To think most people have no idea how little HLTAs/Teaching Assistants earn?

[LorlieS]

Anybody want to hazard a guess at the average monthly income of a ft HLTA/TA?

It really is quite shocking!

I'm not convinced by the belittling of supermarket work as easier. I've worked in a supermarket and you are very monitored, also food and food safety is vital so these staff on mw are doing as much as the lowest level tas. There should should more differentiation, we do have level 2, 3 amd then hlta which can often lead to a teaching apprenticeship or schools direct if they have a degree already.
Perhaps an hnd in between, sort of exists as trainer demonstrator or science technician.
Not convinced of the degree argument, they don't need to be social workers or teachers.

And although many of the tasks described are important few of them require high level skills. Care work I'd say requires far more skills and shpuld be quite a bit above ta or hca or retail work generally.

It’s not exactly an overly taxing job. Teachers do all the planning, assessment, parents meetings, staff meetings the responsibility of the children and their progress. I appreciate that some TA’s work hard, but you can’t compare to a teacher. I also agree that they should be paid more.

Wow, the TA's in your school wouldn't last 5 mins at my school - I do on average 10hrs work at home a week, rarely get a full dinner break and work well over my normal hours. Some don't and they're massively frowned upon!!

But they're paid the same as you?

No offence but you're being taken for a mug - being bitten and kicked because of other people's parenting failures.

What are speech and language interventions. How can you do 21 a day?

Why are TAs planning, marking and teaching whole classes?

Is it not more appropriate to consider their hourly pay, as it isn't really a full time job?

I work in the civil service and intend to go part time and term time only once I have children. If I work 9am-3.30pm during term time I wouldn't expect to earn a salary that reflects the full time rate for my grade.

I'm not saying TAs don't deserve a higher (hourly) rate, I just think it's being a bit disingenuous to use their annual salary as a way of saying they are underpaid when it isn't comparable to someone with 25 days of leave who works 37 hours a week!

1y7

“No offence but you're being taken for a mug - being bitten and kicked because of other people's parenting failures.”

That is an awful thing to say. Children lashing out can be due to all sorts of things, not parental failures.

And re being taken for a mug I don’t feel that at all. We’re making a difference. We are however the victims of a crappy government who don’t give a shit about schools, education, SENs, children or MH.

Yes at Tesco it’s 11.02 per hour and due to go up. A lot of people I know have left to go into their chosen careers worked here whilst training/and working at Tesco part time to support themselves whilst in college/uni. but I can’t believe some of the poor wages. Tesco is the best paid job I’ve ever had and although it can be tough and stressful in retail I love the people I work with.

That’s pro rata! That is not the FTE. Our wages are spread evenly over 12 months so we get paid the same amount monthly, but we are NOT paid for all the holidays

It’s appalling things haven’t changed. I was in a support role 15 years ago. I asked for a raise as I couldn’t manage and the HT suggested I ask my exH for more maintenance.

I firmly told her she was out of order with her comment. As soon as dc were in secondary school I returned to industry.

support staff are treated like sh*te, most do it only because it works for their family life and get out ASAP.

@1y7 TAs are teaching whole classes because that is now an expectation. I teach classes of 30 very regularly on my own, EHCP children included and no TA support.
The union have confirmed this is permissable. TAs are often used as cover as supply teachers are expensive so school budgets won't allow.
I'm surprised people are not aware of this?
@Janus Drop me a private message and I'll let you know the details re my MSc. It's an in-persom course though so unless you're localish to me might not be of much use?

TAs being used instead of teachers wouldn't be permitted here in Scotland. I've only ever heard of this happening in England.

Because those are the job expectations now. I might get in on a Monday morning and be told I have to cover this class because of reasons. If i'm lucky, I'll get a TA. I regularly have on my timetable PPA cover and meetings cover for my class , as well as cover if the teacher is off. On top of that, like I said cover other classes if/when needed. Sometimes on my own.

A lot of the time I'll have plans and resources ready, but that's not always the case for various reasons. Or the plan doesn't fit the situation anymore as it requires at least two people for ratio purposes for example, and I'm on my own. Then I have to think on my feet and pull a good lesson out of my ass.

The really frustrating thing is that then I'm behind on all the other things I was supposed to do in my own class.

As for the marking, it was always the case at least in my area(I have been in a few schools) that TA's mark at least the group they work with.

It absolutely blows my mind that TA’s are basically just underpaid teachers in England.

They aren’t even called TA’s here - they aren’t there to assist the teacher. They are to assist pupils. Which is exactly how it should be!

The assistants I work with are (on the whole!) amazing l, and deserve more pay - along with the cleaners, the catering team, and the janitors.

It’s the hourly rate that is considered low, not just the number of hours worked.

@0rangeCrush

Unbelievable, isn't it. If there hasn't already been strike action on this, then there damned well ought to be!

And yup, it's Pupil Support Assistants in Scotland.

To assist pupils though you not only have to know what to teach yourself you also have to know how to teach it tailored to your pupils needs.

I am not the child's teacher. I support them in learning what the TEACHER has taught.
In Scotland, we are regularly reminded that we are not the teacher. As should be the case.

TAs should not be teaching. They are not skilled or trained to do so properly. Like a pp said, this is very much an England thing. Doesn't happen in my part of the UK.

Therefore the pay is fine for the role they SHOULD be doing, and do in other parts of the UK.

But you probably have to say what the teacher has said in a different way for the children to understand?

I don't expect a ta to stand in the for a teacher one day and teach ratios or geography.. However they are surley changing what's been said to facilitate learning by pupils with sen?

That's the real issue tbh. The way the job was before Covid with the wages I have today, it would be not only fair, but quite attractive. Definitely worth it. However the job description has massively changed.

No, I'm a full time TA and take home £1100 per month. It absolutely is correct.

I agree.
I'm SLT in school (mental health) and our TAs (called something else) earn £19000. It still doesn't feel like enough for what they do!

@FUPAgirl

Tas should not be teaching unless properly remunerated.

However many Tas are ex teachers who are highly qualified. They may be highly qualified in other areas and have taken a job for their mental health or family etc sake.

Some Tas won't have a degree or even a levels but they may have a long history of experience in the role and could teach if they wanted too.

Unfortunately it's becoming clear with so many types of learning even for dc without sen that teachers couldn't possibly accommodate them all.

I guess there needs to be an in-between role created, to bridge the gap between teacher and TA? Or is that what HLTA is, we don't have that in my area?