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.

Oh wow, that’s really awful. Can you say something?

Thank you so much for organising it, what shall we do for the TAs? I’m happy to organise a smaller whip round for them as I’m sure they assist in all manner of ways in the classroom. Please transfer £2/3 each to * if you’re interested’

Really mean . All TAs in my kids primary school were amazing and the ones who were 1 to 1 definitely helped other kids . A TA helped my DS during the pandemic . He would have been in a right old mess without her . That TA was also undervalued by the parents in general

It's fucking diabolical how much TA's are expected to do and how little they are paid

You missed the being kicked punched and swore at - dealing with poor behaviour in class, all the break and lunch duties - giving free time to supervise plays and days out - even a week away for no extra pay.

I was a TA for 10 years - I now work in a company that paid for our team meal and whole building party? £100 voucher each plus wine and chocolates - lots of thank you’d and presents from each other.

i know most parents think TA hold hands with SEN kids and sit on their bums all day - they really don’t - TA and teachers are a team.

No wonder we are all leaving.

Fucking hell that is cruel. I always bought the TAs and the lunchtime supervisors gifts as they get paid very badly and work incredibly hard.

I would scrap the whole business of presents for teachers and T.A. s. If you want to say thanks then give them a card with a note in, saying why you appreciate them. "My Johnny has loved being in your class, always wants to go to school, has made fantastic progress," or whatever you like. Buy a book for the class library if you must, but gifts for teachers and T.A.s are unnecessary.

My DD has a 1:1 and I always assume she chips in with other children in the class too if needed? My DD can manage without her for 5 mins if another child is in need! And she had been included in the class collection too along with the teacher and class TA and the other 1:1 TA. I think that’s really awful to not include them!

Lots of things are unnecessary but nice for people who want to do them. I hate this we should scrap x, y and z when it's in no way mandatory anyway.

I’ve spent most of the last two terms as main support to a child with behavioural issues, their family couldn’t be bothered to send me a card even though I do most of their teaching. I’m not a 1-1 but this child takes up most of my day although I also work in the main classroom, do intervention groups and support other children with behavioural need in the class - they are no more than an arms length away from me. I do a lot of pastoral care too. I’m not there for the presents but an acknowledgment in a card means a lot.
I used to organise the class collection for my DS class, I wouldn’t ever leave anyone out - they are part of the working team in the classroom and should be treated as such.

1:1 supports never just work with ONE child. The child is not isolated from the class- SEN children will work as part of a group as much as possible. Support staff are there to support the child to be part of the class, their role is to help the SEN child become independent and whenever possible staff will help other children, do preparation for lessons, support the teacher where needed, comfort upset children, do playground duty, help at lunchtimes, take out intervention groups that will include the SEN child alongside others who may also benefit from the help. Some people really do have no idea what working in a school is like!

I'm also a TA who works 1:1 with an SEN child and aswel as dealing with the meltdowns and trying to get them to focus and actually cooperate iv had to help other pupils, stand in a freezing cold playground on break duty, sort the children's reading books out, help children in the Nativity.
I'm very lucky the pupils parents see me as an equal and have received some lovely gifts, flowers and gift vouchers. I'm fairly new to the job so didn't expect anything but I'm ready to go back in January grateful that the hard work I've put in is recognised.

I would refuse to take part. What's the point of giving a gift if it's not heart felt and it is exclusionary.

As a teacher I treasured the handmade cards children gave me often with a token present I could enjoy or pass onto a loved one. It had meaning and thought behind it, whereas a class voucher is sterile and feels transactional to me and I would be unhappy if my other classroom staff were ignored when they work just as hard, not just with the child)reb they look after but also helping prep the classroom and resources etc

To be honest, the minefield makes me not want to give anyone a gift! We don't do a whip-round and were thinking £10 gift voucher for teachers (X2) if we then add LSAs (even at £5 each) that's four general ones and 2 1:2:1s (one of whom works with only 'her' child) that comes to £50.

I preferred it last year when they just asked for books

That’s beyond mean. It’s very likely that most children in the class will benefit from the TAs tile- guided reading, social circles, interventions, the TA prepping general materials for the class, etc etc

My DD has an EHCP with 1:1 support specified in primary but her TA, although primarily with her, did work with other kids in the class and helped out on trips etc However, I did used to get her a separate specific gift so while I think it’s a bit mean not to include them, they’d probably get a separate one anyway.

Some years ago secondary schools got awards from the LA? for a good annual performance.

In total it was quite a sum. The head was responsible for sharing it out in any manner he saw fit.

He decided, and explained, that it was to be split equally between all on the payroll. We’d all been responsible for the success and he said he couldn’t decide exactly who had done what success wise.

All happy with what we got and his explanation.

TA's might be there to help certain children but you'd be very surprised how much they also help the other children in the class.
I think the parents are being mean.

That’s awful. The class representative is just being nasty

how would they like to be left out of something

i would be calling their behaviour out, they wouldn’t like it if it happened to their child

For individuals that's fair enough really, although it's nice to include all classroom staff it's different imo to a whip around one excluding the TAs.

Definitely unfair. Give to all or none. My son is at nursery and has a 1 to 1. She 100% interacts with all the kids and importantly helps him interact with them too.

That's disgraceful. I would request money back just to irritate the person and set up a rival TA collection. We downgrade only based on hours worked; 10 hours shouldn't be the same as full time as they will usually get something from another class for the other hours. TAs spend time with all the children, it's so rude.

We also add a bit for PE, music, office, caretakers etc; though giving to different ones each time, PSA allocate at random.

You clearly have absolutely no idea what a 1:1 TA may have to do to support a child in class. Ours are amazing, and if the parents of other children in the class thought they were less important then I’d be really upset.

Thats very mean. TA's get minimum wage almost.

Oh god I just arranged the class gift and missed off the TA who is a 1-2-1. It didn’t occur to me at all to include her and no one else mentioned it from all the parents I spoke to. Feel really terrible now. We actually got her a separate little gift and a handmade card from DD, but still. Not much I can do about it now but thanks for this thread and I’ll make sure the summer gift includes her and a big thank you.

They could have agreed to 25% each to the TAs and 50% to the teacher.

Of course the 1-2– TAs do a lot less with these parents children than the teacher does but they are a huge help to the teacher who can focus on the rest of the class.

A bit of recognition would not affect the parents in any way, as they’d still be giving the same amount but it would mean a lot to the TAs.

But them doing the 1-2-1 stops the other kids being left behind because the teacher can focus less on the SEN kids and teach to the classes level. The 1-2-1 benefits all the kids just by keeping the SEN kid on track