HLTA (qualified teacher) being used as cover

[LorlieS]

AIBU to feel miffed about this?

I'm a qualified teacher with 20 years' experience but stepped down from class teaching about five years ago as workload was ridiculous and I wasn't having any time with my own children. I'm now working as an HLTA, specialising in supporting children with EHCPs. Love it. Hard work for appalling pay but it's my "thing." I take responsibility of interventions (both 1:1 and group) and ensuring work on EHCP targets is undertaken. Feels great to have autonomy whilst (hopefully) making a difference and I really get to know the children I work with.

However, it's a huge primary I work in and I find I am being pulled away from my job more and more to cover classes for staff absences. Very rarely with a TA and full class of 30. High SEN needs in all classes.

I used to get paid my teacher rate for such cover but now with budgets being what they are I dont; I am just paid my normal HLTA rate.

School loathe to get supply in as expensive.

Well that isn't right it should definitely be shared between you all. I think the whole HLTA thing is wrong on so many levels. Not paid enough to teach, really isn't fair, teaching on the cheap. Doesn't matter if you are good at it (which they obviously know).

@happypillsareworking Thing is, I'm also treated very differently. The other HLTAs often do things like give the kids worksheets, go on laptops etc on request of the class teachers. I'm expected to teach a normal curriculum of maths, English, Topic etc... The expectations on me as a qualified teacher are 100% different.

My friend is also a qualified teacher working as a hilta. She does four days cover. One day support.

One difference between teacher and hilta is supposed to be that hiltas don't do planning or marking but she inevitably does both.

Wage is not much above minimum wage really.

@autienotnaughty Very similar here. Marking came home with me over Christmas hokidays as no time to do in working hours.

They're using you as a qualified teacher but not paying you as such. Have you spoken to your union?

You should not be doing work that other HLTAs are not expected to do and which is not in your contract. This is likely to be a difficult conversation to have with management and best case scenario for you (unfortunately) may mean that the children get less since you have clearly been working beyond your job role.

You may find it easier to look for a new job and set expectations there from day 1 rather than renegotiating with your current school who will likely be outraged that you're no longer willing to sub their budget.

Bottom line - you're not getting paid to be a teacher because you're not employed as a teacher. Stop teaching.

@LorlieS are you in a union?
They seem to use you because you can. So you might have some leverage there to ask if not teaching rate, at least overtime. That's what my old school did(and current one) .I'm a TA and I get paid double for teaching. You also shouldn't be doing all the marking (especially if short term) and definitely not taking the books home over Christmas. That's the class teacher's job and /or SLT.

They do seem to take advantage so I'd definitely have a discussion with your head/line manager about getting some benefits considering all the work you're putting in.

First day back in tomorrow and guess what? Covering teacher absence.

Sorry just realised I completely missed you already saying supply won't work! No we do the extra hours unpaid, but my old full time role demanded at least 60hrs a week whereas now I have gone part time I don't log in one day a week at all, just check emails so it's more manageable. It's the nature of most roles isn't it though, you're paid to get the job done not by the hour. I know TAs still seem to do extra time as they need to be there before the kids come in and until all the kids are collected at the end of the day despite the terrible pay.

I think this part is key and the responses would be different if you’d mentioned this in your initial post, OP.

It’s not just that this school uses HLTA’s in a certain way it’s that you are getting treated differently compared to other HLTA’s because they know you’re a teacher therefore as pp have said, it’s definitely time to speak up and stop this from happening. If not, time to move on another school.

I hated primary TA for this reason - I wasn't even a HLTA and I got left with 30 x Y6s who I barely even knew. There was no lesson plan, no notice, nothing. That was the day I handed in my notice! Awful school. I was close to just walking out the door tbh!

Anyway, excuse small hijack. Would you consider being an LSA in a secondary school? It was a lot like how you describe your favourite parts of the job. I did it for a while and loved it, but gave it up as the pay was so bad. Now doing school admin which is better pay and still stressful but in a different way

@LorlieS perhaps the disparity is what you need to address with whoever does the cover? It should be spread out equally and if you are being targeted as your qualified then they should be paying you more.

