Become a teaching assistant for better work/life balance?

[DoubleCheeseForNeville]

I currently have a well established career in HR, in a role that's somewhere between HR Manager and HR Director. I have DD aged 8 and DS aged 5. I don't mind the work, although I don't love it - it's something I fell into in my early 20s, not anything I ever set out to do. I'm pretty well paid so between me and DH, we're fairly comfortable. If I hadn't taken two maternity leaves, I know I'd definitely be HR Director by now, and I know I can probably get to that stage but it'll mean going full time for sure, and I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to that.

I currently work Monday to Thursday from home. DH works from home too, and his work is pretty flexible so we manage to juggle childcare and pick ups etc between us without having to pay for after school clubs etc during term time. Longer school holidays (Easter, Summer etc) we do use clubs and it can be quite expensive and the DC don't always love it. Sounds silly but I really miss them when they're out all day and I feel sad I'm not doing things with them, especially on those glorious long summer holiday days. I often feel resentful I'm stuck working instead of being with them. I know they'd both rather be with me as well. DS in particular is quite clingy to me. My job is also quite stressful as it's a fast paced growing company led by a young ambitious CEO (who is brilliant but exhausting) and I'm often knackered and a bit stressed out.

I have a friend who's a TA, and she's always saying how great it is that she gets so much time off, never has to pay for childcare and gets to spend so much time with her kids. It's made me think, should I look for a role as a TA, given that I'm not in love with my career? Or would I be stupid to take such a big drop in salary for the sake of better work/life balance? We'd be able to manage financially if DH's salary stays the same (which it should), but it feels like a big risk.

Would love to hear from any TAs...I feel in a bit of a pickle (although appreciate its completely self-imposed!)

Agree with pps that it seems a great job & it's true that there's no problem in the holidays but during term time you will never have anything to do with your own dcs' school day (unless of course you're looking for flexible hours at their school which is usually poorly paid).

The pay is low for the skills & commitment required. To earn half decent money you will need a qualification so it might be worth looking into that first.

The role has changed hugely & often includes planning, evaluation etc which you have to do after working hours.

There's absolutely no way I'd leave a job I was reasonably happy in to take up a TA role at the moment. Contracts are usually fixed term as schools can't forsee their budgets & you could find yourself out of work.

Depending on the children you are working with, the role can be extremely challenging.

Not trying to put you off just being realistic.

Ah ok so you have a genuine interest in it!

Why not actually teach? You’d be qualified in a year.

Look at admin roles in schools instead. You have more relevant experience, the pay can be higher and the contracts are less likely to be fixed term.
Unless you forgot to say how much you enjoy supporting learning and working with children

There are 2 School HR jobs going at my kids school MAT, TTO plus a couple of weeks on nearly twice a TA salary.

I think you'd need some after school care for the 5 year old.

It won't be too many years before you won't need to send your DC to childcare in the holidays if you are working from home. They'll be old enough to entertain themselves and staying in bed longer in the mornings (if they're like mine!).

I wouldn't do it personally.

Be aware that although your paid hours may only be 8:30-3:30 (ours is also unpaid 15 min break and unpaid 30 min lunch) you will likely be expected to attend staff meetings once a week (paid but an extra hour one night away) and be in for INSET - nowadays many schools do these as twilight sessions so you gain a days holiday, but does require you to attend for 3 hours after school twice for each full inset days

Many TAs find they end up taking some work home, or that they end up needing to be a bit earlier than start time and end up staying later after finishing hours.

A ta these days isn't a teacher's assistant putting up displays, sorting paint pits etc. it is a teaching (or learning support) assistant. So you're assisting the children directly. There are 1:1 assistants for children with higher needs or whole class assistants. Some TAs work in one class, others work across classes. You may be expected to train in specific intervention programmes and run those in school with groups of children, day to day would be assisting children with their learning activities or doing same day/planned interventions. Often with the lower attaining children but not exclusively. Some tasks may include intimate care including changing and cleaning children who have had accidents or been ill, so it's not necessarily just classroom based jobs.

Depending on the level you may be expected to cover first day teacher absence (allowed from TA level 3 upwards.)

Our TAs are generally well qualified and/or have a lot of experience. It's not just mums offering to help out and then being taken on anymore. We have TAs who are fully qualified teachers, others with other degrees or high qualifications and some with years of experience. Gcse English and maths at grade C+ is a minimum requirement, but our school TAs are all more qualified than the minimum.

We still have a high number of TAs at various levels in our school though I know some areas/schools have reduced their numbers greatly.

It's incredibly rewarding but can be very hard work.

