the classrooms but they're there. It's a very bizarre tangent to attempt to blame the enormous crisis in teacher recruitment and retention on Mumsnet having an anti-male bias (it doesn't, it's just female-centric and unapologetic about it). Schools are crumbling - literally, the buildings are falling apart, there is no money in the budgets and other public services are toppling and no one wants to be a teacher now. Not even for the holidays that draw so much ire on the strike threads. It's not about men; it's about politics. This is the result of thirteen years of Tory rule.

3 of our TAs are fully qualified teachers.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2022-0197/

www.theguardian.com/education/2022/may/07/number-of-male-teachers-in-england-at-all-time-low-as-pay-levels-drop

Quite a few of the TAs in my school had a degree, though none were ex teachers.However, I do have a friend who worked in a different school and she was a teacher turned TA so obviously it happens.

I have known a few that are qualified teachers and more that have a degree but no PGCE. Others have started as parent helpers and done qualifications part time.

I'm a male TA in his late 40's, I became a TA because kids are brilliant. I wanted a job where I could spend time with my kids and after 12 years of it I still love going to work everyday and I'm still learning things. Now that my youngest is a teen and doesn't need me around as much I'm finally going for HLTA. I'll get the fun of teaching without all the crap that teachers have to deal with.

Sometimes I read threads on here and wonder how there are any teachers are left.
The OP will state their child is high needs, extremely violent and out of control. The school is on their knees dealing with child.
There will always be at least one poster saying to march in there and make them prove what they are doing to support the child.
I'll tell you what my teacher DH does. Hours and hours of extra paperwork in his own time, on top of all the other work he does in his own (family) time.
He shares a single TA with other classes and seriously needs at least one for his own class with 6 kids with SN. As well as kids that barely know any English.
So basically dealing with these SN children (and their parents) while trying to teach the class anything at all. I'd go off sick too. Permanently.
I'm sorry for your DD but this is the situation now.
Soon there will be no teachers left.

It's the entitlement of parents coupled with zero understanding of our day to day reality. And yes to the pp who mentioned dads going off at female teachers. I've had to stand my ground many a time.

Quick answer is unless you are able to move her to a school in a different country (of course you are not) then I wouldn’t bother moving her. Things will hopefully settle down eventually but this can and does happen at any school so moving would probably be pointless

In the school that I work at, of the 5 TAs we have (all part time) two are ex teachers taking an easier job while they have small children, one is an ex solicitor (same reason) one is an HTLA (so extra qualifications) and one has a specific NVQ for being a TA.

however, the TAs frequently get shoved in front of a class with no warning or preparation, and often very little planning given to them. (I am one of the TAs mentioned above!). There’s no funding for supply teachers or extra TAs. Teaching staff are under enormous stress and parents of some children (not all!) are unreasonably demanding (see all the threads on ‘just go into the school and demand XYZ). Behaviour is terrible - I’ve been sworn at, had things thrown at me, a colleague had two ribs cracked by a violent child a few months ago - and there is nothing anyone can do about it, because there’s no money!!

people wonder why teachers are striking - this is the reason why! It’s not because they are greedy or money grabbing, it’s because the education system is on its knees, thanks to the Tory government.

I’m not surprised there’s a recruitment crisis - TAs get paid a pittance and the work is hard and stressful. I’m leaving at the end of the year, I’ve got a higher paying and less stressful job lined up that I’m looking forward to starting. I wouldn’t train to be a teacher now for anything.

Neither would I be a teacher for anything.

When I started doing TA work in a secondary school I was considering eventually becoming a teacher as I have a degree. BUT after my first year as a TA I realised that I wouldn't want to be a teacher, despite the considerably better pay. The shit they have to put up with from pupils (and parents) is immense, and getting worse.

One thing that covid taught me was that a surprisingly high number of parents, teachers and people in government, don’t really care much about education. I imagine politicians realise they can get away with doing very little about it.

Teachers have been screaming about these issues for years and no one has been particularly arsed, teached bashing generally is worse than it was if anything. The government don't care about your child's education sadly, and the result are schools which can't attract staff and can't even afford the basics. Very sad all round. DS' school have been told they can't buy any new supplies they have to use what is already in the school- that includes paper and exercise books etc. I took a box of glue sticks and pencils in and his teacher nearly cried; so depressing.

The papers and MPs were banging on yesterday about the UK coming fourth in some worldwide tests they’ve carried out and saying well done to teachers, leaders and Nick Gibb (?!). Someone pointed out on Twitter that out of the people thanked there, only Nick Gibb would be given a pay rise…

These are of course the same papers and MPs that tell everyone that 1/4 (or whatever they claim) children leave primary school not being able to read…

I’m a TA. Not a qualified teacher but I’ve taught in visiting school groups to charities for 20 years. I have a degree in biology and a Masters in Education. The two other TAs in my school both have degrees but not teaching qualifications. One is thinking about training to be a teacher. The other wants a job that fits with her children and will go back to her original field (health science) once her children are old enough.

Anecdote not statistics but we are out there.

I'm sure you are very competent but you are getting paid less than you should.

And you shouldn’t be put in the position of class teacher, regardless.

Sadly this has been happening for years! I was 22, got an undergraduate degree, had a DBS check (CRB now) and was popped in a classroom after 2 hours training…..as a cover supervisor, but I did it for a year and always the same school and every day!! Because so many qualified teachers were off sick but they couldn’t replace them until they had left officially (not just on long term sick). Felt awful for those kids but did the best I could in a difficult role. This was 15 years ago btw