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!

I have been a TA coordinator in a secondary school for 10 years. In a team of 10 TA's I have always let staff go to their childs school sports days etc. For the sake of a few hours a year how do you expect to hang on to good staff on minimum wage?

Wow ! Our local primaries expect a level 3 for a TA and a level 6 for a Higher Level TA
they also ask for a Level 3 in their adverts for a 1-2-1 TA

and they get it !

they may not get 100's of applications for a fixed term job after all who would leave a job for what could be a temp job, ( 1-2-1 SEN TA temp due to the money being attached to the child, if child leaves the money goes ) but they will get several Level 3's applying.

Anyway the OP has realised she won't get the time off for school nativities / sports day etc.

@neverbeenskiing I’d cover for a colleague’s family event at another school in a heartbeat without minding one bit. They’re usually quite rare and only short aren’t they.

Couldn’t agree more @Allioops!

If flexibility to go to to events during work hours is important to you, don't be a TA. It is no way flexible.

It is bloody hard work. And the pay is shit. And people think we hear readers and wash paint pots.

OP I'm a primary school teacher with 2 TAs. Yes, we as a staff can get out for things but rarely. For example I wouldn't ask to go to both my kids sport's days on different days, if both had a Christmas play I would maybe ask to go to one (it's like Sophie's Choice 😂🙈). I would try to make medical appointments after the kids have went home. Basically I'd ask to get out for one important event/appointment and if I was feeling very brave 2 events in a year and it would be out for a couple of hours and back to school . I wouldn't ask at all for a wedding, funeral etc unless it's a very close family member. If my kids are sick my husband who works from home and can take leave is at home with them. He also fills in for the events, activities that I can't go too. The general consensus in school is very little flexibility and everyone feels guilty if they are ever off as it means leaving your colleagues to struggle (which is completely unfair I know). Though some of it is down to if you have a lovely, understanding, caring principal which is luck of the draw really.

@EatMoreChocolate44 yes and it’s so hard to establish that in a job interview, as it’s hardly an appealing question from their point of view if you ask!
On reading this post again, I think the important takeaway for me is if they are essential for my children and I (those key events) - and they are, unless I’m paid more to not attend - I have to join a school who make those accommodations (which to be fair isn’t even for that long - as these family events seem to only be a ‘primary thing’).
I can’t lie though, I did expect a bit more positivity about the role overall! 😬

I had a relative who worked for an agency providing supply teaching assistants. They needed certain qualifications and of course it was zero hours and even sometimes same day notice. But worked well for fitting in with other commitments. She gave it up though as might only be 2 days or so per week and only term time.

I am a TA and I love it, I work in a fantastic small school with a great team. BUT it’s a hard job and I think you really need to be passionate about it to do it well.

There aren’t enough staff to properly support all the children so you spend a lot of time feeling guilty for what you haven’t been able to do while at the same time not stopping all day. The system is stretched which makes it very hard to feel like you are making a proper difference.

I can’t see me ever doing any other job but it’s not going to be for everyone. It’s certainly not an easy family friendly job like many think it is.

@Picpac876 it would also be a down side finding your feet all the time and no relationship with the children etc.
I’m feeling really concerned about the pay aspect of being a TA overall though. But equally daunted about working school holidays in a better paid job!

@Sirzy sorry, massively nosey question BUT how do you make the pay stretch to cover the cost of living? I’m wondering how people manage that? I guess it is still being financially dependent on a partner in many cases or stretching a very basic income but working hard? To be fair, my first ever job only paid a TA salary for full time work. I didn’t have children at the time though and it’s so hard that you need to earn more to support children yet struggle to work proper hours and school hols?!

Great to hear you enjoy it though. I’d have to bring that kind of energy if I do it. Just thinking very carefully now before committing.

I had to prove my granddad died, I had to ask my mum for the death certificate to take in.

This. In primary school especially TAs are used as substitute teachers (on about a third of their wages!) Secondary school, they are more a support. I wouldn't ever be a TA in a primary school!

