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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teaching Assistants excluded from class Christmas present

341 replies

LyricalBoudicca · 15/12/2023 16:35

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.

OP posts:
TurquoiseDress · 15/12/2023 20:50

TheHeadOfTheHouse · 15/12/2023 20:13

My son has a 1-1 for half of the day (the TA doesn’t work afternoons) and there is another child with a full time 1-1.

in the class collection, we both said no to the 1-1s being included in the standard pot.

we buy our 1-1 a present separate from the pot (but we both still contribute to the pot) as we don’t expect them to be included in the main pot when they only deal with our child.

its concerned me that so many 1-1 teachers are being used for other children when they aren’t funded for them.

Now this makes sense to me and was what I tried to explain earlier about contributions in the other class in our year...

The parents with the 1 to 1 child wanted to make their own contribution of a gift directly to the individual TA

TurquoiseDress · 15/12/2023 20:53

Wow at least I can go to bed with a clear conscience that we contributed to gifts for our children's teacher AND their wonderful TA Grin

BarelyCoping123 · 15/12/2023 20:54

Disgusting.
TAs are skilled professionals who are vastly underpaid - basically minimum wage, for demanding, responsible, trained work.
If the TAs are working with particular high-needs students, the whole class benefits - if the TAs werent there, those students would take far more of the teacher's time away from the rest of the class.
Honestly I don't know why anyone would be a TA, theyre treated like shit in SO many ways (I'm a TA if you couldn't guess)

hiredandsqueak · 15/12/2023 20:55

It would be very unusual that the SENTAs worked solely with their assigned child. My ds and dd both had 1 to 1s but I bought a small gift for all who worked in the class.

BarelyCoping123 · 15/12/2023 21:06

there isn't £6k allocated per child on the SEND register.

Yes, there is (if they have an EHCP)

caringcarer · 15/12/2023 21:10

Even if the TA's are supposed to work with 2 named DC they will help others too. My DS had a 1-1 helper in primary school FC or ADHD and the teacher sat 2 other DC who didn't get a helper but also needed help on his table so they could get support too. She asked me if I objected. I think it's very mean to leave out these 2 TA's who don't earn much.

Ingibjörg · 15/12/2023 21:15

The TA in my DC’s class is a genuine 1:1. The child she supports is profoundly deaf, so she signs for her. We got her a gift, just the same as the class teacher. Wouldn’t have dreamt of doing anything else. She’s part of the class family. It also feels dismissive of the child who’s TA she is to dismiss her.

BarelyCoping123 · 15/12/2023 21:45

@Blinkin with the EHCPs I've seen, the school has to make a contribution and so does the council, often each around £4-6k.

carolsandchristmas · 15/12/2023 21:47

LyricalBoudicca · 15/12/2023 16:35

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.

Ignorant. Wanky. And just downright cunty

Londonrach1 · 15/12/2023 21:48

Talk to teacher here...if the ta just working with 1 to 1 with one child or with class. Ta worth weight on gold but if linked and not interacting with other children ..on fence here...talk to teacher

carolsandchristmas · 15/12/2023 21:50

escapethemaze · 15/12/2023 16:38

out of 30 they only engage with two children?

perhaps a box of chocolates or something but certainly not remotely same as other TAs and Teachers. i’d hope the parents of the SEN children would get them something

They're paid to work with that 1:1 child ratio. But trust me. They don't just work 1:1x they chat, speak and help the other kids. Also, their presence in the classroom enables the children and staff to have a much more positive day at school by being with said Sen children. For fuks sake the absolute ignorance of some parents seriously shocks me.

When I'm 1:1 I usually go round the class helping other kids which enable the class teacher to work 1:1 with said Sen child. They work so bloody hard and no gratitude from anyone. Ridiculous. Parents of Sen kids usually hate acknowledging their child is Sen so never gift either. The reward comes from the child progressing so much in school. And teachers being thankful. Parents can be horrible

Blinkin · 15/12/2023 22:00

BarelyCoping123 · 15/12/2023 21:45

@Blinkin with the EHCPs I've seen, the school has to make a contribution and so does the council, often each around £4-6k.

Right, so that initial £6k isn't given to the school which is what you said earlier. Schools have to fund that regardless of how many children they have with EHCPs.