HLTAS have been used as cover in my school for years, not good at all but that’s what’s happened.

You are lucky to get family childcare, we have to pay for ours and, although I’m a full time teacher, it really eats up our money!

I believe no one can have it all, you’ve got 3 children and that’s a choice we couldn’t make as we would have struggled financially. As a teacher I get job satisfaction and enjoy the holidays and pay but I accept I have to work a lot and it really is exhausting!

You need to set up a meeting with the Head. Explain the disparity in how often you are being used. Ask for a solution ~ either it’s shared out more fairly or you expect them to enhance your pay to reflect your increased responsibility.

You should not be doing marking or taking work home. You are cover and this is not part of your responsibility. Ask them who will be doing the marking as it is not in your job description. Will it be the class teacher or a member of SLT? You don’t help anyone by doing this ~ it erodes the role of the teacher and will eventually lead to no trained teachers being necessary, just ‘facilitators’ who put the kids on line to be marked by AI. How can the class teacher check progress, make adjustments, change priorities if they don’t have ownership of the work?

Yes HLTAs have to cover. But they’re just abusing your skills here and the educational landscape is the poorer for it.

@1AngelicFruitCake We get by financially. Hubby earns around £1.6k per month so it's a struggle but we get no government support and still manage to pay the rent and bills between us.

I hated teaching in the end, it wasn't about the kids.

It’s a shame you hated it and I do think that depends on the school. I’m lucky our headteacher is very fair but sometimes I feel so exhausted from work I find it hard to function at home!

it sounds very unfair that they keep using you. Would you be able to ask if they could rotate the HLTAS?

@1AngelicFruitCake I got to the point where I was working 7.30-5.30 and then again most evenings. I know this is very common in teaching but reached the point where I'd had enough of doing so many free hours and never seeing my own family.

So why have you started doing it again? Albeit not nearly so many hours.

I applaud your philanthropy, but you don't get paid enough to take work home. You are in a paraprofessional post and it is not your job.

Could you become a SENCO in a larger school (even secondary or sixth form) where you wouldn’t need to cover?

Sencos have a huge workload, often have a heavy teaching timetable in secondary (which the OP doesn’t want to work in) and are often used for cover in primary. This is a teacher role, which the OP doesn’t want to do again because of the long hours.

The HLTAs at my school also are expected to provide cover - it's in their contract - often they may have a full teaching day!
They don't stay - usually one year and then they go and do teacher training

I am thinking of leaving teaching and doing supply (but as a TA) but reading your experience I would be worried that I would be used more as a teacher as I have QTS!

Re: supply work - wouldn't that be a regular income as so many staff shortages?! But I know what you mean re: regular job!

Re: supply work-wouldn't that be a regular income as so many staff shortages?!

Many schools aren’t using supply any more and are using support staff to cover absence. I’m still on a supply teaching FB group and many are complaining about a lack of work as well as only being offered HLTA pay to cover. It certainly isn’t a regular income and some schools cancel at the last minute, leaving you without anything.

HTLAs usually have some cover in their contracts and cover isn't teaching.

Having QTS would be a bonus, not a prerequisite (as much for the staff involved as for the employer), but doesn't command a teaching salary when the part which requires the qualification is being addressed by another colleague and cover staff are just supervising.

People can say 'cover isn't teaching' but in my experience if you can teach you don't just cover and even unqualified most will have a go. For the students if anything else.

'If you can teach you don't just cover' would be fine with notice, planning and subject knowledge.

If even a full time, qualified teacher is asked to cover out of specialism, it really is a case of just giving the instructions and managing the classroom so the kids can do something meaningful and productive independently. It's difficult to introduce new concepts, link to prior leaning, teach relevant vocabulary, ask planned questions to check understanding etc. when it's not your lesson.

That's why proper cover should be left. With all that included.
Not having a pop. Just saying. I know it's not always the case for last minute emergency's. Which is why it's good to have easily accessed SOW, subject knowledge folders etc.
I do think most secondary teachers should be able to teach most subjects... I avoid maths post gcse mind you.