@RJnomore1

Ah ok so you have a genuine interest in it!

Why not actually teach? You’d be qualified in a year.

The hours would be much longer as a teacher.

TAs at my school often had their own children at the same school and brought them in with them apart from inset days.

Check out the salaries first. I looked at it but they are insanely low, it’s very sad, basically exploitation.

The hours are longer but the salary is better and the working pattern similar. A lot of the work can be done at home outwith school hours so when kids are in bed, it’s got more career progression opportunities as the children get older, and it’s highly unionised.

As a couple of others have suggested, why not go for an HR role in MAT ( or possibly a stand alone secondary)
They are virtually term time only, you might need a week or so in childcare but not much. Pay is less than private sector but it sounds like you might appreciate the hours.

I think TA jobs are only for a years contract at a time so not great job security in the early years

Also sorry my friend is a TA and said she is basically a carer as her kids are so high needs but in a mainstream school so she doesn't really get to teach them much as she is busy helping them with toileting etc

There’s no job security.

TA don’t rock up and cut stuff out anymore they are paid professionals -

They are expected to deliver phonics, maths and literacy to children who struggle, there those who struggle academically, socially, emotionally, you need to prepare and deliver interventions to help with these, it takes time planning and training.
There are evening meetings, days out which finish late, if you are upper KS2 there’s the outdoor adventure weeks, all unpaid bar your usual hours and back to school the next day. School discos, school plays, school shoes, weekend competitions, sports clubs, lunch clubs, plus you are expected to teach whole class if the teacher needs to leave/meeting/dealing with parents etc - plus we do parents evenings and book fairs.

Then there’s the really challenging children who hit kick and punch, bite, throw chairs and shout abuse whilst slamming doors in your face and parents who think you should just accept it …. I mean they’re schools responsibility in school!

But yes, go for it!

@DoubleCheeseForNeville @TerrifiedandWorried not all schools expect TAs for inset days, my school doesn't, they never come in so it wouldn't be an issue.

I have TAs who have children in the school so they also don't need wraparound care.

For me though it depends on where you see yourself in 10 years time, do you want to still be term then when they are older and more independent?

From a previous thread it seems TAs are treated very differently depending on the school. My TAs aren't expected to do anything at home after hours and turn up at 9 and are out the door at 330 and they love that which is why they do the job.

I work 3 days a week as a primary school TA and love it. My hours are 8:45 until 3:15 and I receive around £640 a month. School holidays are great. Can't go on holiday in term time though.

I found some days working as a TA boring and dull or days where I was mega stressed. You get children who are rude & didnt want to do their work. Nightmare parents who moan about everything! Senior management who would get you out if your face didnt fit and the money was crap compared to teachers! It sounds like a good job on paper but most people ditch it after a while as I did.

I've worked in 4 primaries and a secondary and have always been expected to be in for inset days. It's when so much statutory training takes place and I appreciate the CPD opportunities.

Think about whether you could do the same job for a very long time - career progression is unusual.

Could you reduce your days at all to take you down to the same wage as a TA?
Could you ask your employer for a term time only contract?
Take advantage of your unpaid leave rights?

Please consider; your pension payments, death in service options. What would happen if the worst happened and your or your husband got sick/died/divorced?

Also do you enjoy being around kids as you are not doing it all day everyday?

not all schools expect TAs for inset days, my school doesn't, they never come in so it wouldn't be an issue.
So when do they do first aid, safeguarding and H&S training? When do they do phonics training and ELSA?

FGM, Prevent etc

I'm a TA and it's great. The pay is pants, but the job is rewarding, I don't do extra work at home, and the holidays are amazing. Go for it if you can afford the drop in pay! Good luck.

Don’t do it OP. Your children will be independent enough soon to entertain themselves at home while you work, with a few breaks to say hello, etc.

If you’ve got the warning potential, it’s not fair to leave the huge majority of the warning to your DH. Does he not miss the children when they’re out?

@PrancerFeet in school hours! Leaving classes unsupported but that's how it happens in my school 🤷🏼‍♀️

Often TAs aren't given a post in a particular year group, and can move from being a general TA to a 1-1 as and when the school needs to reorganise. How would you feel as a 1-1 with a difficult 11 year old?

I'm a school nursery nurse, so similar to a ta role, although I'm paid slightly more (still a very low wage though!)

It's a common misconception that it's a parent friendly role, my hours are longer than the school day and have you considered that you can't book time off during term time? Realistically that means you missing every sports day, Christmas play, assembly etc that your child would like you there for. My friends who worked outside of education, could book a morning or afternoon off to attend school events!