Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

HLTA (qualified teacher) being used as cover

154 replies

LorlieS · 03/01/2024 10:50

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.

OP posts:
Redlocks28 · 04/01/2024 12:23

Hesma · 04/01/2024 12:12

Normal for a HLTA role

Yes, all of our HLTAs spend most of their time doing cover. TAs work 1:1 or with groups, but are paid on a lower salary.

DyslexicPoster · 05/01/2024 22:53

Kim3456ss1 · 03/01/2024 17:13

@DyslexicPoster Of course it the classic parental blame usually in my experience that comes from the LA but have known a few school behave in this manner. Tbh funding is not your concern that is for the school to chase the LA if they feel a child's EHCP is not funded correctly and I would tell them this. A

All your concern should be is if provision is being provided, if not email your complaint to the director of children's services at your LA. Ipsea have module letters for this. Does she have funding for a TA in her plan?

It is soul destroying to so many parents, I see it day after day, the damage some schools and especially LA do to parents/carers. To see a thread today blatantly admitting to using a child's EHCP funding to cover a full class just makes my heart sink. When I know how it nearly breaks families just to get an EHCP you think that everything will be OK, then you realise that is just the start of the game trying to enforce it all your child's education is like being slowly crushed to death!

in my opinion ehcps are useless in mainstream. There’s no will there to help her. What it is, is a puzzle piece that hopefully will protect her long term. As repeatedlyis the case some twit at school thinks they know better than a paediatrician and that my dd needs zero support while struck by her.

I had this with my son. I moved him into a independent SEN school. At the end of the day in my county most of the SEN budget goes into the private sector. But it’s a choice of getting no help then expelled into a private or appeal and get out of state. It’s a self for filling destruction. I have no pity at all for the LA who oversee this shower shite.

meanwhile 14k of tax that should be stopping my kid from failing education is going on roof that a proactive school would Perdue via insurance or the LA. So I have no empathy for school either.

Original poster
LorlieS · 05/01/2024 22:59

@DyslexicPoster I think the vast majority of schools desperately want to support their EHCP children. But the reality is they simply do not have the money in budgets to be able to do so. It's horrendous for everyone; the children and the staff. It's devastating.
I'm leaving education after 20 years (SEN specialism) to go and do an MSc in Child Counselling and Therapy.
I hope I can once again make a positive. difference.

OP posts:
Bex5490 · 05/01/2024 23:19

DyslexicPoster · 05/01/2024 22:53

in my opinion ehcps are useless in mainstream. There’s no will there to help her. What it is, is a puzzle piece that hopefully will protect her long term. As repeatedlyis the case some twit at school thinks they know better than a paediatrician and that my dd needs zero support while struck by her.

I had this with my son. I moved him into a independent SEN school. At the end of the day in my county most of the SEN budget goes into the private sector. But it’s a choice of getting no help then expelled into a private or appeal and get out of state. It’s a self for filling destruction. I have no pity at all for the LA who oversee this shower shite.

meanwhile 14k of tax that should be stopping my kid from failing education is going on roof that a proactive school would Perdue via insurance or the LA. So I have no empathy for school either.

Show quote history

Do you think your DD will qualify to go to the same school as your DS?

If she’s distressed at school and they’re not supporting her adequately can’t you move her? As far as I’m aware if you name a school on a child’s EHCP they are really likely to get a place. Was this your experience with DS?

Interested because ASD son starts reception in Sep and is in the process of getting EHCP.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread