Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Is it fair to give TA less than teacher

138 replies

cheeriobye · 12/12/2021 09:09

I've read that some TA's don't get given a gift when the teacher does and I've also read that sometimes TA will get a gift but of a lower value compared to teacher.

Is this fair?

In my case it is the teacher that has made a large difference to my child's education and I know they spend a great deal of time outside the classroom on working too. Therefore that's what I want to acknowledge at Christmas.

The TA in my case would get a token gift.

Is this fair and ok? Also appreciate responses from TA's

OP posts:
TeenMinusTests · 12/12/2021 09:17

TAs are there from ~8:30-3:30, and as I understand it, that's where their days start and stop.
Teachers on the other hand plan and mark all the work and run the lessons. it is their responsibility to ensure that everyone in the class learns and makes progress.
So I would think it is OK.

ItsSnowJokes · 12/12/2021 09:20

I get them all the same. TAs may do shorter hours but they are paid such a pittance for what they do that they deserve the same. They have all got a £10 voucher from my child.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 12/12/2021 09:20

In DS's school (primary) the parents group together and buy vouchers, and the teacher and TA get equal amounts. Some years this reflects the reality of who has had to put in the most effort, some years it doesn't, but I think it's the best solution overall.

ByeByeTrain · 12/12/2021 09:20

Depends on the year and the TA. I'm a reception teacher and I'm always so sad when my amazing TA receives a 'lesser' gift compared to me. She does so much for the children (and for me!) and works just as hard. Having said that, I'd much rather receive a letter from you and your child, saying what you've said in your op about the impact the teacher has had, than any gift.

mnahmnah · 12/12/2021 09:20

My DC give the TA a card, but they have minimum interaction with them, so a present seems odd to me. If your DC gets support from the TA, then absolutely a present like the teacher.

gogohm · 12/12/2021 09:21

At my kids primary the school did a collection to buy gifts for the general class tas (who floated about), the supply who covered the prep time, dinner ladies etc - they got them good gifts. Teachers we bought individually ourselves and if they had a 1:1 obviously that's the family to think about (my dd shared a ta and so I went halves with the other family on something)

R0tational · 12/12/2021 09:21

Yes.

LadyCatStark · 12/12/2021 09:22

When I was a TA in a school I would never expect a gift but it did feel a bit shit when parents would send an obviously smaller gift to me than the teacher as it felt like I was of less value than the teacher because I was “just” a TA. I’d rather you just bought for the teacher.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 12/12/2021 09:23

I value the TAs input as much as the teachers. Its different jobs.

I've got the same gifts for dds teachers, TAs and the Lollipop lady.

Robinkitty · 12/12/2021 09:25

I work in a nursery school. The teacher has very little interaction with the children. She is the face at the front of the door but the children are brought in to me and I’m the one who spends the day caring for them. Teacher is doing paper work. Parents won’t know this so I expect the teacher will receive the cards and gifts. Undeserved in my opinion.

Kitkat151 · 12/12/2021 09:25

Just don’t bother with the TA if you going to give her less ...... it’s like saying you are not worthy and of lesser value..... a bit of a shitty thing to do

Stompythedinosaur · 12/12/2021 09:27

I get the same.

Teachers get paid more already. I have never met a TA who didn't go above and beyond in their job.

ivartheboneless · 12/12/2021 09:31

I am a higher learning TA in a school and I think it's unfair the lack of credit that we are being given by some.
I do not float about and just because I leave work at the end of day doesn't mean I don't also do work outside of school hours. I'm always supporting teaching with resources and planning activities.
I support in the Classroom, lunch hall, playground. I help children with reading, writing and all of their work that has been set by their teacher, and times going over the lesson again with them.
I don't think that parents know the amount of work that TA's do and the wages are absolutely awful for the work we actually do.
I wouldn't expect a gift for Christmas as I'm just doing my job but when I send gifts in for my kids teachers and other staff I make sure they are all as lovely.

Sportsnight · 12/12/2021 09:32

We do a group collection from the whole class and split it 50:50

Lulu1919 · 12/12/2021 09:34

I'm a TA
The teachers always get more than we do !
We might work less hours but we also get a lot less pay
I often do things for the kids at weekends....this weekend I've bought the food for the year group Christmas party ..I then went to another shop to chose and buy a few craft things ...I will be claiming the money back..but my time I give for free !!
I plan all my own intervention groups ..in my own time
I'm also a school go to person for kids struggling pastorally ...all these children get hot choc etc all provided by me plus I buy/ research any resources etc I use to help them through any issues that come up
I do lots of playground duties ....and often work outside of my c tracked hours for no extra doesn't mean I need a gift I just want people to know that a TA works just as hard as a teacher !!!!Z!

