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!

You must mean FTE @indianwoman otherwise we would all be rejoicing

But people really aren’t understanding the level of expertise expected and needed. Do people realise it’s TAs delivering the intensive phonic schemes your kids are learning to read on that are rolled out by the government?

And yes yes re the numbers of people who can afford to do this dwindling. My husband enables me to do a job I love and I’m good at. Like many I’m trundling towards retirement. In a few years time there is going to be a problem as nobody will be able to afford to do it.

It used to be the case when the job was just supporting the teacher and help around the classroom.

The job description and responsibilities have changed massively though.

As a TA I :

Attend meetings with Educational psychologists,occupational therapists,nurses, SS ,parents etc and then I have to implement the things we talked about.

Have various interventions from reading support for children with dyslexia, to targeted interventions for other academic struggles,to social groups , social stories, speech and language ,help with anxiety, SEMH needs etc. Sometimes it's a scheme which makes life easier, sometimes I need to plan it and resource it all myself,do the reading and research and find the best way to do and deliver it . I need to fill in a lot of paperwork to show what I'm doing, why, that I am doing it and the impact it has on the children. I am responsible for them making progress.

I need to make sure any provision specified in EHCP is available and delivered,especially when it involves any form of 1:1.

I support children with SEN during input to make sure they are accessing the learning , then I have a group of my own to work with and mark. In every single lesson.

I am responsible for first aid and any medical needs like diabetes. Make sure all equipment is there, administer treatment etc.

I fill in records of concern and safeguarding issues.

Playground duty for lunch and playtime.

I teach. From a bit of cover here and there to full days across various classes and key stages. Sometimes on my own. My teacher has me, I have no one. This is the hardest and most stressful bit of the job.

I need to be flexible and capable enough to fit in and hit the ground running whenever needed. I could go from pre school, to year 3, to y6 in one day.

Various paperwork and forms to check in with our most vulnerable children, evidence certain lessons like PE , assessments etc.

Oh and of course, and top of all that, I'm still responsible for the little bits and bobs like displays, resources etc. because they don't just magically happen. There are probably other things I've forgotten.

Why do I still do it? Because I love the job, I love the kids, I am very good at my job and I'm actually making a difference to some extremely vulnerable children.

I am a TA and have been for 6 years. My actual salary is just over 18k and FTE is about 22k. I do 0830 to 1530 and have about 5 weeks paid holiday a year.

HLTAs at my school earn about 4 PPH more than me, their FTE is around 28/28k per year.

I would love more money but I’m not sure I’m especially badly paid. I mostly love my job and would much rather do that than work in a shop, and I earn more per hour.

I’m in an outer London Borough and a TA at the top of their pay scale in my school gets £14.19 per hour. Our TAs don’t even earn enough to pay tax. Some top up their pay by doing midday supervisor roles during their lunch break. Or they are cleaners before or after their daytime hours. They also work in holiday clubs outside of term time. There was quite a large pay rise last year for them as it was a flat lump sum increase which was a higher percentage increase for TAs than for School Business Managers.
TA pay is appalling.

FTE of learning assistant at the FE college I work at is 21,222

I work 30 hours per week as an LSA (secondary school TA), 30 hours per week 8:30-3:05 and in theory have a 40 minute lunch break.

In reality I'm doing last minute photocopying, dealing with upset kids, doing a cover duty, answering parents emails, running a club, reading up on my kids so I know what they need in lessons, printing things for and restocking my grab file, or if I'm lucky it's just hanging out in the quiet space eating and being an extra supervisor because we are desperately short staffed.

The kids on my timetable have everything from anxiety to learning difficulties, adhd to asd. I need to know how to handle all of these things. I have kids with various mental health difficulties (self harm, suicide threats, depression, anxiety, dying or sick parents etc) who find me for check ins as well as safeguarding disclosures. I run intervention and social skills groups, I supervise our restoration unit.

For this I am paid the princely sum of £1200 per month. And I'm at the higher end of the scale.

I'll do it until my DD leaves school but then will use the experience to work elsewhere. It is physically and mentally exhausting. Hugely rewarding and a vital job but exhausting.

But that's not FT

FT is 1800 hours pa
You only work 1200 hours pa

The only way they aren’t paying tax is due to them doing very low hours.

A 30 hour week at 14 quid an hour is going to be about 18k give or take.

You're definitely paid more than me, for the same hours. Even though I'm actually in at 8 am every day ,otherwise I start the day already behind. The last pay increases have made a difference though, as for years I didn't even earn enough to pay tax.

I get in at 8 too but that’s my choice. We have been given what equates to a 10 % pay rise for the last 2 years. So my pay has gone up roughly 1 pound an hour each year. I earn 12.18 an hour but also got a little extra once I had worked for 5 years.

But the point is there's no need to be sorry.

