TAs replacing teachers

[LublieAva]

Does anyone know if its ok in practice (or even in theory) for a TA to regularly take charge of a class for a day at a time? How much is too much?

I posted about this elsewhere but I am hoping someone can tell me if its ok or not, even though I can't do anything about it either way!

If you mean is it allowed then yes it is.

Legally I think only HLTAs can regularly take charge of a class. Normally Level 3 TAs can supervise a class and give work prepared by the teacher. They're not supposed to teach new concepts in Maths and English, but can supervise work that consolidates previous lessons by the teacher.

IMHO it's a common practice that's becoming a danger to teaching. TAs are used as teachers because they're cheaper. They don't have the qualifications/experience of a teacher, so are used. Teachers lose out because schools won't employ supply teachers when they can use a TA for less money. Children miss out because they're not being taught by a teacher - a controversial point and I'm only speaking from personal experience, but the TAs at our school don't have the sufficient Literacy and Numeracy skills to teach.

taking it to extremes, would a school be permitted to have a TA in charge of a class every single day for a whole year? If not, then is there a legal limit?

What is a HLTA?

Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
Here is the job description

Basically level 4.

I can't see how a school can justify having a TA in charge of a class for a whole year. What's the point of training more teachers?

I'm afraid not Mowgli
Cover supervision can be lawfully carried out by a teaching assistant. Cover
supervision takes place when no active teaching takes place and pupils carry out,
under supervision, work which has been prepared in advance.

Cover supervision occurs when there is no active teaching taking place.
Pupils would continue their learning by carrying out a pre-prepared
exercise under supervision.?

?The arrangements for
providing appropriate work for pupils who are being supervised should not
place excessive additional burdens of planning, preparation and
assessment on teachers.?

?Cover supervision should only be used for short term absences?
. ?Head teachers will use their professional judgement in determining what should be regarded as a ?short-term? absence. There
will be a number of considerations which the head teacher will need to
take into account when deciding whether cover supervision is appropriate
or not:
? the extent to which the continuity of learning can be maintained;
? the length of time a particular group of pupils would be working
without a teacher;
? the proportion of the total curriculum time affected in a specific
subject over the course of a term.?

LublieAva teaching assistants and HLTAs can not legally "teach" a class for a whole year

So its at the HT's discretion to decide whether it is suitable or not? In that case I couldn't bring a complaint, even if I wanted to.

Mrz but from what you wrote above, I can see how they can provide "cover supervision" for a day a week all year, which is the problem. Am I mistaken?

LublieAva why is the teaching assistant taking the class for a day each week? Where is the teacher?

the teacher is on a course (i believe). I only have what my six year old told me so he could have got the story wrong. However he says its what he was told at school.

A day per week can't possibly be described as a short term absence though - what you've described is a planned long term measure.

I can't see a teacher being on a course a day a week for a year

even an NQT?

What I do know is the teacher was absent last week and a TA took over and her class do not expect to see her tomorrow.
Six year olds make up stories, but not usually these sort. He doesn't see any issue and he was just telling me what he had been told.

Nope, but an NQT is allowed that much non-contact time.

This wouldn't be allowed where I work. As a level 3 TA I can be used to cover first day teacher absence and PPA cover each week. I couldn't be used to cover teacher absence due to a pre-arranged course and def not if it was a regulary weekly event.I should not be teaching during this cover, but supervising or delivering a pre-prepared lesson plan.

so whatever the NQT is doing, is it acceptable that a TA could take charge of teh class for 20% of the year? And is it feasible that you could have an entire day of cover supervision that doesn't turn into teaching for a year 2 class

mrz I'm confused by the "I'm afraid not" - which point were you referring to? TAs are allowed to cover, yes, but not to take charge which is what the op said. Sorry if I'm being thick!

Our NQT will average half a day a month on courses over the year in addition she gets 10% of her teaching week as NQT time.

No there is a difference between covering all year to taking charge for a day at a time for a few weeks

Mowgli - a TA could easily have the same or more experience than a teacher, with a subject or a particular class.
Having a supply teacher does not automatically mean that the children are taught any better.

Mowgli1970 TAs are allowed to take charge of the class but not they aren't allowed to "teach" just deliver preprepared work

I know, but it rankles a bit as a teacher I feel it's diminishing the profession. If a TA can do all a teacher can do for less money, what's the point in training more teachers? Just feel teachers are being undervalued and all for saving money. There are plenty of TAs who could do the job just as well probably - but they don't have the qualifications iyswim?

If you think teachers are being undervalued, you should try being a TA

but i won't get on my soapbox

Yes, but instead I chose to study for four years doing a B.A. with a QTS - so that I wasn't undervalued and so that I became a teacher, not a TA. There should be a mrked difference in duties, not wishy washy semantics.