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.

You posted, “That’s a PA not a TA.” Which is incorrect. It is a TA. You also posted, “local authorities don’t employ TA’s to work in schools in the way that you’re describing” when they do sometimes.

If, as you say, that the school is receiving no funding

I haven’t said that. Please quote where I have.

Who said “a 1:1 that’a providing things outside of section F”? Certainly not me.

Actually, the ultimate duty to ensure F is provided lies with the LA.

There’s two of you commenting and it’s becoming impossible to follow. To be clear this is NOT me backtracking or saying I’m wrong. The two of you are making statements that are not correct / vague.

And as said repeatedly none of this has anything to do with the original post and is in fact detracting from something that matters. The exclusion of Sen children and the “othering” of support. So I will not be responding to either of you any further.

Nothing I have posted is incorrect or vague. I was correcting your incorrect posts.

This is great for your daughter and I hope she does well, but as you said up thread it is not the norm and you had to push hard to get it. She is fortunate to have someone to advocate so well for her, not many children do.

I think you have the wrong poster.

As a SEN 1:1 TA in the past - the point of being a 1:1 TA is to encourage independence - so at some (read lots) of points you are supporting many children in class - also 1:1 aren't isolated- they maybe on a table with other children that you will support if needed then the child you are supporting doesn't need it at that time! Give thanks and appreciation of that TA that supports every child realistically and the teacher!

I’ve completely lost track of what the points are 😅

I've been working as a 1-1 and a TA (depending on the day) since the start of Covid. I've branched out into working in the office in the afternoons, but I've stayed on in the mornings as I wanted to make sure my 1-1 wasn't disturbed by my departure (they're in y6 now; I'm likely to leave the role after that for various reasons).

My 1-1 has made amazing progress over the years, and since that first year never needs to be outside of the classroom and in fact is upset if that's even suggested. I know the class very well now, and have a very good relationship with all of them. I have every gift any of them has ever made or bought me, and all of the drawings they've done for me over the years. One child told me last week that he still has the origami animal I made for him in year 3.

If any of them come to school with a problem (they've forgotten lunch, or an article of clothing, or they're worried about something) they come to me first. Probably mostly because the class teacher is likely busy at that time, but also because they're comfortable with me and they know I will listen and try to fix it, or bring it up with the teacher at the appropriate moment. Also, I'm pretty good at maths (my degree is in Economics) which translates into often helping both the lower end and the upper end of the ability range.

I'm also fortunate to have worked with some truly lovely teachers these last few years, all of them have appreciated my help and I've never felt as if it was anything less than a collaborative effort between us. I'm very aware they're the ones running the class, as they are the trained professionals with the experience to back it up, but I know (because they've told me) that my presence makes their jobs easier. One in particular tells me any chance she can get that she misses me, and the feeling is mutual tbh 😄

I know this is a long post but I just felt as if I should attempt to illustrate how some schools operate.

I'm not fishing for gifts btw; I genuinely love the drawings and cards from the children and I don't have space for any mugs. I admit it seems a bit mean to collect large sums of money to give to one person and nothing to the other, but that's more my observations of the younger years and the divide in care roles there. (Our part-time y1 teachers have mountains of gifts every year and their full time TAs often get nothing. Honestly, I've not worked in y1, but if your child is tearful, or messy, has soiled themselves, requires large amounts of hand holding etc, please at least get a card for the TAs in the class! They're the ones doing the majority of the care and getting so little recognition)

There weren't usually group collections for us, other than when dd left nursery and then the collection was for all staff to go for afternoon tea. My daughter gave to the teacher and the TA's in the classroom. I think the one year there was a different TA she wanted to give to as well - if she wanted to give to them they must have spent some time with her so we went with it. I also sent in a box of biscuits or chocolates for the staffroom too, both Christmas time and at the end of the school year. Not saying a box went very far amongst all the staff in the school, but at least it could be shared by a number, and hopefully if someone didn't get anything they could have some. For the last few years of primary, if stuck we got costa vouchers. I didn't want to get something that would create clutter, and didn't know if they drank alcohol etc, but most people can use a voucher in some way. They seemed to go down well with those that received them.

Their primary role might be to look after the SEN children but that doesn't mean they don't have a relationship with any of the other children. In my years as a primary school teacher working with TAs they have never only worked with specific children and not engaged with the other students at all.
I would be pointing out to the organisers of the gifts that the TAs working with the SEN students frees up the teacher to have more time with the other students, and therefore they are a vital part of your children being provided for in school and the smooth running of the classroom as a whole.

This. When I was a 1-1 with an autistic pupil I did a heck of a lot more. I took groups of 6 or 7 children for various lessons and activities. I covered playtime, sorted out the milk and also cleaned the classroom Although I wasn’t a TA I did the work of one.
I had gifts from the teachers themselves and also from the parents of the child I was 1 to 1 with.

Don’t buy teachers gifts at all - my sil just gives all her presents to family and friends - she loves to regift as it saves her buying presents and I suspect this is quite common.

she loves to regift as it saves her buying presents

so sounds positive? what she does with the gifts is her business but if she loves to regift… then win win

Just awful behaviour and verging on discriminatory - as though the SEN children don't really count as part of the class, and therefore the TAs helping them are not part of the staff supporting the 'mainstream' class members so they don't matter? (I am sure they do actually support all the children in the class anyway)

I am shocked, though not surprised, that this behaviour is considered acceptable. I am being honest, I would have been heartbroken if that had been done to one of the lovely TAs supporting my SN child when he was at school. Op I would ask you to not be part of such cruelty and meanness, and do what you need to do to disassociate yourself from it - if that means opting out of this whip-round and buying your own gift then so be it.

I used to work as a 1:1 TA and that certainly didn't mean I worked only with the one child. I was always helping other children on their table during group work too.
My child currently sits on the same table as a child with a 1.1 TA and that TA is very well liked by all of the children.
It's very harsh to exclude them. They won't necessarily get a gift or card from the parents of the children they're 1:1 with either.

Wow! We get our TA a present asking with the teacher! They're invaluable in a classroom even if they're "only" dealing with one child! That child can then take part with their peers and the teacher can concentrate on the whole class rather than just the child with extra needs.