School taking on unqualified staff.

[sailorsgal]

I was a bit shocked that someone who has no experience and qualifications got a job in our school as a teaching assistant.

She is a parent.

I did report it. she was just doing work experience at the time and they said she wouldn't be back in September. You can imagine the shock in September when she turned up. I have to give a terms notice, which now can't be until January.

Our TAs are hugely valued by everyone. They make a great difference to children, especially in the younger years, but also to the school community as a whole - good relationships with parents, supportive to the staff, etc etc.

As for qualifications, tbh....IME it depends as much on the individual and their life/education/work experience as it does on official qualifications. That said, our 'newer' TAs have all done TA courses, bar one or two who have worked as professionals with children in other capacities - but some of our longterm TAs are absolutely fantastic, and they had no qualifications when they started.

So your child is at a private school? They are under no obligation to employ qualified teachers, let alone TAs. Hardly a shock. And no surprise they prefer to employ in house either. Schools are wierd places. Private schools are extra wierd.

I am a TA, with no formal TA qualifications, and I work at my DD's school

I do however have plenty of life experience, parenting experience, a BA and an MA. It was a career change for me, as my previous career was pretty unfulfilling and didn't fit in with the kids. Many of the other TAs at our school are the same, and come into it from a wide variety of backgrounds.

I think it's a great advantage to have TAs with kids at the school- I know a lot of the families, the kids recognise me outside of school/bump into me in the park, and it adds to the sense of community.

As for qualifications, at our school there is a lot of in-house training and we have a mentor system where you are paired with an experienced TA and can go to them for advice. The job is so varied and full on, you don't stay unexperienced for long!

I had to several training courses before I could do my job, several boxes have to be ticked before you can work with people with learning disabilities, I just thought it would be same if you worked in a school in a teaching capacity with children.

You live and learn.

vj32 Actually it was a bit of a shock to hear that about private schools. You would think they would recruit the best.

Our support staff did two years full time intensive training to qualify and have undertaken regular extra training alongside teaching staff and gained extra qualifications.

mrz Is that here in the UK? And is that in a state school?

Yes that's in the UK in a state school. In my area that is very much the norm.

mrz I find it astonishing it is so variable from school to school.

Sailorsgal.

Whether qualified, unqualified, state or private. This TA should be acting professionally and in accordance with the law. If you think she is in breach through something like confidentiality you can and should report it