To want a TA job

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Calling all teaching assistants! How are you finding it? Is full time full on? How do you cope with the poor pay - I’m worried it isn’t enough money to justify the work?! Please share any tips or reviews!

If you're a 1:1 TA, who's going to look after that child while you're going to assemblies, sports days etc?

@neverbeenskiing OR perhaps only work at a school where they do allow staff to go to those events and make it work, as it sounds like they exist? Just worried how rare it is!

I work in mainstream secondary 1:1 SEN support. I do love it and whilst the pay isn’t fabulous I manage on it as I’m not the main wage earner. I’m an ex-teacher and don’t want to return to classroom teaching.

@dapsnotplimsolls I’m honestly not sure as I wasn’t going to apply for 1:1 (would that be in the job spec?) - but would it be the same arrangement as if the person were ill? Given we’re talking two short events a year really aren’t we? So not much cover time but important for the parent and child?

I’d agree to volunteer in a school- term time work is always talked about here but my friend never ever gets to drop or collect her kids from school and misses their school plays etc

As others have already said, TA jobs are increasingly 1:1. If someone has to cover you, another child gets less attention. Do you think this is fair?

@dapsnotplimsolls for two short events a year, yes I genuinely do? Especially if some schools are accommodating this?

If you can find a school that has such an abundance of staff they can allow every single member of staff to take time off for all of their childs school events, then good luck to you. I've certainly never worked in a school like that. All of the School Leaders I know are struggling just to keep the lights on because budgets are so overstretched, so I'd love to know how they are managing it!

Wow. I doubt if many are, to be honest. As a teacher I'd be properly fucked off if I lost a non-contact period so a colleague could go their kid's sports day.

It will be potentially unsettling for the child too and depending on their needs, can also make the day harder for everyone involved.

Obviously illness can't be helped but I think it is in the best interests of the child to minimise it when possible.

I doubt whether that's realistic. I certainly don't think most schools would allow time off for a friend's wedding in term time, which is something you mentioned upthread.

@ilovesooty yes someone else mentioned that situation but yes I’m aware I’d struggle to miss a best friend’s wedding or any major life event (child’s graduation) etc given the salary. I wonder why primary schools don’t stop organising family events if they don’t support their own staff going and it’s never easy for working parents full stop? Secondary schools don’t do it at least and I’m aware it isn’t long until both of mine are there. Just thinking in the meantime I guess aren’t I. But also massive empathy for those missing once a year assemblies and sports days. The person I was speaking to who did allow their staff to go did a great job so it is possible to cover those, must just vary.

I love my job.

It's hard, it's stressful. I do more now than I did when I started for not much more pay. I have worked 1:1 which in reality has been 1:4/5/6 because while the children are getting the 1:1 individualised support, I've not been a single child 1:1 for over 6 years.
I do more planning, more interventions, SaLT, OT, emotional literacy, safety sessions, personal help, than I've ever done. I spend a chunk of time outside class on movement breaks and with children who can't be in the classroom either due to needs dictating or because they just don't feel they can stay in that lesson.

On the attending events at my own child's school, we have a first and last policy. Thankfully my eldests school isn't big on parental invited events, so I don't miss out. I was on mat leave for his first sports day (but would have been given the time) and dh & grandparents have been to every single one since, so he doesn't miss out on cheerleaders.

Honestly I don't think the jobs an easy helping out in class and getting paid for it, for mums these days, it's tougher.

It was the most degrading, thankless, frustrating job I’ve ever had. I felt so guilty towards the parents who saw the social media and thought how great it was.

You could be working 1:1 with a child, or doing small group interventions, or be based in a classroom, or most likely a mix of all of the above. The Job spec for our TA's covers all of these things, because even if you're not usually working 1:1 with a particular child you need to be able to step in if other staff are ill or are needed to support on trips or something. A lot of flexibility is required, things change frequently because we have to adapt to the needs of the children. For example, all our TA's also have it in their contracts that they may be required to provide personal care, because you need x2 staff for safeguarding reasons and we can't have a situation where a child needs the toilet or needs cleaning up and the only staff who can deal with it are unavailable or off sick.

Oh wow @MsSmartShoes that sounds erm…worrying! Can you elaborate at all to really give me an idea of why? Thank you!

I dont understand what you mean by struggling due to the salary to miss events? What's the salary got to do with missing events?

It's nothing to do with the salary. If you take on a term time job you're contracted to be in school and it's the other side of the coin from having the holidays off to be with your children.

I’m not a TA but work in schools. I’m not sure if my experience is universal but what I’m seeing now is TAs (all TAs not just HLTAs) are essentially cheaper teachers. Again I’m happy to be corrected but from my pov the days of TAs doing your displays and listening to readers are over - it’s primarily now delivering intervention, covering sickness and PPA and working with children who are unable to stay in the classroom. TAs are essentially the last thing preventing spiralling EHCP related costs and supply costs sending school budgets falling off a cliff at the minute.

I worked for a large MAT. Teachers were allowed to go to their children’s first nativity, support staff were not.
There was actually more flexibility allowing teaching staff to attend things because they wanted to keep them happy.
They didn’t care about support staff.

I think I’m very lucky with the school I work with. I’m a TA, general in class not 1:1. I never cover classes, I do lead small groups phonics/maths etc but based on the teachers planning. I love my job, it can be hard work and intense but is fun and fulfilling. I could train to be a teacher, I have a good degree but am not remotely tempted and think a TA role is much better as I work 8:30-3:30 and have no work outside those hours. I feel lucky to be able to afford to do the job that I love and have enough money (I was very good at saving and have some investments) to top
up my income. In my opinion it’s a great job if you can afford to live off the low wage.

You really don't seem to grasp that it's only "possible to cover" if you have the additional staff to cover, and the budget to pay them. If you don't then it is simply not possible, not without putting children at risk, neglecting their needs and failing to provide the support their EHCP's legally entitle them to. It's not about "supporting" your TA's to go their kids sports day, it's got nothing to do with being supportive, it's simple Maths. The majority of schools don't have enough TA's, most of us have fewer TA's than we did 10 years ago but a lot more kids with complex needs who require a high level of support. Your friends school is very much the exception if they aren't in that position.

It would be extremely churlish for school staff to refuse to plan and deliver school events (which is part of their actual job) because they can't personally attend their own children's events. I can't imagine that anyone who has chosen a career in a school would have that sort of mindset. Fortunately, the school staff I know are dedicated to the children and families they work with and want to put on those experiences for them. They understand that it's not about them. They also make sure that the events are inclusive and fun for the children whose parents can't be there, which is not just parents who work in Education.

We are required to find another member of staff to take on our role in our absence if the time off isn’t sickness.

This is interesting. Does that generally work well?

All our part time TA's are part time for specifc reasons, because of they have their own DC with SEND or because of their own health issues for example. I wouldn't want them to feel pressured to come in and cover for colleagues to their own detriment, and I can think of a couple who definitely would as they're so lovely and would really struggle to say no.

@jmh740 this is my dilemma about the job I think (I’m not actually put off by a lot of the negative comments here and some are even promising). My concern was always I want a job that fits around my children, and this does. I also like the sound of the actual work. But the salary isn’t high enough to cover bills well yet alone miss the key, rare events. Maybe I clearly have a price tag for those?! So that’s the dealbreaker isn’t it, how likely it is for me to have slight flex there (where those allowances are made) and that seems rare from these comments sadly, but not impossible.