To expect my reception child to have a qualified teacher?

[MaryBeardy]

DS is in reception. I was told by another mum his teacher has been off for a few days. I asked DS who was teaching him and he said the two teaching assistants that help across reception and occasionally a teacher from a different class. Should there not be a qualified teacher present at all times (or at the very least one in training that has some supervision)? I’m feeling a bit annoyed this hasn’t been communicated by the school but don’t know if I’m being unreasonable. TIA

In the old days there were more teachers! Now thanks to years of chronic underfunding in schools, too much stress and bad parenting (resulting in bad behaviour in the classroom) they’re leaving in their droves and it is difficult to recruit new ones.

You don’t need to be a qualified teacher to teach in private schools.

Nope 🤣

I thought about it which is partly why I became a TA. I was horrified at the amount of work they have to do along with the shit they put up with and the pressure put on them.
Im happy enough turning up at 8:30, and leaving at 3:30. The rare occasions I have to cover, I don’t mind stepping up. The work is already prepped and I just ensure it’s done.

It often isn't. As mentioned earlier, I regularly covered for days on end. Other than the odd day course in phonics and maths, I have no teaching / childcare / school related qualifications at all. I do have a degree, but in a completely different area. I was given the title ATA (Advanced Teaching Assistant) and left to get on with it.

I've been in a reception class today where the teacher has been away and they have had a different supply teacher every single day this week.

In reality they are indeed expected to do this in many schools.

Private schools can employ people to teach who are not qualified teachers

Supply teachers are like gold dust in our area

Of course he should
But teaching assistants are competent too. And it's only for a few days.
To be fair, between the destruction wrecked by years of Tory govt, a failing economy and precious salty parents, there may not be any teachers - qualified or not- in a couple of years' time so perhaps this is good practice.

My TA covers for me if I’m away from school and there is no one I’d feel more comfortable leaving them with than her.

I refused for a long time until one day my CT went home sick and I covered.l for her. Since then, I feel guilt-tripped into doing it ("no budget for supply", "you'll be great!").

I've got a strong feeling that you are correct about the PE cover and I am in a union. Over half term I'm going to check about the PE cover rules.

Ex t.a/current school administrator here. Reception is basically a year of learning through play. Alot of it getting the children used to routines and social skills. They also do some phonics and learning in other ways but it is largely about structured and unstructured play with lots of time to freeplay outside and exploring toys/books inside too. The t.a's in that class will be more than capable of handling that for a few days and will know the children really well, which is a bonus. Supply teachers (when using an agency,) can cost hundreds just for one day because you pay a fee to the agency. There is so little cash, which people don't seem to understand, that we regularly bring in things we buy for the children bought out of our own money. It's very tough, but things won't change unless people stand up and demand more for their kids because we are truly doing our best on a shoestring and it can be tough.

And now I think about it, there are several t.a's in our reception class at any one time, as a minimum and all of them are qualified teachers/hlta/longtime foundation stage t.a's. so they are absolutely qualified and overqualified in the role they are performing day to day. You'll Find this in many schools, so I'd say rest easy because your children will be in good hands. The school also doesn't have to run changes like this by you. On any given day, there are so many 'moving parts' and variables. The education and wellbeing of the children is at the centre of everything we do and each decision we make, your expectation to be kept in the loop and consulted at every turn is unreasonable so I'd say you're in for some disappointment in the coming years if you expect that, sadly.

They are meant to have a qualified teacher. TAs should not be taking classes. I am a teacher and this never happens in my school. I have known TAs to take a register if a teacher is late, for example.

@cherish123 Yes you're right, but the reality is they don't.
At my last school (Yr 6 class) they couldn't recruit a HLTA to cover my PPA so they put in the 1-1 SEN TA (inexperienced but lovely) who supported an EHCP child in the class with significant needs. Class of 30.
SLT requested I planned for her 1.5 hours and I refused as this isn't permitted (it would also have rendered my PPA time usless).
I left in December after 20 years in primary.
Best decision ever and angry at myself for not doing it sooner!

Perhaps there’s no need for qualified teachers at all and universities should stop offering teacher training courses.

@LilacBroccoli It really won't be that mong before there will only be perhaps a few QTS teachers within a school and the rest of the "teaching" staff will be support staff.
Not acceptable for anyone but I unless we act now this will soon be the reality.

From what I’m seeing, teachers are leaving due to workload and becoming TAs. Teachers are off sick and classes are being taught by TAs but it’s fine because most of them are qualified teachers. So it’s fine for children to be taught by people earning £12k a year.

@LilacBroccoli Are you being ironic? God, I hope so.
I was a 1-1 SEN HLTA for five years after returning from mat leave after my third child (also an experienced qualified teacher). Loved my job and yes, of course expected the huge pay cut because I was TA'ing. But working with SEN has always been my passion and the work-life balance was worth it.
But after about three years the school took me away from SEN and used me pretty much ft as a supply teacher across classes. Paid £13 ph which of course is less than supply and my usual HLTA rate. I was expected to plan too. Classes of 30 with no other adult.
Totally taken advantage of.
Left.
I'm now an EOTAS Tutor on a wage more than I was a class teacher. Love it.

At the primary school I used to work at TAs were given classes (still happens afaik). Not just as cover but actually as their class. Also, often where there were part time teachers, the days they weren't in would be routinely covered by a TA.

I don't have an issue with TAs covering for the odd day or lesson (I did it myself) in that situation it is probably better to have someone who knows the children. I do think it's all kinds of wrong for TAs to be routinely teaching a class or have a class of their own. TA's may be wonderful and experienced but they do not have teacher training and it is not the same.

I have never seen a supply teacher in reception. We have had 3 children in reception.
Always TAs doing a great job.

I wouldn't expect a supply teacher in reception to cover 'normal days off' as shorttime sickness is for the teacher.
Supply teachers aren't even a thing in secondary schools anymore.

Yes, being ironic. I was a very good SENCo for many years until the main part of my job became doing covers and 90-minute lunch duties. Then parents quite rightly complained the SEND provision wasn’t good enough. It’s difficult to gather evidence for EHCPs while supervising lunch queues or covering Year 10 Maths. I was a well-paid lunchtime supervisor but I wanted to make a difference for students with SEND. Which I am now doing.

That’s strange, because I receive about ten emails every day asking me to sign up for secondary supply jobs.

A lot of schools can't afford supply teachers or parents around here are told that in state secondary schools.
Might be different around the country.

More schools are using cover supervisors, if they can recruit them. I honestly have to delete agency emails every single weekday or they take my Gmail close to its storage capacity.