Most of our TA's have partners or spouses who are the main 'breadwinners" to be honest.
The few who are single have other jobs to supplement their income in addition to working as a TA. One works at an external Breakfast and Afterschool Club and does some babysitting on evenings and weekends, one does some PA hours for a young person with physical disabilities and one has their own business that is nothing to do with childcare or education. We have had a couple of TA's who were young and still living at home with their parents so not financially independent.

@neverbeenskiing yes this is sadly true isn’t it - it would be hard to manage well as a single parent TA. Perhaps dependent on child maintenance I guess. Not having a mortgage would help. I feel like I want to bring more to the table financially, but equally if I end up doing the wraparound work you describe anyway, I may as well try and get a better paid job with less child friendly hours?! It’s just a shame as I really thought being a TA must at least be worth it in terms of job satisfaction for so many people to do it at that salary.

I was a t.a in a primary then a secondary.Secondary is far better imo.Worked 8-3

I don’t even work in schools and i know how bad education has got in recruiting and retention. Of course there are pockets that are better than others but on the whole i rarely hear much positivity.

I was a qualified Nursery nurse who 20 years ago did 9 months as a TA/1:1. I loved it. However my 1:1 was nothing like what staff are dealing with now. Tha school had a class TA in each class it was brilliant.

lMy sibling is a Ta and is amazing with her very complex and often very behavioural 1:1. However it is hard work. They had staff leave as now all roles are TA 1:1 only. It’s such hard work for quite frankly a terrible wage that’s then spread out and averaged to cover he holidays you don’t get paid for. Hats off to anyone doing it i think they are amazing.

I know quite a few current and former TAs. They made/make it pay by a mixture of being old enough to have bought a cheap 90s house, social housing and partner earning more. Basically either low cost of living or someone else funding most of it.

But then who would cover your job while you're covering theirs? It would most likely fall to a teacher on their non contact time, meaning that teacher has even more work to catch up on in the evening. For no additional pay. How is that fair?

A lot of people now are clearly making the same calculation. It sounds like you might not have been aware that TA roles are no longer very sought after?

I think there are two reasons the role was more popular in its heyday, for want of a better term. The first is that it was genuinely different, and one could have a TA job that primarily involved general classroom support. The second is that people needing term time only jobs had many fewer options than now, because the increase in remote working has meant a great deal more flexibility for those who have to work around caring responsibilities.

That's not to say there aren't TAs who love the role and find it really fulfilling now, but it's a smaller number than when it was less of a grind. And there were always some who were there for practical reasons.

@CommonlyKnownAs I know a couple of TAs who are positive about it but I’m big on research so that’s why I’m trying to dig a bit deeper! Truthfully I also can’t think of any jobs that allow remote working that are paid much more with no training. I was also really interested in psychotherapy for example but the money to train and hours involved just don’t seem to fit in with spending that time with my children who are growing up quickly. I do want to make money though. Difficult!

@helloblossom I can ask my friend how that worked in her school? Either way, they made it work and other schools do too. Just not sure how many. I have another friend with a totally different, very well paid career who has had to sacrifice lots BUT her salary reflects that sacrifice (she also has bags of confidence and a great mum who helps a lot with her kids!)

I tried lunch time supervisor and hated it and I had worked with children in other roles for years previously. I have friends who are tas and it’s bloody hard work , draining and challenging. They don’t get to go to their kids events and need child care for befor and after school plus the pay is rubbish. Holidays are the bonus though.

How do I feel about it? I left. Got fed up of being paid a third less to cover teachers who complained they weren’t being paid enough to do jobs they left for me. Dealing with misogynistic lads aged 7. In a world where males don’t need education as much as girls because they will always get paid more with no qualifications or skills than girls who work for years doing the right thing to end up being paid nothing to support boys in schools. I’m not wasting my life lying to girls from poor backgrounds, telling them that if only they work hard, harder, and harder still there will be rewards when clearly all they need is a dick.

Oh and the training to be a HLTA? Dont bother. If you want to be a teacher then do teacher training and get a teachers wage. HLTA are cheap teachers, and a total piss take.

You don’t need any training to be an HLTA any more, anyway. If your head teacher decides you can be one, you can!