We absolutely love our jobs despite the pay, and that's why we continue to do them, because it's what we want to do.

Otherwise we'd move on and try to better our pay, like most people who want to earn more money 🤷‍♂️

I’m a qualified teacher, although now retired. When I left my last full time job, there were a few months before I started a part time post. I was asked by the local primary to take a TA post, to support a child in Reception. During that time, we moved house, so I then had a ten mile drive to school. The cost of fuel was more than I earned. Fortunately, I wasn’t dependent on it and it was only a short time, but I certainly earned the money.

Here is an advert for my local area.

@howshouldibehave I think your post comes across as incredibly snobby. What I notice is the divide and this is why there is no change nursing has similar issues although TA wages seem to be even lower! Loads of mums are doing a job because it fits around the kids or personal life circumstances. It's grossly offensive and quite ignorant to assume a person isn't capable just because they don't have a degree/ A levels Shocking coming from you also if you are a qualified teacher yourself!

@NotForMeCheers Wonderful!

@WallaceinAnderland Would you be able to explain to me how I can work "ft" then as a TA in a primary school?

It's so sad, TA's are my lifeline at school and some more highly skilled than teachers at managing behaviour etc. We have had to make budget cuts, and the topic of TA wages came up ... Our HT said it's low because it's classed as a PT job but wages distributed over the 12 months.

I do think some of the jobs pp's are describing should not be happening.. there is no way TA's should be planning, or marking books even if it's with a group they have worked with. At our school
work is 'live marked' so that would come into a Ta role occasionally but teachers are still expected to support children working with a TA and have an overview of how all are doing!!
I always think one of the worst part of our jobs is the absolute inflexibility for paid time of when needed... the number of school staff that have to miss out on their kids assemblies, school plays, sports days etc... it's so sad and those sacrifices are not reflected in the monthly reward at all! x

I'm not sure you can, can you?

But it does beg the question why did you go for a part-time low paid job, if you need more money to support your family?

I'm a TA in London. Effectively minimum wage. For all that we do, which is so much, and so much shit we have to deal with from school management. Sometimes the role is rewarding, much of the time it is awful and soul-destroying. So much is expected of us, yet we are treated like shit and our pay packet shows utter contempt for us. I am actively looking for something else.

See the other side of this is how much should they be paid?
Because I have to say as a highly qualified subject expert who teaches and has all the responsibility I am 0.8 fte on ups 2 and clear 2040 pm. So if the pt ta's who turn up,.do their hours then leave clear 1300 I think that's not at all fair. Because one is a professional role and one is support that requires level 3 (a level equivalent) at the top, technically just gcse English and maths at 4 / C.
So take into account what the teachers do and I'm not sure that's big enough differential, especially when uc likely tops up the wage so disposable income is similar.
Plus the hours teachers actually work it probably works out only a pound or so more an hour.

I work for an MAT and our pay seems to be higher than those who don’t. I clear £1455 a month after tax, NI and my pention contribution. Also I’m in an outer London borough so that makes a difference.

I work 8:15-3:15. My children are in the school and because I am a staff member I don’t have to pay breakfast club fees which really helps. That’s also where they get their homework done so that helps a lot in terms of my home/life balance.

I love my job. With the number of children I have, there is no better fit out there for me. I work the same days as my kids, all the same days off other than 5 inset days which I know about well in advance so am able to sort childcare.

I could probably earn double elsewhere but by the time I’d paid out for childcare during the holidays and before/after school I’d most definitely have less in my pocket even with financial help towards those costs. It’s a very rewarding job, I feel appreciated and valued and I don’t think it’s a bad wage considering the hours I work and the amount of time I get off to spend with my children. I am going to start a course to become a HTLA which will boost my wage and will mean I am able to cover classes at a higher rate. Don’t get me wrong, there are some tough days and some sad safeguarding situations we have to deal with. But overall, it’s a happy place working with lovely, even when challenging children.

I do think it massively depends on what school you’re in. I have friends working in different schools who are overworked, undervalued and most definitely underpaid. I’m lucky to work with a great team, good manager and good benefits like the free breakfast club, access to private healthcare, counselling, financial services advise etc

It's like most jobs that are minimum wage or just above, I suppose. A lot of them are seriously underpaid for what they do. I guess the problem is compounded for TAs because of the inherently part time/term-time only nature of the roles... there just isn't an option to work full time.

There is at some schools - I appreciate it isn't the majority but at my son's school, they run the wraparound in house and so can offer the TAs full time hours. TAs can also pick up holiday club work too

It seems the majority of TAs aren’t taking home 1300 though. I seem to be in the minority and I take that home, only as of this year.

I assume you earn just over twice what I earn, before tax. I’ll never be able to progress up the pay scales though, beyond standard pay rises.

I see your point though. The main difference though is the tax I think. I am only paying tax on a much smaller percentage of my salary, likewise the pension.