Teaching Assistants responsiblilities?

[ByRedUser]

just coming here to see what others views are on this… I understand at the moment schools are underfunded and TAs are doing a lot more than they most likely should,

I currently am a TLA in a primary school full time (34 hours a week), I currently spend around over half of the week teaching, this teaching also requires planning, the other half my week is spent being responsible for a 1-1 child. This requires planning also, as well as meeting with the multiple agencies involved with her. Along side this I also run breakfast club and after school club support as well as duties such as being a midday supervisor for half the week too. I also attend training and staff meetings after school and I am qualified to degree level. My annual salary is around £18k per year.

As I mentioned I do understand TAs now do a lot more than they used to, I was just curious to know anyone’s opinions on this, the responsibilities that I’ve mentioned vs the pay I am on, does this seem accurate in comparison to what other TAs do or am I doing more than average for what I am being paid for?

@ByRedUser are you a member of a union? If not, then you can still read their websites for relevant policies and advice. e.g. The GMB has been lobbying for re-introduction of a pay negotiating body for school support staff and advises them not to cover for teachers without additional pay: https://www.gmb.org.uk/public-services/schools-academies-and-education/all-schools-staff-noticeboard.

Your local authority may also have specific local guidance.

Each of those roles would be a different grade where I work. So if the substantive role was the TA 1:1 then the others would attract a higher or lower hourly rate (unless the midday supervisor role was more generously paid than it is in my LA).
Planning and teaching are HLTA level, covering classes with the work provided a TA3, for example. Your LA should be able to provide a full list of roles with their grades - we have one in the staffroom so staff know what to claim ‘up’ or ‘down’.
The training after school would depend on whether your substantive role is paid hourly or salaried. Our Level 3s and above have a certain number of days/hours paid for INSET and twilight training.
Degree level shouldn’t matter if it’s not on the job description. It would be an advantage in applying for a HLTA job if it was teaching related, as it would form part of the Experience bit of the application. However, if the Job Description doesn’t require a degree qualification then the pay won’t reflect that you have a degree.
I would start by getting job descriptions for the different roles, tallying them against grade and pay and seeing if that matches your annual salary.

I think what you are doing is becoming quite normal in many schools and a reason why many people are leaving. Do you have an HLTA qualification? You should be allowed planning time but I know many schools try to get out of that.

It sounds as though you are a level 2 TA so you shouldn't be taking classes or planning for classes at all. Planning for 1:1 is okay ish.

I have level 3 but we all get paid the same rate in our school.
we are never expected to do planning or take classes or haven’t been asked yet😊
I do some 1:1 and also interventions with small groups, alongside being general class TA, also do lunchtimes.

I think after hours activities should be thought of as extra and not expected. Planning & paperwork relating to teaching seems a step too far. In most of the country TAs have been battered salary wise recently and in my opinion they should be doing less not more. The union (can't remember if it was unison or unite) were absolutely useless at protecting TAs salary so most of the country changed away from an annual salary. I'd check with your local union, or rep, they maybe better in your area.

I do most of these things too, along with interventions, phonics groups etc. I don’t do afterschool club or breakfast club as I don’t want to/ wasn’t asked but it all sounds about the same. It’s just one of those things. Also degree level but degree was not needed for the job role (l3)

In our school you would have 3 contracts

The TA contract
The midday supervisor contract
Play worker contract for wrap around care

All with different rates of pay. Schools just don't have the money anymore, we can't afford as many TAs as we need

I don't blame the schools for trying to save money and I don't think that you're not doing your best, but I do feel like the delegation of teaching and planning undermines the profession for a whole variety of reasons. In my experience, that is more than used to be 'normal' but schools are increasingly shifting the burdens onto cheaper staff.

It really is all about the contract you signed - they vary within schools and across schools.

If you're planning and teaching whole classes on a TA wage then they are taking you for a mug.

I was a TA doing normal TA jobs, working with 1:1, planning interventions and sometimes covering but never did any planning apart from interventions and never attended teacher meetings, I worked 32 hours and got 14 thousand a year, this was back in 2019 though! I think you're been taken for a mug at that money and the expectations of you

I also didn't do breakfast or after school clubs!

It sounds pretty standard from my experience though I would ask what the teaching is? Is it a small group, like phonics or maths extension or catch up or something? Definitely not OK for you to be teaching a whole class - that's the role of a HLTA. Planning, I think should be done by the CT - what planning are you actually doing - are you given anything by the CT and then adapt it? What about resources? This should really all be provided for you.

I think the before and after school club is an extra that most TA's wouldn't do though the lunchtime supervisory role is quite usual for TAs to cover.

It sounds like you’re doing too much. Teaching for half the week and planning for it? As in, full on lesson plans? Like maths, English, science etc? Why aren’t the teachers doing it? What classes is this for?

Overall responsibility and accountability for class planning and teaching should usually be with someone with QTS, but HLTAs can routinely provide cover.

Preparing and resourcing intervention activities can be standard, especially if not providing in class support at the time.

Supervision duties are to be expected.

'After' core pupil hours doesn't mean it's not working time for staff on standard contracts (like 34 hours for OP) Supervision and duties are standard - teaching staff aren't contracted to do these outside their directed time.

I sit in class with the kids and help their learning and do the odd intervention.You sound like a cover supervisor without the job title.Theyre taking the piss.

If you work 34 hours a week then your salary isn’t even minimum wage? That is assuming you are over 21? Min wage would be £21,588 per annum?

It’s not over 52 weeks a year, it’s around 38 weeks. The total is split over 12 monthly wage payments.

Thanks for your feedback guys, I have assumed it’s becoming the new norm for TAs the work load due to how schools are these days due to funding etc. I whole class teach reception, there is 14 of them so within the ratio I am qualified for teaching, the class teacher teaches the y1 pupils due to it being a combined class but taught separately, I teach maths English phonics as well as some afternoon classes too. I think my main stress factor comes through the planning, I don’t really have the time to do much of this so staying behind late and working from home we do follow a scheme for the subjects however I feel as though I’m constantly getting nagged by SLT regarding provision but not getting proper planning from the class teacher has left me having to do even more work.

You need to raise the lack of planning with SLT. That's the main class teachers job, even if you deliver it.