JT69 · 15/12/2023 22:01

What a sad thread - is that what some parents think of TAs? No 121 TA ever only works with just their child. The class is a unit and includes everyone in it. Class TA here who juggles class responsibilities and several children who should have 121 support but don’t. An EHCP will change nothing here.

BarelyCoping123 · 15/12/2023 22:13

@Blinkin sorry if we're talking at cross-purposes - my point was that in my experience, schools do get an amount from councils per EHCP student. But yes, schools also do need to pledge a significant amount themselves, which is imo unfairly harsh on the schools, because as you say it is regardless of how many EHCP students they have. My school has more and more such students each year....

Restrelief · 15/12/2023 22:14

Even if the child has profound needs and so it is 1:1 not helping the other children they are interacting with the class by helping that child participate (eg by signing).

It seems mean unless the Rep approaches the parent of the supported child and they prefer to do their own thing.

FranticallyFrank · 15/12/2023 22:37

I’m a 1:1 TA for a child with an EHCP. Like most schools we have and more and more children with EHCPs all the time. We now have almost no TAs that aren’t 1:1 but we still have to deliver group interventions and work 1:1 with other children who have recognised needs but no additional funding, eg speech and language.

I don’t really get involved with most of the children in the class beyond answering the odd question or occasionally hear readers. I work pretty exclusively with the children identified as needing additional support plus my 1:1 child. Everything we do is very targeted.

LeaveBritneyAlone · 15/12/2023 22:39

This is why I don’t do gift giving to school staff. Too messy and annoying. They also don’t need 15 ‘best teacher’ mugs every year

Ninkinpopodopolis · 15/12/2023 22:41

There are ta's that will only support 1 child. My son's was one of those. He spent reception in main stream with full 1 to 1 funding. He has a profound learning disability and medical needs. He spent a maximum of 20 minutes in the classroom and that was only by around the summer term. He was even fed his lunch in a separate room. His ta did not spend any time with other children as my son needed constant supervision.

LeaveBritneyAlone · 15/12/2023 22:43

I think it’s worth pointing out that if a SEN TA’s child is off school - which can be often depending on the child’s health needs / they don’t stay at home with their thumb up their bum. They’re working for YOUR children on those days.

SparklesInTheCloud · 15/12/2023 23:10

I think it's mean. My DC's reception class had a 1-1 TA and though they didn't do all the official work (for example the other TAs were assigned to regularly read with tje kids) they absolutely did help all the other children as well whenever they could and whenever it was needed. I know because they helped DD with all kinds of stuff and they were one of dd's favourite member of staff.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 15/12/2023 23:16

Imnotarestaurant · 15/12/2023 16:59

I’m a 1:1 TA for a child with additional needs. In the last week I’ve heard at least 10 children read, patched up several grazed knees, helped sew Christmas stockings, sorted out disagreements and completed concern forms for pupils that aren’t ‘mine’. I don’t know a single 1:1 TA that only works with one specific child.

This

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 15/12/2023 23:23

I had a job as a TA years ago funded via one pupil Who I worked closely with but I poured love and support into every child in that class. I went around helping all of them with their work, I was there to talk to them about their problems and worries, I helped them make friends at play time and ran groups for them to attend.
The parents were lovely and always chipped in to give me John Lewis vouchers at Christmas and when I left, these were so appreciated especially when I was on the low wage. Another mum gave me cute Christmas socks which i still have and one gave me a friendship bracelet to thank me for helping her daughter who felt so sad about her parents divorce. I felt very appreciated.

FancyFanny · 15/12/2023 23:37

Ninkinpopodopolis · 15/12/2023 22:41

There are ta's that will only support 1 child. My son's was one of those. He spent reception in main stream with full 1 to 1 funding. He has a profound learning disability and medical needs. He spent a maximum of 20 minutes in the classroom and that was only by around the summer term. He was even fed his lunch in a separate room. His ta did not spend any time with other children as my son needed constant supervision.

That's not typical though in a mainstream school. Most 1:1 support is aimed at assisting a particular child with integration into their class. It would be weird for an adult in a classroom of young children to not interact and support others.

In my school we have a policy of building a 'team around the child'. SEN children have a key adult who is their designated port of call, but that adult is not exclusively theirs- with the aim for them to be as independent as possible and not over reliant on their support. All adults in their class are encouraged to be familiar and offer support if necessary because, after all, support staff can fall ill, move to another role, or leave the school.

systemadilema · 15/12/2023 23:48

They're all part of the same team. All should get gifts.

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