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.

Not my child not my problem 🙄 As others have said all the children in the class will benefit from the TAs presence and I'm sure the SEN parents may also recognise that individual on their own.

I have a daughter with profound complex SEN and I have 13 gifts to buy for people who help care for my daughter. I appreciate each and everyone of them and it is not a token gesture on our part.

As a teacher, even a very financially stretched one, I feel very uncomfortable with large gifts in general and would be wholly mortified if they weren’t shared entirely equally with any other staff associated with the class.

DD1 is in reception at my school. There is a boy in her class with profound needs who has 2:1 adult support while he awaits a special school place. He’s on a part time timetable and rarely in the classroom. Even in such a situation, DD1 still has a good bond with both TAs who have helped her when she’s fallen over, lost her coat, feels ill etc. Even without this though, the simple presence of those 2:1 adults benefits my child because she would not be safe or learn without them; her teacher would have no time for anyone else at all.

What we need is more appreciation for 1:1 and SEND TAs. In the current shitshow of school funding, they are basically the only things allowing teachers to get on with teaching.

Sounds like the teachers are being a little precious about their roles within the hierarchy; very sad really.

As a teacher, I'd have put my hand in my own pocket to make sure they weren't left out

I hear about the TA every day from my child - sometimes that she’s too strict (yay!!), other times that she asks about a playground tiff between my DD and her best friend and gives great advice. She’s getting a card and a present from us (although the class rep organised a £70 voucher for her), I adore her from distance.

The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is to show someone how truly un-valued and unappreciated they are. How miserable and mean. Has the bitch with a clipboard “class representative” had any input from the CLASS (parents) on this decision or have they just taken it upon themselves to decide this?

Exactly this! I am a senco and anyone who thinks those TA’s don’t pick their kids up when they fall, read with them, support them, care about them is living on a different planet.

The teacher is also going to feel awful about this.

What difference does it make?

This is similar to my experience as a 121. We help all the young people in the class, if not directly with work then by being a trusted adult and friendly face who knows the children. I'm in a seco dary and often spend all day with the children when the subject teachers don't.

On a separate issue, 121 TAs also get the bum end of the deal on day trips as we are with our charges every minute and it's difficult to even go to the loo. Teachers on the other hand swan off for lunch and return to the designated meet up place periodically. Grrr.

Sen bonus?! What are you talking about??

Can you provide the pay information for this please. Because every pay scale I’ve seen for a TA makes no mention of send bonus.

No on the basis of the mentality.

Mean spirited and completely out of touch with what's going on in the class day-to-day.

1:1s know every child in their class, apply plasters, settle spats, sooth, advise and support the whole class ON TOP OF looking after their 1:1 charge.

It's a hard job that's widely known to be underpaid. Please tell class rep to stop being so bloody mean and buy them a box of chocolates and card - at the very least.

(Former TA here)

Really interested in this thread. I’m a class rep, and my class has five people involved: two teachers (one lead full time, one doing one day), one class TA, and then two learning support assistants. We are doing separate gift bags with goodies (chocolates, snacks, coffee etc) for all. Then £50 in vouchers for the lead teacher, £40 for the TA, £10 for the one day teacher (as they will get a gift from their other class). The learning support assistants won’t get gift vouchers but the parents of the child they work with will get them a gift. This seemed the fairest allocation. But I’m now wondering if I’ve done the right thing- I have time to change it so any thoughts welcome.

Eh?

So SEND parents are far more likely to be living in poverty? Jesus Christ what a thing to say and inaccurate to say the least and very offensive.

DS had a 121 TA at primary school - but they always helped out lots of the children in all the classes he was in, throughout his time there. Just because a child has a named person doesn't mean that TA only works with that child! And often they will take small groups away from the main class to concentrate on something the group are struggling with - it's good for the SEN child to work in groups and learn to socialise and cope with group activities - otherwise you might as well have a home tutor and forget mainstream school. It's never been intended that a 121 TA only works with the one child!

OP your class rep is well out of order! Yes the SEN parents may do their own thing but also they may not. Either way the rest of the class parents should not be excluding the poor TA!

I can't be bothered with the politics of it all. Plus we dont celebrate Xmas. I normally contribute to the class collection. But 4 kids in school now and it was a faff. So this year I bought a large box of chocolates for each class staff to share instead.

Also- while a child's EHCP may state 121, it isn't all funded by the LA so many schools just cannot provide that level of support all day. I think it's something like 60% ish??

DS had 121 in the mornings when they did 'lessons' but his TA was whole class after lunch which was more sports/fun etc. Of course she kept an eye out for DS but her remit was wider. He also should have had support during lunchtimes which tbh was when he was most vulnerable - but TAs need lunch too, and the school just couldn't recruit someone for an hour a day. It may be against the spirit of the EHCP but schools can't find the money for the additional 40%, especially as they get ever higher numbers of SEN children as there are fewer special school places and a much lower threshold for that than in the past. Not saying that's right - but it's how it is! TAs are so stretched - they deserve massive recognition and love!!

So SEND parents are far more likely to be living in poverty? Jesus Christ what a thing to say and inaccurate to say the least and very offensive.

I find it deeply upsetting and an indictment of the society we have created, but yes, children with SEND are much more likely to be living in poverty than children without. If you don't believe me, perhaps try the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

www.jrf.org.uk/child-poverty/special-educational-needs-and-their-links-to-poverty

On a separate issue, 121 TAs also get the bum end of the deal on day trips as we are with our charges every minute and it's difficult to even go to the loo. Teachers on the other hand swan off for lunch and return to the designated meet up place periodically. Grrr.

Eh? In what kind of school does this happen? You must be talking about MUCH older students. Even when I used to take Year 6 on trips I did not, as a teacher, leave them for a moment. I only went to the loo when the whole class went, only ate/drank when they did etc. That’s the norm in primary, which is the age that it seems the OP is talking about.

I am a SEND parent and most of the parents I know us included who have fought for their children to get support is unfortunately down to their deep pockets and sharp elbows. Interestingly also very highly educated.

That's almost discriminatory - if these two TA's are providing services to two or any disabled students - that creates an anti disability atmosphere in the classroom and school.

Besides being unfair and not very nice.

Totally wrong. Everyone contributes to the class. I'm sure the other children know the TAs well as well as the teachers. Every lone works as a team no matter if your 1-2-1 a student or a teacher. We distribute fairly