To teach all day for £11.90 p/h?

[Sooooootired01]

I'm a qualified teacher primarily working as a SEN HLTA. Pay £11.60 an hour. OK I guess.
Last week I covered for a teacher who had gone on residential. This meant teaching all day from Monday - Wednesday, a full and routine curriculum of English and Maths etc. 30 kids in a class, no supervision, completely left to own devices. Again, I'm qualified so fair enough. Lessons preplanned but of course still needed delivery.
AIBU to think that paying me rate of £11.60 p/h for this is not OK?

Many TA/HLTAs may have superior skills and qualifications but they are not a requirement for the role - many schools can and will hire unqualified staff to do the same job.

A qualified doctor will not be paid a doctors pay to do a healthcare assistant role. You are paid for the role you do, not the role you could do.

Absolutely shocking. I get paid £12 an hour to work in a school kitchen. You deserve so much more than this.

Op - could you look at moving school? Not all schools take the mick this way. The only way it can is if people say no.

If HTLA's have to cover like that for a teacher in my school they get paid a higher rate.
I'm sure it's as much as a supply teacher.

Yes you should be paid more

Esp if on own teaching children when tech not your job

I'm always disgusted how little teachers ta nurses etx are paid

Macdonalds for example pay well. Flexible hours and a good pension - yet people take the piss about working there

Tho I totally get it that you have no choose. Can't find another job that fits in the hours etx and as you said send and bills need paying

I’m sure it’s not as much as a supply teacher.

If the OP is in my boat, she does school shifts rather than supermarket shifts because of the holidays and you need to be flexible for other shift work.
School holidays means you save on childcare/get time with your kids.
Mainly women/primary care givers in Support staff/school admin roles.
That's why many do not leave. It is the one bonus even though it means a salary good on paper is lousy in reality, once pro rated (they advertise a sum then pro rata and pay in twelve instalments).

HLTA pays slightly higher than TA/might be the next scale in some schools. Once you are at the top of your scale on the spine, you cannot go any further without T+L responsibility/pastoral role etc so you try and go for the higher wage.
I wouldn't personally if I wanted to avoid cover. Ironically, I didn't go for the OP's job spec recently, because I'd be less confident in interventions than in cover. Specific interventions for SEN you do need proper experience and qualifications/training in. If it's being done properly.

I’m so sorry this is ridiculous

my 16 yr old (after school) walks dogs for 10£ an hour and listens to podcasts

people are desperate for him to do more

for you having done a degree and looking after the welfare and teaching 30 children for what you get paid is shocking

Then it can be delivered by any of the TAs on a rota basis, if they are choosing you because of other qualifications then they need to pay you a supply teacher rate surely

It's shocking but not uncommon. Education is chronically underfunded.

@SadAct342 Agree. There is only one other HLTA that does any whole class cover...and they give him hours off in lieu for any he does!! I've not been offered this btw...

This is discrimination, are you part of a union?

You are paid for the role you do, not the role you could do
Well, quite.
We all make our choices.
I nonetheless empathise with the OP as it appears her main job is veering away from what she initially applied for (if occasional cover #12 on her list of duties is suddenly #1, it's a piss-take).
OP, what's your sector, your specialism, your location? PM me if you prefer/if secondary, although I suspect you are primary.

Part-time in primary is more rare.
The issue with part-time in either sector/most jobs, is that you end up doing full-time in less time with less pay or more stress with shared classes.
Again, you have to find something that works for you and doesn't cause resentment/festering sense of injustice.

I like my job a lot of the time - as long as I am only doing my job.
Once the goal posts are changed, that's a different story.
You get what you pay for.
You shouldn't be asking more from those on a lower than average salary.
But because working with children is a vocation, many women do do extra for the kids, for their colleagues, for the "team".
Many don't say no. Many people-please. The younger graduates coming through, though, are much better at keeping to their boundaries. I could learn a lot from them.

@exomoon Yes, although they are impossible to get hold of. Tried for two hours after work today with no success.

Thats true. Sounds like OP's school are changing the role though

@notthatperson Exactly. I was employed as a 1-1 SEN HLTA but basically I'm being used as a Cover Supervisor.

I guess it comes down to what your contract and job description say. You are being very badly paid for what you are doing but if it comes within what you are contracted to do you have no grounds for refusing. You either accept that or look for another job - you know you are overqualified for what you do but it has suited you in other ways. Your school are lucky to have you.

Of course it's not OK. That is poverty wages and a teaching assistant should be earning more than that. It's shameful that that is the going rate.

But more and more TAs will be covering for teachers that are leaving the profession.

Do you have teacher's pension and unlimited sick pay? If not YANBU. I guess you do get it though.

If you're a qualified teacher why don't you just get a teaching job where you'd be paid a lot more. If you applied for a HTA job that's what you'll be paid the going rate for.

Why haven't you been to the head over this ....
Are you in a union ?

@Maddy70 Done both!

@Ninjasan I of course don't get a teacher pension and a very strict sickness policy!

Every bit as much as a teacher? Oh come on now lass. As a teacher I was working easily 75 hours a week... As a ta I arrived at 8.30 and was out the door at 3.15 with nothing to take home. Are you under the illusion that teachers get holiday pay?

No comparison in workload, sorry. There just isn't. Or responsibility.

I once worked out my hourly rate as a teacher. Let's just agree that both jobs are poorly paid, horrible working conditions and hugely disrespected by most of society...and leave it at that.

They are paying you the minimum, do the minimum.

Walk in at 9, give a brief explanation, give out the sheets, sit at your desk, collect in the sheets, leave them for the teacher, walk out the door at the same time as the kids.