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.

@LorlieS

When I did supply teaching a few years ago the agency guaranteed me daily work and would still pay me if they couldn’t find it (which was incredibly rare). The work would be varied though - some longer stints of teaching like 2 week blocks, some 1:1, some nursery cover but all primary school age. This was in London though…

If you’re in a big city I’m sure an agency will do this for you as they value experienced teachers.

And as an SLT member who now often sorts out the cover of classes when teachers are absent, I can honestly say that while budget is a factor, a large reason for using HLTAs is that they’re trusted and known to the children. I am always so reluctant to trust an unknown adult with our precious kids especially the younger ones and classes with high SEN needs for whom the unfamiliarity can be really unsettling.

Whilst I totally get this and is better in the short term for the kids, in the long term how are we going to retain good teachers and TAs if something doesn't give?

@LorlieS So you are saying that the childs EHC plan is not followed correctly as 'sort of access something' is not what a child plan that is unique to them would say. But sure, of course your more interested in not earning more money by your higher skills being used as cover.

Let's not talk about vulnerable children with an EHCP being left without their legal provision, sounds about right!

Kids bring left without the support they are legally entitled to is not OPs fault, or even the school's in many cases. Your anger needs to be directed at those who are not funding education. You can't expect TAs - or teachers , doctors, nurses, dentists etc - to work for less than they could earn elsewhere just to paper over the cracks of systemic failure. Use your vote wisely when the time comes.....

@Kim3456ss1 I LOVE working with my EHCP kids. It's my absolute passion. But I am now asked to provide teacher cover instead.

Are you covering or being expected to teach? The union should also have told you that covering for known absences should be done by supply teachers, not ‘in house’. That is quite a strict rule, which I’ve had to remind management about this year in my school. Our HTLAs only take small groups of 4 who are withdrawn from some mainstream lessons, never whole classes.

The union should also have told you that covering for known absences should be done by supply teachers, not ‘in house’. That is quite a strict rule

In which legislation in England is it stated that cover must be done by supply teachers?

I would say you would not be unreasonable to request that, given your qualifications and experience, that you are paid at teacher rate. If they say no (sounds like they already have) I would suggest that you request that teacher cover is distributed equally between all the HLTAs at your school. They can't have it both ways. If they say no, are they implying that supporting children with EHCPs is less important than other teaching related activities at the school? Maybe something to chat to you union about.

@Motherofacertainage It is the school fault in part. Funding given to schools for a child's EHCP is legally not allowed to be used for anything other than the child's and to provide provision within the plan.

If funding for the plan is not adequate then it is the job of the school headteacher and senco to challenge the LA to fully fund the EHCPS by law if need be.

@LorlieS But you know the school you work for are breaking the law by using another childs funding from an EHCP to provide cover for teaching but in your original post you only mention your disatifaction of pay, not what distress or damage this causes to the vulnerable child. Its only a secondary issue isn't it.

Yes you should be pay more if being used in this way I totally agree of course you should but tbh the childs funding being used unlawfully is a bigger issue to me, not your wages.

I can't obviously speak for all schools but I know of several where it's a case of simply not being able to recruit sufficient TAs/HTLAs plus issues with staffing or classroom teachers. No school LT, I should hope, is willfully holding back support for individual children but rather directing their human resources where they can give the best provision for the most children so for example having no effective classroom teacher for 30 is worse than one child missing their 1:1 support. It's not right but headteachers are doing the best they can with limited resources.

@Kim3456ss1 AnD what do you expect me to do about that?

Also, there aren't enough.

Yep. I’m in a very similar position (qualified, experienced teacher now working as support staff). I get asked to cover classes too. I don’t get supply teacher rate but I do get a slightly higher TA pay rate for those hours. I was a bit 🤔 at first but now I don’t mind and I enjoy it - basically teaching but with no (or little) planning.

