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 am by no way putting TA’s down - I’ve defended them earlier on this post and think they need to be paid way, way more.

And teachers are most certainly paid a living wage. It’s not enough for their level of training/expertise/qualification; but it is a living wage.

However; the reason that teachers aren’t paid hourly is because they work so many bloody hours to do their job that they would be paid far, far more if they actually got paid for the hours they do.

Teachers also don’t get their pensions calculated based on a 52 week year; since they are also unpaid for many of their holidays.

There are very little opportunities for career progression for teachers too. My school has a role of 1500 pupils, approx 100 staff, 10 faculty heads (most of them male!) 5 pupil support teachers, 4 deputes and 1 head teacher. For female teachers with young kids there are very few opportunities.

Let's look at hourly rates properly by showing a current job ad for an LSA (known colloquially as a TA) an HLTA (Higher level teaching assistant) and then my trusty chart used for calculating overtime for payroll etc (I'm an office lady) - it gives the scale and lot t and the hourly rate for that calendars and point. This is for non London or fringe, and they are local government pay scales, so someone working in a little village up north could in theory be earning the same as someone in a commuter town, in which case you'd feel it in your pocket.

You are looking at somewhere between £12.18 per hour to £14.17 depending which ad you'd apply for.

You can bang on about the Tory government as much as you like but in the pay ballot last year, support staff voted overwhelmingly NOT TO STRIKE. There may be many altruistic reasons for this, but no government will shake things up that much unless they all do. And support staff run some schools - I'm in a special school and there are more HLTAs and LSAs than teachers.

The bloke that unlocks the building in the morning is support. So is the chef who makes the free school meals. So is the lady who does payroll and pays the teachers.

But as I've said you never have to work at night, on the weekend, or even put an annual leave form in, let along pray that this year you might get Boxing Day off, and you can generally park on site and leave on time. All this gets weighed up when you consider your options.

I’m not sure there is a National pay scale for support staff though. There is nationally agreed pay rises, the green book but I believe the individual authorities can choose the pay grade.

I earn 12.18 per hour ( as of last years pay rise) but HLTAs in my area are on 15.17 per hour whicH is a FTE of 29k. Which is considerably more than the advert you linked.

I am a level 3 TA at the top of the pay scale and on £12.38 per hour. A level 4 HLTA at the top of the level 4 pay scale earns £13.01 per hour.

Yes, those scales are LA scales which are different all over the country. Ditto grades.

Top of grade for an HLTA in my area is 16.63 per hour.

People are getting confused about levels.
Grade / levels on pay scales are not linked to qualification levels.

When I said level 2 I mean equivalent to gcse, level 3 a level (eg called level 3 teaching assistant qual but the job isn't then called level 3).

In my council grade 2 would be no quals, grade 3 level 2, grades 4-7 level 3 qualified then higher would be experience / quals at higher level like hnd or degree. In terms of mapping.

I have done this job both in the Uk and now abroad. I currently earn about £18500 a year, and I work 180 days a year. I love working with children and the flexibility works well for my family. It’s not a job you do for the money, but I find it very rewarding and I really enjoy it.

They don't vary very much at all. The union website clarifies it a bit better

neu.org.uk/advice/member-groups/support-staff/pay-scales-support-staff

I have the level 3 TA qualification and am paid on the level 3 pay scale. We have TA’s who have no TA qualification and they are paid on level 1 hourly rate £11.97. To be paid level 2 they need to do the level 2 TA qualification and level 3 the level 3 qualification. The difference in pay in my area between level 1 and 4 is so small. I have just looked and the FTE difference between level 1 and Level 4 HLTA is just £2000 per annum. It’s just not worth it for the extra responsibility.

@cassgate or as my colleague once said "a percentage of fuck all is fuck all!" 😆

It's true though, you would think change job to go up a scale or two, unless you hated where you were. Nor would you commute a long distance to a job like this, when you can get paid the same and be home in 10 minutes.

Pay very clearly varies considerably just based on this thread. But I am dubious about some of the claims, I think there is quite a lot of misunderstanding.

@SquirrelHash I'm a HLTA and my commute takes 30 mins. That's before rush hour.
I work at a large primary school with an extremely high level of SEN/SEMH/EHCP. Been there five years now.
It's not anywhere as simple as "just work at a local school."

I would say it’s unusual to go for a minimum wage job in a school (ie both very low wage and very part time) with a 30 minute pre-rush hour commute.

@howshouldibehave I would also actively avoid working within my own village/local area.

It takes me longer than 30 minutes to get to work too due to traffic, but most support staff will live in the general area. You wouldn't generally drive 35 miles to travel to a job and back again on these pay scales. It's false economy.

Interesting. I would say 100% of our support staff live in our school communities. Most walk or cycle to work.

Where I am; most school staff work a few towns from their hometown. It’s quite uncomfortable when you start having too many links between “real life” and work.

I worked in my hometown for a while; in one class I taught my (close) friends sibling, another (close) friends nephew, someone I was at school withs child, someone from my fat clubs son, and a previous colleagues daughter. I left soon after!

Agree. I walk to work and it takes me 25 mins.

Teachers on the whole seem to have a similar mindset as to the police, don’t work where you live. I understand that for the police, and perhaps can understand it more of secondary school teachers. I don’t really understand it for primary school teachers.

Perhaps if you work in a tiny school/live in a small village it can be harder.

I live in a medium size town and work in a large primary and hardly ever bump into students. I quite like it when I do and they say hello.

It's not like you have to work in the same village, but ask a Tesco employee in Wroxham where they live and they are not likely to say Lowestoft. It's the same idea.

I’m at ta3 also not yet at the top of my payscale and earring £14.91 per hour due to rise to £15.44 which will be my final pay grade in April

@SquirrelHash Tesco employees probably don't deal with disclosures or have to report distressing safeguarding issues though, either.
I have to maintain a professional working relationship with the families I work with, would not befriend them, socialise with them outside of work etc..This includes parents and all ex-students.
So for me, working and living in the same small village community would not be a good idea.

That doesn't quite add up to your previous post where you mention your yearly salary before tax. I'd check your tax codes if I were you.

Then don't? But I do hope you are not commuting too far. You can visit a supermarket or a restaurant without befriending someone

How does that work as national minimum wage is £11.44 per hour so working a 37 hour week 39 weeks a year that’s £17k?