HLTA (qualified teacher) being used as cover

[LorlieS]

Posted in Education but no traffic...

AIBU to feel miffed about this?

I'm a qualified teacher with 20 years' experience but stepped down from class teaching about five years ago as workload was ridiculous and I wasn't having any time with my own children. I'm now working as an HLTA, specialising in supporting children with EHCPs. Love it. Hard work for appalling pay but it's my "thing." I take responsibility of interventions (both 1:1 and group) and ensuring work on EHCP targets is undertaken. Feels great to have autonomy whilst (hopefully) making a difference and I really get to know the children I work with.

However, it's a huge primary I work in and I find I am being pulled away from my job more and more to cover classes for staff absences. Very rarely with a TA and full class of 30. High SEN needs in all classes.

I used to get paid my teacher rate for such cover but now with budgets being what they are I dont; I am just paid my normal HLTA rate.

School loathe to get supply in as expensive.

I work in Special Education as a TA. The Ta's are generally very experienced, with lots of expertise. However, a TA is never left in charge of a class. There HAS to be a teacher present. It's a bugbear because often there will be a teacher who just sits there watching the Ta's do everything. Having said that my school is currently using supply Ta's and Teachers. I would say it's about 65% employed staff and 35% suppy atm, possibly more. Would you be interested in working in Special Education?

The problem is that this used to be the situation in mainstream schools.

And now it isn't. So it could happen I. Special schools just as easily. I don't think anyone thought that schools would get as bad as they are.

This is so depressing, are you in England it sounds to be getting worse I find this so shocking. I can't believe how it can differ so widely within the UK and be legal. No wonder teachers are leaving in droves, I hope you get this sorted.

Indeed. Conditions, funding, recruitment and external services in schools have all deteriorated significantly. They were all substantially better under the Labour government.

I don't think the fact that you are a qualified and experienced teacher IS a red herring; clearly this is a significant factor in why you are being used for cover so frequently . It's because you are good. The fact they USED to pay a supply rate is key here - and that it's a cost issue not a change in what you're being asked to do. Either you need to work to rule and do nothing above and beyond what a non (teaching) qualified HTLA would do ( extremely difficult for you I imagine as everyone wants to do a good job), try to renegotiate, threatening to resign (you would have to mean it though) or resign and go on supply which is a risk but not a massive one at the moment as PP have said.

I was left in charge of a y2-3 class for an entire morning while I was doing my TA level 3 work experience. I was only doing it as a hobby thing to keep busy. They said I would be fine as I had a degree and had raised 4 children. I mean, yes I was fine and my spelling and punctuation was better than the teacher that I normally worked with but I couldn't believe that they just left me to it. Luckily I had been with the class every morning that week so I knew what was planned and I just ran with it. But it was not what I was expecting after just 3-4 weeks of mornings volunteering. That was 4 years ago. Last week a friend of mine son got hired with the same local primary and he only has 3 GCSE's straight from school. It's crazy

It’s awful both for you and for the kids on EHCPs - the funding that is meant for them is being used to avoid paying for supply - so they presumably aren’t getting the support they need?

But yes you should be getting your full teaching rate if you’re teaching- or you should be able to refuse.

You're not planning or assessing though are you? You're just delivering the lesson. Whether you're a qualified teacher or not doesn't matter. I agree that HLTA pay is awful and needs to be looked at but you aren't being paid as a teacher because you're not doing all the responsibilities of a teacher. You must have known schools use HLTAs as cover before choosing to do it as you had been a teacher before.

I'm not saying it's right that HLTAs cover but you shouldn't expect a teacher wage when you're not doing the planning and assessing of the class. Why don't you try supply as a qualified teacher, I found it to be the best of both worlds but the work is unreliable so I couldn't afford to keep going. If you can afford it, you'd essentially be doing what you are now but on teacher pay?

If you are going to do supply (which I know you’ve said you don’t want to as you need a regular wage), be very careful. There are a lot of extremely unscrupulous agencies out there. Schools need something for nothing so it’s not well paid. Many schools simply don’t use supply at all any more and are forced to use in house TAs so there is a lack of work. Hardly anyone is paid to scale any more so you may think of yourself as UPS3, but once you’re out of teaching, that is meaningless as there is no such thing as pay portability any more so the agency is likely to put you on M1. Some will even try to say the school will only pay an HLTA wage and I’ve heard of agents who want you to do day ‘trials’ for the school which are unpaid to see what you are like! It can be a bit of a mug’s game.

@greasypolemonkeyman What on earth is this doing to teachers?!! And how is it reasonable to put this responsibility on people's shoulders that are not qualified?
When I started out 20 years ago we were told we must not leave the classroom without a qualified teacher unless dire emergency, in case an accident was to happen/safeguarding etc.
Are we safe? Are our kids safe?

Can you look to move schools and negotiate the teacher rate to be paid for covering classes?

@Beryls Supply is not affordable with three kids and rent to pay.

HLTAs are used for cover in every school I’ve ever worked in-that’s just the job.

@Coolhwip No school would pay me teacher rate for coverong classes realistically.

It will be the same in majority of schools. They have a finite budget and staffing takes up most of it-schools need cheap cover (under the current government’s budget allocation for schools) and can’t afford to ‘just pay people teacher rates’, even if they wanted to. If you want a teacher salary, you have to take on the responsibility for the learning of the class.

Then perhaps don’t tell the new school you’re a qualified teacher? Maybe they’d be less likely to use you in this way?

I thinking of doing the same; stepping down as a teacher and getting a TA job elsewhere. This is worrying OP

@Coolhwip All schools now use HLTAscto cover teacher absence.

But it’s not fair for them to use OP as a teacher and give her responsibility and not pay her, and yet pay the teachers a teacher’s wage.

I’d either go back to teaching or find a new school and not tell them I was a qualified teacher.

HLTAs are meant to be used for covering classes. The job of TAs has changed so much over the years it's not recognisable to me anymore. I used to get paid for supporting the teacher - now I'm paid for leading intervention groups and supporting SEN children. I don't know any class based TAs anymore.

@Coolhwip They are left alone in a class of 30, unable to access any of work of the main class.

HLTAs are used for covering teacher absences in all schools-that’s part of the job.

If the OP is being used far more than the other HLTAs for cover, and is unhappy about the unfair allocation of cover between the support staff, then that is worth a conversation with the HT.

It’s not the exact same role as a teacher though-I’m presuming you’re not doing parents evenings, data drops, submitting assessments, pupil progress meetings, moderation, leading subject Deep Dives, mentoring students etc?

Then perhaps don’t tell the new school you’re a qualified teacher? Maybe they’d be less likely to use you in this way?

You can't fuck about with/lie on your CV when you are working in a school. You have to tell them every single job or period of not working.

@BCBird It will be OK if you're potentially happy to frequently cover classes.

This is what I was saying in my previous comment! I know plenty of TA's that do what OP described as her normal role, but for L2 pay! There's no consistency to roles anymore.

Who forfills the kids legally bound ehcps while your teaching too?