to think kids' school is a bit shit

[KickButtowski]

It's a small school, 4 mixed age classes, so 4 form teachers, 1 head teacher and a handful of pt TAs who float around. 81 kids in the whole school.

So for the past 2 weeks dd ( in Y1 and has SN ) has been cared for by these TAs on a rota because her regular support worker is off sick (lazy cow taking the piss, but that's another story). This has been discussed and I am reassured that she is being taken care of properly.

However, then the class teacher pointed out that while I don't need to worry about dd it has left the rest of the class and the whole school in fact in a bot of bother because there are no TAs to help anywhere so it has been very hard to organise classes and lessons. She sort of said this in passing and I don't know what she expected me to say, but I thought it was pretty crap.

DDs support worker is also responsible for changing their reading books 3 times a week and setting homeowrk on a friday. Last week the books weren't changed at all but they did get their homework. This week books were changed but today we had a note saying there was no homework because form teacher was also off scik so there was nobody able to do it.

I appreciate they are a small school on a tight budget etc and sicknesses are hard to accommodate - but I think this is shit. They should be getting a supply teacher in to act as TA if necessary, and someone in the school should be able to find the time to sort out books and homework.

Or am i over-reacting.

I agree that the teacher shouldn't have moaned to you.
When I was teaching FT if there was no TA to change the books it had to be done in my lunch hour. In a small school teachers will be doing a lot of playground duties and breaks which do happen often involve getting ready for the next lesson. If there are lunchtime clubs the CT will not have every lunch hour, and part of her lunch hour will be taken up with getting ready for the afternoon.
Teachers are entitled to a lunch hour like everyone else but in my experience both as a FT teacher and as a supply teacher very few teachers spend more than about 15 to 20 minutes in the staffroom.

Actually, imahappycamper, teachers are entitled to 'a break of reasonable duration'. Not a lunch HOUR. 15-20 minutes is 'of reasonable duration'.

And KickButtowski, your school is finding it hard to cope because they are USED to having a TA to do those jobs. Those of us who changed books and set homework without a TA helping planned that as part of our week. If you don't have it as an intrinsic part of your week, rembebering to do it, especially this week with the 'fun' of SATs (unless they've opted out), is not easy. Especially as you added that there's been a supply teacher in too, who won't know the systems which are in place. I never wanted a supply to change books, etc as I had a system for doing so.

In my DDs school, parents change books and listen to children read. Are parents involved in your child's school?

Op is your dd statemented?

Supply TAs exist- Either through the county bank here or some schools have their own. TAs in my old school were covered by insurance after 3 days off (Teachers straight away) but this was due to the high number of TAs. Most schools don't as its a huge cost for not a lot back unless someone goes off long term.

My dd is statemented for 35 hours pw so basically she has her 121 all the time except the lunch hour.

I don't know why, but the school is incredibly reluctant to use parents as volunteers. Not just me, but several others I know have repeatedly offered their services, for anything at all to be an extra body or pair of hands, and the answer is always thanks, we'll get back to you, but they never do. No idea why that is.

I get the message totally now that a supply TA is not really worth it, so really now the issue is why the teacher can't sort all this stuff out for herself, I think.

Galena sloppy writing on my part- I should have put lunch break.

In ds' school the children were responsible for changing their books by Yr 1.

a statement is legally binding, so the school must abide by it. they have to bring in appropriate qualified staff to cover in a situation like this. just for those who dont know the 121 teacher is funded by the government not the school. yanbu to demand they resolve this situation and fast. just gently remind them its legally binding. maybe you should also have a word with the local education authority and explain it to them

Tiredmum, not sure what your experience is of this, but your statement is the kind of thing I would have thought, before dd started school.

After all our battles with the LA to get the bllody statement, and it is pages long and incredibly explicit so no room for error, we find that actually we now have battles with the school instead to make sure they do everything. I could be on the phone to the LA everyday, but I don't think that would help us - I have to try and maintain a reasonable relationship with the school so I try and let some things go and focus on the core stuff.

They don't have to get someone appropriately qualified to cover - they have to meet the statement one way or the other, which is what they are doing currently with this random assortment of people, mostly.

Whenever the 121 has buggered off pretending to be sick they usually have TAs do the bare minimum that she needs, and the answer to me is that they do the best they can. On a practical level, I can believe that there are not many people out there specifically qualified in dd's problems who do supply work, and frankly the TAs who see her day in day out would know her better. Usually the 121 rings in at 9am each time to let them know she is not coming in, so what can the school do then?

I have asked that they train up the TAs a bit more so that they can do extra stuff with dd and that will be happening next week, so that is a positive thing I guess.