Should my child's class have a qualified teacher everyday?

[Jap26]

Aibu to expect that my year 5 child has a qualified teacher everyday at school. Teachers have been announced for the next school year and the year 5 teacher is part time doing 4 days a week, no teaching cover has been arranged and the plan is for various TA's to cover the 5th day. The school have confirmed that with ppa time for the class teacher they will only have an actual teacher 3.5 days a week. None of the TA's have any relevant qualifications. As an ad hoc arrangement to cover sickness I think this is fine but they are planning do to this every week. Before I complain I just want a reality check on if this is standard practice

Ask what the timetable will look like, is there external music, PE etc. who is planning for the day and a half- the teacher or the ta covering? How will they ensure consistency across the week?
I totally agree it’s not acceptable really, but with teachers leaving in droves there’s a huge shortage… I left teaching some years ago

AloeVerity · Today 19:14
TAs don’t want to do this but have no choice. We can’t afford to pay for supply teachers.

TAs do have a choice. They don’t have to accept minimum wage, and at the same time help decimate the teaching profession. If TAs stopped being the sticking plaster, maybe the government would have a rethink and actually fund teachers properly - skilled, trained, experts in their field teachers.

We don’t have a choice, it’s written into our contracts. If you want to blame someone, blame the government who allow the academy chains to do this and who clearly don’t value education.

There's not enough teachers to go around, we're all leaving for good reasons. Remember that when you vote.

This. I voted YANBU but sadly it is not unusual now.

Thanks, but I'm a governor that chairs our finance committee and did complain when an HTLA was doing longer term cover, but they were training to teach so it was considered a placement therefore fine. The answer is unlikely to be a one day a week staff member but it may need one of the leadership team to do a day in class, or there may be other classes in the school in this situation and maybe someone doing 2/3 days across 2/3 classes would work well.

YANBU, but arrangements like this have been going on for years.
Financial pressures and a recruitment & retention crisis are at play, and this is unlikely to change any time soon, no matter who wins the next GE.

You’re a school governor, but you think this is a “report to Ofsted” issue?

Ultimately, and in my experience, the children are better off with a TA or HLTA from their school who knows them and the school, rather than an agency supply who doesn't really give a shit. Sorry to generalise, but at my school we have seen some truly shocking supply 'teachers' recently...

I’ve no idea if it’s the ‘norm’ or not but classes not having a qualified teacher at all times doesn’t seem right?

Of course it’s not but 14 years of the Tories decimating education and here we are

there may be other classes in the school in this situation and maybe someone doing 2/3 days across 2/3 classes would work well

I’m sure it would, but if the school hasn’t got the budget, it’s not going to happen. I’m astonished that a governor would think this is something Ofsted would deal with!

If your kids are now grown up then that's not got much bearing on state schools today

If you’re outraged then you know how to vote on Thursday

Exactly. As a parent (and as a grandparent now) I'd not be happy at all. But as a now retired teacher, I'd know that this is going to be the best the school can do, and the head will be just as unhappy.

Teachers have been posting on Mumsnet for years about the situation in schools, the stress they're under, and how they're planning to leave. The usual suspects tell then they have it jammy and talk about the holidays and such. But here's the proof of what they're saying.

This government has cut education to the bone, while demanding more and more. And teachers have voted with their feet. Because the holidays don't remotely make up for the conditions.

So here we are. And yes, my eldest grandchild starts school in September, and I fear for what her educational experience will be like for the next 13 years.

Our HLTA's are fantastic at teaching, they just don't want the hassle of planning and all the other responsibilities that go with being a teacher so this wouldn't worry me

Sorry op but it's standard practice nowadays

There aren't enough teachers

I feel really sorry for the TAs. I take it they won't be getting a salary increase to reflect this additional responsibility? whilst parents moan about their children being taught by a TA

This is like the PA thing isn’t it? Yes SOME TAs are wonderful and have 6 degrees but they aren’t teachers. It is fairly insulting to teachers to imply that their degree and training was pointless because a TA can do their job just as well. A slippery slope into replacing them with the “cheaper” version. Good old Tory logic screwing your kids over.

Planning for how and what to teach your children? If that’s not important they are just childcare then. And yes TOTALLY unfair on TAs being expected to do a job without being paid and without any prep time!

Because they are being treated like shit. The government have a lot to answer for

Yes, there is a legal requirement in maintained schools. This does not apply to academies or free schools. I posted the government documents earlier in the thread.

This year my DS (in Reception) had his teacher 3.5 days per week and (I think) a HLTA the other 1.5 days. (Not 100% sure she is a HLTA rather than TA). The school never actually told us. She was introduced as 'part of the Class X team'.

My DD's full time teacher for next year (year 4) is listed on the website as a HLTA. I hope she is a qualified teacher who temporarily took a TA role but not sure, and not sure if the school (different school) would tell us if not.

These are generally good schools as well! I can understand why teachers don't want to work full time and with the recruitment crisis, it is cheaper to fill gaps at a lower wage.

At our school we have an unqualified teacher as the class teacher, PPA is then covered by a TA.

This is a LA funded school and so imagine will become the norm soon.

Not true. State schools can have unqualified staff teaching classes. And not just for a day out two. The school I taught in had a full time class teacher who was unqualified.

The teachers do the planning but the HLTA's teach it.

Which is shit for the teachers, and shit for the TAs.