Teachers, how are things as regards cuts?

[fivecandles]

If you teach, how are you being affected by the cuts? Have there been any reduncies at your school and if so on what basis? It's starting to hit my place of work now and it's rubbish. No redundancies yet but it's generally expected to happen at the end of next year unless people leave which they can't because there are no jobs anywhere else either.

Aaaaargh brackets went in wrong place there, sorry, makes no sense...

I think it matched a rise in social and emotional problems in children. Our TAs do an awful lot of nurture type activities which are not possible to do justice to at the same time as a full teaching timetable. They help address these problems so that some children are ready to learn.

Are you a teacher Blueberry? If so, I wonder what sort of school you're in if TAs are a luxury and unnecessary because it looks like you're the only one here with that point of view.

Yes, I'm a teacher. I have never had a TA in any of the schools I have worked in.

I notice you're in the indepedent sector though. Presumably in a selective school with small class sizes?

As with the photocopying thing, it's probably not a great idea to make sweeping assumptions based on your own personal experience.

Not selective. Not all private schools are, which is a common misconception here.

Does your private school have large numbers of children with social and emotional problems, EAL children who've recently entered the UK or children with complex SEN needs that require 1 to 1 help to access any kind of curriculum? No? Then I can see why you think TAs are just additional adults who do photocopying.

And the same back at you, 5c.

I am not ashamed of my positive attitude and want to encourage my fellow teachers to look on the bright side instead of always being dragged down :)

We have our fair share, but our pastoral system is very robust and they thrive.

Well, at least self-selecting: those parents who can afford to pay and who care enough about their kids' education to do so. Your school is hardly a typical one. It amazes me that you feel you're in a position to say that TAs are a luxury!!

But the bright isn't 'well, they were unnecssary anyway, and I've never had one'. They are essential in lots of everyday circumstances which you seem fortunate enough not to have to deal with.

bright side

I didn't have a TA when I was in the maintained sector...

unnecessary Bloody hell, woman, proof read

'I am not ashamed of my positive attitude '

I must have missed that.

You have a VERY distorted perception of how you come across blueberry. That's possibly one of the funniest posts I've read here.

But when was that, MmeBlueberry? Because as we have explained, things have changed.

Useful does not equate to necessary..

When times are hard, difficult decisions have to be made.

'I didn't have a TA when I was in the maintained sector...'

What kind of an argument is that?

I've never needed a wheelchair. But I accept that some people do.

Thankfully not everyone makes decisions purely based on their own experience!

Trying to bring a smile to everyone :grin:

Do your pastoral team also teach full time or are they additional support Mme B?

I may have to give up. You have no idea, Mme Blueberry, and don't seem interested in finding out.

It's a counter to the notion that I don't need a TA because I am in the independent sector. It's got nothing to do with the sector I teach in.

'Trying to bring a smile to everyone :grin:'

Oh, yes, you're a barrel of laughs. Especially to people on here who might be TAs or people with respected colleagues about to be unemployed

We are full-time teachers.

We can build relationships with pupils as well as deliver the curriculum. It's a bit like walking and chewing gum.