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 12/12/2021 09:37

I will tell you what I do, I volunteer in a school so the teacher sets out the lesson and I am often with the lower ability children all sent to my table, boosting their confidence, keeping them focused on task, helping them collectively so rather than them coming up with a sentence individually they all give their ideas and we agree on which bits they will write.

Meanwhile the teacher is freed up to push the higher ability children but mainly work their way round the class helping any child who needs it for whatever reason. I also do this if the lower ability children don't need me constantly with them, depends on the task. I also mark work as I go round. I work in KS2.

Some TAs or LSAs as some are now called do cover supervisor work so in the afternoon they are teaching non-core subjects. They make teach the class they are assigned to daily or may move about the year groups. Yes the workload of a teacher is far more than that of an LSA and they are paid more because of this.

I always paid the same amount for the gifts for the teacher and the LSA because both of them had to put up with my children Grin

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 12/12/2021 09:40

Yes, what lulu said too, I forgot about the TLC offered to girls feeling shitty on their periods, the biscuits we sneak them. No teacher does a playground playtime shift, it is all the LSAs. Their lunches are shorter too, teachers get an hour, long standing LSAs get an hour, new contracts get 30 minutes as they spend the other 30 minutes being the one to one for a child who would have this in a classroom but also needs it over lunch. Some of them do personal care too. Lots of LSAs work longer hours than contracted.

whateveryousay · 12/12/2021 09:42

I’m a TA. Even when I’m working 1-1 with a child, I am still supporting every other child in the classroom. The teacher doesn’t stop teaching if someone has a nosebleed, feels sick, is struggling to work something out etc. I sort out petty squabbles, big issues and upset children. So I eye-roll a little when people suggest that the 1-1 TAs shouldn’t have a gift from the whole class. However I still don’t work as hard as the teacher, and the buck stops with her ultimately. Not sure what I’m trying to say really 😂

Elodeastar · 12/12/2021 09:42

I think you can only really address what feels fair to you and the gifts you choose to gift, there really is no point passing judgement on what others do because it's not up to you what others do. Some people don't do teacher gifts, for various reasons, and that's their choice. Some people gift loads of the service providers (teachers, doctors, bin men, posties, hairdressers and so on) and some don't, again that's personal choice. At secondary school teachers work just as hard imho, but gifting is much less common there, for practical reasons. Do what works for you, and what feels right for you, with the budget you can afford to spend. Remember that saying thank-you, or a nice hand-written card/message explaining why you feel so thankful to the teacher/TA/etc this year, can be really touching and actually boost the morale of over worked and tired individuals, as much as well meaning but generic gifts! :)

Watchingyouwazowski · 12/12/2021 09:46

I’m a TA, working with the singularly most difficult child in the whole school! I don’t expect a present and I’ve certainly never had anything from said child. However, other children’s parents have bought me gifts and I really appreciate it. It’s so lovely.
I buy equal value. Depending on the circumstances, I have bought TAs more expensive gifts in the past when I know they are the ones who have done the most for my child.

Frazzled2207 · 12/12/2021 09:47

Teachers def work harder but get something resembling a decent wage.

TAs are paid peanuts and surely must do it for the love of the job.

I treat both the same.

Frazzled2207 · 12/12/2021 09:50

@Frazzled2207

Teachers def work harder but get something resembling a decent wage.

TAs are paid peanuts and surely must do it for the love of the job.

I treat both the same.

Sorry I realise this was wrong. Some TAs work as hard as teachers, sometimes more . I think they are generally undervalued.
Nyz9213 · 12/12/2021 09:51

I’ve been both a TA and a teacher. As a TA, I rocked up at 8:15, went home 5 minutes after the hometime bell and had no work to do at home whatsoever.

As a teacher I had absolutely no life.

Yes teachers get paid more but it’s commensurate with the job they do.

As a TA, I rarely got gifts and didn’t expect them either.

Nowadays for my daughters class, all the parents chip in to buy a nice present for the staff. They have 2 teachers and 3 TAs in their class. We buy more for the teachers because they do so much more

JumparooSavedMyLife · 12/12/2021 09:54

Nope, the ta gets the same, we do class collections and split it equally between the teacher and ta. The ta in my son's class also does breakfast club, she works hard and is very good at her job. When I chat to my children they always mention the ta more than the actual teacher, yes the teacher is doing the planning and leg work but the ta's input and effort everyday is invaluable to our children. I want them to be treated equally, not differentiate the size of the gift on who is planning the lessons.

AgathaMystery · 12/12/2021 09:55

We split the gifts equally in my daughters class. The teacher can only spend so much time with my daughter because the TA is supporting some of the other children. I really value her.