You’re employed as a HLTA not a teacher. The fact you’re a qualified teacher doesn’t matter. You’re being asked to do the role as a HLTA. Less pay but less responsibility; you ‘keep your hand in’ at teaching; the children benefit from your experience; if you choose to go into supply later, you’ll have lots of cover experience to refer to.

If your issue is that it’s taking you away from your preferred role, then maybe talk about limiting the amount of cover you do and sharing it between other TAs?

I fully understand there is a major issue with recruiting especially HLTA.

The bigger concern for me is the school have no right to redirect resources from funding from an EHCP to cover a class so they do not have to pay cover. Its not about best use of provision for 30 children compared to one child losing their 1 to 1 for the day/week. It is unlawful to use funding from EHCP this way its quite simple. And yes I know it happens all the time and yes parents of SEND children know it happens all the time hence the LA will be in breach of the CAFA section 42 for the schools doing this.

Maybe SLT should start not having cover for 30 children, as they can not afford to cover the class then maybe all parents would see how poorly funded education is and things might start to change.

However this wont happen and its easier for a school to take from the most vulnerable to give to the many, same old.

Many schools are in a deficit budget and have been told they cannot spend money on supply. I am interested to see where the strict rules that HLTAs can’t be used for cover that@Cherrysoup is talking about is written? That’s the primary role of HLTAs in all schools I’ve worked in. Just working with 4 pupils would be done by a TA.

@LorlieS I did not say I expect you to do anything about it. However myself personally I would not accept a vulnerable child's EHCP funding being used this way and would happily tell the HT my concerns.

Sorry, this is not particularly helpful! But I'm reading this thread and feeling thankful that I live in Scotland. While our education system is also far from perfect, we have retained the GTCS and all classes in schools must be covered by a registered teacher. There is no equivalent of a HLTA. As a parent, and a teacher, I find it quite difficult to imagine allowing unqualified staff to regularly and routinely cover classes and deliver lessons and take full responsibility for the children in the classroom.

@LWTW Totally agree. There have been a few parents question it re me teaching their kids frequently (good on them!) to which they are reassuranced I am a qualified teacher with 20 years' experience.
I'm just not paid as such.

@Kim3456ss1 I have but ultimately it is their choice how to use me. And as supply cover is simply the most cost effective. I was taken on as 1:1 SEN support as I have a wealth of experience in their field (especially with SEMH) but this is not how the school can afford to use me now.

Surely with the way schools are you would be pretty much guaranteed work as a supply teacher?
Sadly, @Bbq1 , that’s not the case. I’m a supply teacher (as a way to supplement my pension which I took early) and up until this school year that was true. This year work is very thin on the ground because schools are doing what the OP says - using anyone and everyone with a pulse who won’t cost them more. It’s frustrating, but it isn’t actually the schools’ fault - they just do t have the funding.

I was wondering this too?
Do the children just not receive the additional support then?

Honestly, it's a nightmare.

My school uses HLTA for general cover, for maternity cover and whatever else they can find for them to do.

TA's get used for cover also. We are meant to " deliver " the " planned " work and it's not fair.

Not sure what the answer is, except get a new job ?

In my experience, pupils with 1:1s lose them if that member of staff is absent, as otherwise it’s taking away another 1:1 from another child in a different class. They might double up, depending on how the needs are spread out. Many schools can’t afford insurance for support staff so if they are off, you are obviously still paying them, but can’t afford to pay someone else to do the same job.

@LorlieS I am glad you have voiced your concerns both for the child who is having their EHCP funding unlawfully used but also for yourself being used in this way.

This is normal is my school too. Plus level 3 LSAs can cover a class. They can get round it because you aren’t technically “teaching”, only supervising a pre planned lesson that’s been planned by the “teacher”. Yeah right 🙈🤣

I think you’re in the wrong role. HLTAs are used for cover in our school and TAs for EHCP and IEPs. I’m an ex teacher and chose to be a TA not a HLTA. Interestingly there are a few of us ex teacher TAs and a couple of non ex teachers in the HLTA roles.