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!

What’s the difference in pay per hour and what do you spend in petrol for 35+ hours twice a day? It might well be more cost-effective to go for a more local TA job and save on petrol.

obviously I’m not the person you asked but HLTAs at my school earn around 5 pound per hour more than me. And not all of them deserve it in my opinion……

@Tulipvase I'm on a higher grade than most due to my experience and qualifications.

@howshouldibehave I also have a superb SLT at my school and so loathe to move. The Head in particular is exceptional. Hands-on and just an all-round legend 😀

If you worked all year around how much would you earn?

It's actually not inaccurate- many people are off with stress, not just because of workload but because schools are becoming increasingly toxic work environments.
But also, teachers are forced to do insane amount of paperwork, marking, planning, evidence, meetings, reports, extra sessions for catch-up, duties, training. All of this outside the contracted working hours.

Why is interventions in inverted commas? You doubt they happen? Or what?

As for the teachers .. they are teaching the other children, or attending meetings, or on PPA or off sick.

Just over £2000pm before tax where I work

Well thats a £24000 a year salary which would be a great salary for minimum qualifications. I know you have higher qualifications but wont go for a higher paid job. Most TAs dont have degrees and only need english and maths GCSEs. Think of it this way nurses who go to uni earn £31000 a year and thats working 37.5 hours a week. 52 weeks a year. You work 30 hours a week. 38 weeks a year. How much do you think TAs should earn per hour?

I've just been offered a permanent position from agency staff.

SEN TA special academy. I do 20 hours.

The offer letter says grade D.
I am 46, good GCSEs, A levels, HNC and NVQ but not a relevant one.

My salary is 23,500 pro rata. It's rubbish but it's the going rate. Or certainly is in my area.

Do you mean 23,500 FTE @Whsthappensnow? Otherwise that's an amazing salary for 20 hours a week!

@whatsappdoc yes. I haven't actually done the maths yet but I don't think it's far off minimum wage and I've even got a feeling I'll have to find another job as it may be below UC AET.

I'm not sure why you've quoted me or seem to think you know what qualifications I have or how many hours I work? Was that supposed to be aimed at the OP?

As an aside, nurses don't get paid enough either but that wasn't what this thread was about

@sparepantsandtoothbrush Couldn't have been me either as I earn nowhere near that salary!!!

Me saying £2000per month was in reply to someone asking what the salary would be for a full time TA if we worked all year round. I don't earn that either and I don't work 30 hours a week! No idea who they were addressing in that case

I thought it was the op who answered my question on how much she would earn if it was a yearly job not term time.

For all you primary TAs out there, how much class cover are you normally asked to do?
This week I've done exactly one morning of my "actual" job.
The rest of the week I have been covering classes of 30 with no TA support. All classes have EHCP/SEMH children as most do these days.
In total I've covered four different classes across 3 different year groups.
All for £11 a hour...
I've had enough.

I'm not sure it's even legal to have ta that are not higher level cover lessons. They can supervise in emergencies but it is not teaching.
I'd be going to the union.

Even actual teachers are only allowed to cover once a term, unplanned only, never planned absence. And not in their ppa.

@Boomboom22 Sorry - probably should have said - I'm employed as a HLTA (qualified teacher).

I’d be questioning your salary. £11 per hour seems too low. The NMW is £10.42 per hour.

I get just over £12000 a year 😭 but I mostly love my job

@FindingNeverland28 That's "normal" for school support staff.

I cover lessons every day at the moment. Never taught so much. It’s lack of money. More staff off due to illness/burnout. No budget to cover long term. We’re cheap labour. It’s the same in most schools now.
The much needed pay increases over the years haven’t been funded by the government, schools had to find it out of their already overstretched budgets.
For the past 14 years the government have increased the demands of the job but not increased pay to match. Cuts to social services means that role now falls to teachers. Covid has seen a massive increase in behavioural issues which puts more stress on teachers who are then off work more so need support staff to cover more meaning they are at wits end as are basically supply teachers that earn NMW.
Basically education staff are not valued by this government and are all staff are now leaving or on the verge of leaving.
I’m so glad my kids are almost out of education because in the not too distant future the education system will collapse unless something drastic is done. I’m not being over dramatic. I’ve been saying for past 7 years that we’re sleepwalking into a complete disaster and I think this is the beginning of the collapse.
All society suffers when the citizens aren’t educated. Education and healthcare are two of the fundamentals to a thriving society as health and well educated people make economies grow. This government has set about destroying both.

Regularly, just PPA and any meetings my teacher has to attend. If she's off for whatever reason, I also have to cover. Then it's whenever we're short staffed and they need a teacher . That can vary from an hour to a whole day. Knock wood, everyone has been well lately so I haven't had to do it.

I can’t remember what I used to get paid when I worked as a TA. I know that the HLTAs in our school cover teachers PPA. They get a day PPA per week themselves to look over all of the planning. I always left the easiest lessons to cover when I was on PPA, because regardless of their pay it’ll never be enough.
I noticed you said that you were a qualified teacher. Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you’re not working as a teacher or supply?