Not having a teacher at all!

[eatdrinkandbemerry]

Who do you complain to if you child is only being taught by an HLTA.
Headteacher just says if you don't like it there's plenty more schools!
I'm not impressed at all it's been almost 4 months and surely it's not supposed to be that long.
I have read it's supposed Eve a short term cover not a whole maternity cover.

I hope the HLTA is being paid properly to cover the class. And if not, that a qualified teacher is planning for the lessons.

It's not ideal. My year 4 child hasn't had the same teacher for a whole week since the beginning of year 3.

Ex Teacher here. Lots of HLTA’s are better than qualified teachers. Many children are not taught by specialists in core subjects, for example, the person teaching your kid English might have qualified as a PE teacher and only have a GCSE as their highest level of qualification.

Academies can appoint whoever they like in the job of ‘teacher’. It doesn’t mean they are qualified. It is a job description as much as a level of qualification. For example, I taught at one school where the local vicar was also teaching A Level Philosophy/RE she had no teaching qualification but had a PhD in the subject.

There is no way of knowing if your kid’s ‘teacher’ is qualified. Most teachers teach subjects they don’t hold a degree in. I am still traumatised by having to teach GCSE Geography. I don’t even have GCSE Geography!

Lots of HLTA’s are better than qualified teachers.

Oh FFS. Why don't we just do away with teaching qualifications for primary school teachers if people think they make you worse at teaching.

A previous poster has said that academies can appoint anyone as a "teacher".

So can maintained schools now.

Tbh, an experienced HLTA who has been with the class all year is generally better than random daily supply, but is no match for a properly qualified long term maternity teacher or permanent class teacher.

No. Wouldn't it be great if that was the case? There's 0 time to spend in someone else's room. You might have ppa together or partial ppa together. But you might well get pulled out to cover and be given it at a different time that week. Or your year partner is also senco or deputy head so they have zero time and often aren't in class anyway etc. Etc. Schools are running in day to day cover crisis mode a lot of the time.

Well yes, I don't think the OP would be happy with random daily supply either.

All classes deserve a permanent qualified teacher and people shouldn't be falling over themselves to say that having a teaching assistant instead is better.

Well, what do you expect? The jobs are not being done because it is not possible to recruit anyone to do the jobs. Why are you having a go at the head about it? What can they do? Nothing at all. As he says, try somewhere else if you are not happy

I bet teachers are leaving this school. Sounds like a poor school and I would leave. Attitude from Head tells you everything. If other schools have spaces I’d go and look. There are decent teachers about and not all schools operate like this. Sounds like a sinking ship to me. Where’s Ofsted when you need them?

The best teacher at the primary school my kids went to was the HLTA. I told the HT that and he agreed.

I think that could be worse than having a consistent HLTA who is good at their job. I know one of mine would have struggled with that.

The headteacher should be supporting and promoting the member of staff, that he has told the OP if they don't like it move says a lot about the headteacher.

I will just keep him home until his Ehcp can be met 🤷‍♀️.
Watching your son self harm because his identified needs are not only not being met he's being punished for thing's beyond his control.
It's not so easy to just move schools when the LA have named this one!
I wouldn't be as bothered about an experienced HLTA teaching my other child but this one is not experienced, hasn't the knowledge of my son's diagnosis and is quite frankly struggling with the class! (When the class had a qualified teacher the teacher had an HLTA but now the HLTA has no support).

@eatdrinkandbemerry I agree it’s not easy to move. However no SENDCO leaves him vulnerable. Do you have any contact in LA to ask for a review of his EHCP as a matter of urgency? The whole situation is totally unacceptable.

When the class had a qualified teacher the teacher had an HLTA but now the HLTA has no support

Ah yes, I thought so. The HLTA is being put in a position that they should never be put in. I doubt they're happy with the situation either.

