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.

That’s not what I meant at all. My post was probably worded badly. I was reacting to a pp who was bringing in TA salaries.
I just don’t think there should be an expectation that parents fundraise each term to subsidise school staff salaries. Teacher gift giving seems to have become this massive thing, with loads of politics around it, whereas in the past a home made card was all that really was required.
As mentioned, there are 2 teachers and 5 TAs in my kids class. Am I supposed to get a gift for all of them?
From posts by teachers, half the time these gifts aren’t even wanted and sometimes cause distress! Last year some teacher posted that she was in tears because her class had sent her a really expensive M&S hamper that she couldn’t even use.
Our school have actually sent out a communication that gifts are really not needed and if people want to make a financial contribution they should donate to the food bank collection for the local community, I think this is lovely x

Also a SENCO and have been for 10 years in various schools. Have also said in various previous posts TAs should still be included. I just think some posters don't realise the crisis SEND provision is in.

Only a fraction of parents seem to want to contribute to a joint gift , however. Perhaps they’d prefer to give individually (to get the personal kudos?) Or perhaps they don’t want to give gifts. Who knows.. and then people started arguing on the amount. Some people felt that 5£ per child was more than enough, others wanted everyone to contribute more to raise a particular amount for each staffer.

The OP actually stated it was for the TA’s who work with particular SEN children so it was heavily implied they are 1:1’s. Nobody is excluding the class TA & parents can get gifts for whoever they wish. If somebody was providing my child with a 1:1 support in that way I’d give them a gift even if I had to make it! It’s not up to the other parents to do.

Wow you are really lovely aren’t you? For the record many of us myself included have to go to a tribunal to get the TA with loads of parent’s going into debt of around £40k on legal fees and expert reports as evidence. You also might like to know that a huge chunk of taxpayers money is spent by LA’s on Barristers fighting these parents. Google Mark Small and educate yourself on what parents have to go through.

I agree. I also don’t think they realise the crisis in education generally and how much support children need these days. All children.

Numerous posters have broken down for you why you’re wrong.

I'm not "1:1" but actually work with 9 sen daily. I also do class interventions in the afternoons. I also have the whole year group for lunch. I take them all out for every break and lunch. I am their first aider. I coax children in who don't want to come in. I do plaits in the hairs for the girls who want it. I play with them daily. I know the names of all their siblings. I know who can and cannot make fathers day cards. I know who does and doesn't celebrate Christmas. I make alternative plans for these children. These children are my world, as I am theirs at school. I genuinely treat them as my own.

I would be heartbroken to not have an acknowledgement of that.

Just goes to show what many people think goes on in schools compared with what actually goes on. I've worked in schools for over 20 years. The TAs are the backbone of the school and know the children so well and the job has changed so much in that time. They're not there for the pittance they're paid, that's for sure. 1:1 is extremely rarely 1:1 and I'm 100% sure that they're doing all of the job of a full time TA and an SEN assistant. Teachers are amazing but they could not do their jobs without TAs (who are increasingly given teaching tasks and interventions with more tricky groups as well as covering the whole class when teacher is off or out and constantly in fear of redundancy because our government thinks do little of them). I would be mortified if my portion didn't go towards the TAs.

No they’ve broken down why it’s wrong to not include them in a class gift & that they interact with the whole class. I appreciate those points. I was replying to the poster who said the OP didn’t specify the post related to the 1:1 TA’s, I forgot to use the quote button. And I’m not ‘wrong’, I have a different opinion to you.

That’s absolutely shit.

At our school there’s a whole school collection to buy a gift (chocolate and vouchers) for every member of staff who works there. Reception staff, finance staff, lunch staff, TAs.

The way I see it, regardless of which children they work with, TAs are part of the school staff and absolutely essential for the overall operation of the school.

1:1 TA’s are just as much part of the class as the child they’re supporting. And as has been explained by multiple people those 1:1 TA’s do not just support the child they’re allocated to. They are part of the community. You are wrong. And your attitude is from a place of total ignorance.

It is, I know 3 families whose children have a 1:1 in school. In two, the mum has given up work and in another she’s drastically reduced her hours.

After school care for children with SEN is pretty much non existent and holiday clubs can be a nightmare as well. Once you factor in school refusal, hospital stays and appointments it becomes really hard.

IMO my son loves all his teachers, they all contribute and leaving someone out is just rude.

The SEN money goes to the school and doesn't even cover the annual salary of a 121 TA. And it also has to provide any additional equipment for reasonable adjustments for the child eg voice recognition software and laptops, adjustable tables, widening doors etc.

I'm embarrassed for you, Pinkfluff.

@Iliketosmile completely depends, every situation / local authority / needs are different.
my DD is in main stream, the local authority Employ and fund her 1-1 directly and is fully covered.
her equipment like laptop / chair etc has always been funded on requests from OT from local authority.
her school pay nothing towards her additional needs.

That’s not correct.

her school pay nothing towards her additional needs

Schools fund the first £6,000 of any SEN child.

Mainstream state schools always have to fund the first £6000 from their own SEN allocated budget.

I'm a TA and from the outside I'm very much 1 to 1. However, this is my second year with the same class and I know those children inside out. I wipe away tears and am always on hand for a cuddle. I help with maths and phonics and anything else that might be needed when I get a spare minute and thankfully the parents of the students in my class recognise that and treat me exactly the same as any other TA. It is a ridiculously hard job with very little acknowledgment and I don't get SENA. I'm paid the same as a 'Class TA'. I also treat all TAs the same in my son's classes. I know that regardless of job title everyone does their bit and I'm so thankful for everything they do.

It just goes to show how much people resent SEN kids receiving support in mainstream, if they can’t even find it within themselves to give a 1:1 a Christmas gift.

They are as much a part of the classroom family as any other adult.

I agree it makes me so sad and threads like this show the underlying resentment towards SEN children and their parents seeing them as parasites sucking up taxpayers money to get support and an education to which they are entitled to.

It is correct, as I said every situation is different. My daughters 1-1 is not employed or paid for by the school and the local authority took over 2 years ago.
I can share her ehcp is you don’t believe 😂
it’s all dependent on many factors.

EHCPs can be fully funded. LAs won’t do so unless forced, but they can be.

No it’s not. That’s not how ehcp’s work. Ehcp’s name a setting. The setting has to provide what’s in the plan and that includes TA support. Funding is not written into plans.