Teaching Assistants excluded from class Christmas present

[LyricalBoudicca]

Class representative organised the traditional Christmas whip-round to buy vouchers for the teacher with a % given to the rest of the school staff community to save teachers/staff being inundated with lots of gifts. This year they have announced that the 2 TAs in the class will not be included in the voucher gifting because they only work with 2 SEN children and not the rest of the class. AIBU in thinking this is a bit mean? Nobody has to take part of course but I feel rather uncomfortable about the whole situation.

Very bad example to set for children- it’s ok to leave people out.

The 1-2-1 TAs job is to make sure the work is appropriately set and/ or accessable for their child, but ALSO to make sure they are included socially and emotionally in everyday classroom life. So they WILL take small groups and work with other children, and they will most certainly speak with, and deal with other children in the class, every day. They don't just sit in the corner and work exclusively with one child, because that's not inclusive is it? I think the SEN TA should get a pressie. I don't understand why they wouldn't. As an aside, the other kids probably really like him/her and have had positive interactions/ helped by/ Surely this is what it's all about?

You can always get them a small present just from you, wine is always appreciated.

That's bad practice of the school then. They're saving the money of a TA but using you - when you're supposed to be there for the SEN child only.

So your SEN child doesn't get you 1 to 1 even though their EHCP says they should? :(

It’s exceptionally rare for an EHCP to require that a TA is 1:1 at all times to the extent of excluding others.

But 1:1 support doesn't mean stuck side by side in a locked part of the classroom segregated from all of the other children for the entirety of their school careers. 1:1 support is different for every child who needs it, but invariably a part of it for the majority is the TA supporting inclusion into small groups or class activities, for example. That's still supporting the child 1:1, but not necessarily by themselves. Some classes don't have any classroom TAs at all anymore, this doesn't mean that the 1:1s don't do what they should, but that it doesn't mean the poster is doing anything wrong that warrants a sad face by stating a fact. Even if the TA is sat away from all of the other children they're still a part of the classroom, it's sad some parents wouldn't be teaching their children that.

Sadly thats increasingly becoming not the case. My mainstream school has 7 children who’s EHCPs state 1:1 adult support for 32.5 hours a week - those children are all on a waiting list for special school because no mainstream school can meet their profound needs. The schools in our cluster are all in the same position. 5 years ago, this was not the case because there was more availability of special school places. The system is totally broken.

@Flamingbow spot on, and completely accurate about the amount of support required for individual children.
I think it's important to remember, inside the classroom, we act as a team. We do not see the 121 as different, they are an important part of our TEAM. A valuable lesson for children to learn. EVERYONE counts, and everyone helps make the classroom a great environment.

The 1:1 TAs will be contributing to the class running smoothly even if they only ever work directly with one child. You would notice a difference if they weren't there.

My DS had a 1 to 1 in primary school and part of the remit was that she did small group work including my DS plus run clubs such as Lego and sewing. On top of that she was the school’s ELSA practitioner so very much part of the class.

It's not really true that these 1:1 TAs free up the teacher. Without them, many of these children just wouldn't be in mainstream full stop.

This thread is going round in circles anyway with it being repeated over and over that 1:1 TAs always work with the rest of the class when it's been stated by various posters working in schools that's not always the case. Some posters are underestimating the level of need some pupils in mainstream demonstrate (children who undoubtedly would have been in special schools a decade ago). And no, it's not inclusion by any means, but it is what the government has made it.

1:1 adult support doesn’t mean they cannot step away but that’s a badly worded ehcp regardless.

Parents aren’t hear to subsidise TA salaries!!

This whole gift giving for teachers has got completely out of hand. It used to be just a small token to acknowledge / say thank you to your kids teacher at the end of the year. Now there’s all this fundraising to buy a million different people gifts every term. My kid’s class of 30 has 2 teachers and 5 TAs!

Surely the SEN TAs can expect a thank you (in whatever form) from the parents of the kids they are there to support?

Which is the entire class.

Our school is outstanding for sen, isn't a general ta in the whole school with 1300 children just sen tas and no we don't get extra pay for sen.we have at least 50 ehcp children and 23 tas, I've worked as a ta for 10 years in various schools and never just worked with 1 child.

Are you really so stingy that you can't bear for 50p of your money to go to thanking someone at Christmas who looks after your child's friend? Couldn't you be grateful that your child doesn't have additional needs and be kind to those supporting children who do?

I'm getting ever more baffled here, I struggle to believe real humans are this selfish. I'm so glad parents in our class aren't like this.

If there's no other TA for the whole class there is no way that they only work with 2 SEN children, even if that's what it is "on Paper" .

They will be doing prep/ follow up work which benefits the whole class.

There will also be undiagnosed/ unidentified children with SEN and other issues that'll be getting support in some way even if that's not official.

If I was a parent of one of the Sen kids I'd not contribute to this and spend myoney on The TA s instead.

If they can afford it. Don't assume they can. cost of living is hitting disabled people and their carers particularly hard unfortunately

£10 per child = £300

You could give

£100 to each teacher and £20 to each TA
or
£75 to each teacher and £30 to each TA
or
£50 to each teacher and £40 to each TA

Plenty of money to give everyone a gift.

They would because there is a nationwide shortage of Sen places.

I am a senco. I’m well aware of what 1:1’s do. They are an intrinsic part of the class. Excluding them from class staff gifts is not only exclusionary but I can assure you pisses off the other staff as well. It’s gross.

Well why aren’t the parents of the SEN kids getting the TA’s a gift??? They’re the ones being tight! Their kids gets literally their own assistant at taxpayers expense and not the parents and they expect the other parents to pay for the TA’s gift!! British entitlement at its best!!

I don't even know where to start with that post

Are you that disgusting? Parents of children with SEN entitled?! They are as a group the least entitled people I’ve ever come across. They are parenting and supporting the most vulnerable children in society.

entitled are people like you who take no group responsibility. Who piggy back off TA’s and don’t even know it.

Gross.

Hoping you're being purposefully antagonistic- whilst still nasty would be better than being that ignorant. It isn't entitled for every child to be able to access education, nor is it for people to recognise its unfair to exclude a member of staff when they are an important part of the classroom. The post wasn't even saying about 1:1s anyway, they said TAs many of which are class wide TAs.

I work in care and no gift or bonus. Most TAs do the job as its school hours. Its petty ofvthe school but you are being petty too.