My SIL and DIL are both teachers. Both have given up in the last 2 years. Both are competent, focussed women who loved their profession. They both left because of the increasingly bad behaviour of children (my SIL was physically attacked) and the lack of support from parents. My DIL more than once was called a cunt by parents. Also the number of children with SEN diagnoses and ECHPs is increasing and they were finding it difficult to teach a class as there wasn't adequate support. They agonised over their decisions but are now working in alternative careers.

Schools can't recruit and it isn't their fault. Who would want to be a teacher nowadays? No-one should be physically attacked or verbally abused when doing their job.

It’s really, really poor.

Half of the problem is that the use of TAs for cover means that there are far fewer regular supply teachers around these days, so they simply aren’t there to step into a role or cover an absence.

It used to be the case that every school had its ‘tame’ cover teacher. Perhaps someone who had previously worked at the school and was now on a pt contract for 1-2 days per week, supplemented by regular ad-hoc supply paid on the proper teaching scale day-rate, including pension contributions. They were known, familiar, reliable and would often be willing to step into the breach to cover a term’s absence if needed.

But budgets have been slashed, supply rates have been hammered by agencies and minimally-trained TAs (often not HLTAs) are now the ones doing cover for a pittance.

The LA just say the earliest they can review the EHCP is July due to the vast amount of requests from others for emergency reviews.
I'm more that capable of teaching him at home for the remainder of the school year I just don't want to get in trouble for his attendance as I've pulled him out today and already had a call to (from deputy head) to say he needs to be in school but when I argued his needs are not being met she said I need proof that they are not!
Honestly it's all about bums on chairs no care for mental health or well being!

@eatdrinkandbemerry I think I might be inclined to home educate if you can do it. Personally I don’t think July is too bad. Not ideal of course but not hopeless. The proof of not meeting his needs is lack of qualified teacher. As @noblegiraffe says, why have a qualification if it’s irrelevant. What does the EHCp state he should have that he’s not getting? I bet quite a lot. Go through it and check with evidence. No SENDCO is also not meeting his needs. (Never mind dreadful SLT!)

I also feel your trust in the school has gone. There’s not a partnership worth maintaining. I don’t blame you for this. Don’t let them chase you for non attendance. It will just be more worry. I think home education and review is best.

Unfortunately, this is all too common and teachers like @noblegiraffe have been warning this is coming for a long time. I'm still in the profession and I see it happening in real time.

Teachers are fed up of being paid peanuts for ridiculous hours and workload, with no support from SLT or parents.

I understand your frustration, but the HLTA is not to blame, especially if there's no SENCO - my school has one, but they don't respond to emails!!!

It’s such a horrific situation in schools at the moment - and it’s shit that so many kids are being let down. I would keep a log of dates/times of issues, notes of needs stated not being met. I would follow up any verbal communication with an email.

We are secondary but finding that the LA will not allow/recommend a change of placement with all sorts of evidence. Often they say they need EP input to confirm it’s the right course of action but then provide us with next to no EP hours to do this.

Many staff in schools know students and particularly those with SEN are being let down by the system and we can do nothing about it.

Teachers have been warning of this for years. Covid was the last straw for many. Class sizes have grown, behaviour has deteriorated, workload is unsustainable. Teachers are leaving in droves, and the recruitment and retention crisis which has been very real for many years is now critical.

Honestly I'd try to either move school or find an alternative way of educating him.

The school clearly can't or won't sort the situation (and their hands might be tied by lack of money)

Having an EHCP complicates things as you can’t just pick a new school and send them, you have to go through a review process and if your LA is anything like mine, it will be a long wait for that.

What a mess for all concerned.

I have never done this, but if you know certain aspects of the ehcp arent being delivered /provided i think you can try judicial review as the LA has failed to secure the provision set out in the ehcp. Look at ipsea guidance to see if this is appropriate. It could be better to complain to the LA and the ombudsman (depends on timescales)

This obviously would not magic up a teacher - but as the HLTA is unable to do the stuff in the ehcp, it might create some pressure to get a TA into the class too.