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 think that says more about teacher pay that TA pay.

A TA has to be cheaper than a teacher or it would make more sense to employ a teacher. And minimum wage full time is only about 8-10k less than an ECT. But obviously the pro rata TA contract makes that gap bigger.

A TA has to be cheaper than a teacher or it would make more sense to employ a teacher. And minimum wage full time is only about 8-10k less than an ECT. But obviously the pro rata TA contract makes that gap bigger.

Our HLTAs are on similar to ECT to start. Difference is ECT earn more within a year or two.

@Boomboom22 you will get a pension that you can live on, the majority of TAs won't! Also your pension is based on a 52 week year.

You can’t. Being a TA working 8.30-3.30 (or similar) for only 40 weeks a year is a part time job. If you want full time wages then take a job where you can work full time.

I've just looked at a local TA vacancy, it's £23,194 to £29,439 FTE, Actual Salary: £17,372.24 - £22,049.72. Is this not correct? That's for 32.5 hours a week, 39 weeks a year. Adding on the 5 weeks for leave, so 44 weeks paid works out at £12.15 an hour at the bottom of the scale and £15.41 at the top of the scale but it sounds as though people are being a lot less than this in reality.

There isnt a national payscale for TAs so there will be variations.

I work 9.00 -3.30 and take home £1200. I earn a minimum wage and have listed what I do, the experience needed for my job and the experience I have.

It’s not ok. There is going to be a massive problem soon as more and more people are no longer able to afford to do the job and so many highly skilled TAs are needed.

I've just looked at a local TA vacancy, it's £23,194 to £29,439 FTE, Actual Salary: £17,372.24 - £22,049.72. Is this not correct?

It’s correct for that job. It’s not correct for lots of other TA jobs as they aren’t all the same.

I can believe it as hours are 9-3pm term time only. So it isn’t full time work, especially when annualised to account for the holidays that are unpaid ( at least 8 weeks?).
They don’t get paid enough per hour, no. It is the same with care workers. I suspect it is because these roles are predominantly female!

@KissMyArt Where exactly did I say I needed more money to support my family? I do that very well (on a tight budget) with no additional government support. I do, however, have a 3 yo so need to work around her.
There is a lot of disdain it would appear on MN for families who aren’t high earners?
I would rather a lower-paid partner who is an incredibly hands-on dad and husband than a wealthy one who works all the hours, is in a state of constant work stress and never has time for his family.
Personally speaking though, of course 😀

I get £19800 take home as a level 3 TA 32.5 hours a week. I arrive at 8.30am for an 8.35 am start and leave bang on 3.40 when my contract says. I knew the pay wasn’t the best but as a single mom I did it for the holidays. Now my son in secondary I don’t have to pay for before and after school club either. It’s hard work as I’m mainly 1-1 with kids who have complex needs and in the mainstream school we just can’t cater for.

It’s not ok. There is going to be a massive problem soon as more and more people are no longer able to afford to do the job and so many highly skilled TAs are needed.

This is so true. Every year (and the rate of increase is ramping up) more and more children have SEND and SEND diagnosis; and EHCPs (council-approved Education, Health & Care Plans) which REQUIRE schools to provide support for those students, from general classroom support to 1:1 100% care (ie the student must be accompanied/supported 100% of the time, never left alone).

Cost of living skyrocketing, salary minimum wage - turnover already so high. No idea how the demand will be met when the salary is so derisory and unsustainable for anyone to live on, while the requirements of the job are so onerous.

Salary as a TA in special ed is much better paid - around £1706 take home per month.

@Bbq1 what do you mean by "TA in special ed"? At the school I work at (London), we TAs only work with children with SEND. But our pay is way below £1700 take-home.

I assumed they meant a special Ed school. They tend to have children with much greater needs than in mainstream and command a higher salary.

I say tend to, the way things are now in mainstream it doesn’t always seem like that.

That's really strange. We Ta"s also work solely with children and young people with SEND. We are in the North and pay is £1700 take home. How can you possibly be earning less innthe same role in London?! Hand on heart, that is current take home pay at our school.

I work in Education and TAs, HLTAs and Technicians are very much underpaid!

In a mainstream school?

What I really don't understand is the eagerness to tell TA's ,especially experienced,educated,well trained TA's " just get another job" . I've seen it time and time again. Do you people not have kids?

Why would you want good TA's to get other jobs and leave ? Why would you want your children in the hands of someone desperate or without any skills , because the lower the pay and the worse conditions, the less likely you are to get good quality staff. Or even worse , do you want your children to have no support staff at all in the classroom? Even if your kids are in private schools or in naice,leafy village schools , or they have no SEND or medical needs, think about the most vulnerable children. Really? Just anyone off the street would do, as long as their DBS is clear?

Why do you not care? Why isn't important enough for you?

When I first started as a TA (ex teacher), I was placed with a 5 year old boy with autism. The first time I was introduced to him, he was running around the classroom screaming.
For the next few weeks, I would go home with black and blue legs from his kicking. I remember holding back tears when he slapped me suddenly on both sides of my face! It stung and the shock was something else.
It was an incredibly difficult first year. His anxiety was through the roof, which is what drove these unwanted behaviours.
As the relationship grew, I became his trusted adult and the challenging behaviour gradually decreased.
I no longer work at his school but see him locally. He is now 10 years old and is doing incredibly well. He works without 1:1 support.
That kid is incredibly special to me and he's my biggest success story. He's amazing and I never gave up on him. His own class teacher during that horrendous first year said that he should have been in a special school. And here he is, thriving in mainstream
Very recently, my close colleague who also worked with him, died. The boy and his family turned up at her funeral 🩷
Please don't underestimate the importance or value of this job.

@Bbq1 Do you mean in a specifically special ed school? I am in a mainstream school. (We have students who are very high needs and should be in a special ed school, but i totally understand that ALL children at a special ed school are like that)

@PaperDoIIs Thank you. I love my job passionately; I think it's terribly sad to be told "just get a better paid job." Unfortunately the appalling pay and ever-increasing demands mean that I'm leaving the role behind but I will certainly miss it and the many vulnerable children I have been privileged enough to work with 😢

Op stop being a martyr and check entitled to. It sounds highly likely you'd get 80% of childcare instead of 20% on uc and probably a bit more towards other elements, even if you have a mortgage, as long as you have less than 6k in savings.

My partner is a higher level TA in a secondary school. He earns £12k for 3 days. So would be £20k full time. He’s been doing it for nearly 20 years and is as high as he can get without re training. He’s lucky to have a fixed contract as new staff are on yearly ones.

No in an SEN school. I though pp's saying they only worked with SEN students were in am SEN school as that was a impression given.