train as teaching/classroom assistant - how to do?

[cestlamemechose]

I think its as much a question of should I as well as how to? Are there some qualified teachers taking up such positions at the minute if teaching jobs are scarce, or does it not work that way?

I have a degree and a professional qualification in an unrelated field though I do have a fair amount of voluntary experience working with children (and have my own children too!).

I think I would be reasonably good at it but would I have to go to college etc? I work part time at the minute and don't think we could afford for me to go off for full time study, especially if there were no guarantees at the end.

Just thinking aloud really. Thanks for listening!

That is usually HLTA, though, isn't it mrz? I was on the negotiating team which obtained the TA pay scales in our LA and, unfortunately, the Workforce Agreement, which introduced the 4 TA levels (3xTA plus HLTA) came out after negotiations were well in train and the LA wouldn't budge on introducing a 4th (HLTA) grade. So the grade3 TA and HLTA got lumped in together.

I suspect that all will change when the Single Status agreement is finally implemented (we've only waited 8 years for it ) and full year pay will probably be taken away, knocking about 3 or 4K off that grade 3 pay.

To the OP I would say that TAing is a great job, but everyone wants to do it. You might be better looking at Secondary, where a degree in a subject area might be seen as an advantage. But TA jobs are hard to come by in any area.

All our support staff are grade 3 maizie

and highly skilled and experienced and yes I think our staff will be losers in the single status agreement

if salary and competition don't put me off (too much), what is the feeling of the meeting? What skills should I be sure I have before I pursue (I may be deluding myself that I am at all suitable).

I don't think there's a better thing you can do than actually get into a couple of shools and see if you enjoy it. Schools can vary enormously.

I thought Dave chucked out any hope of a Single Status agreement? I haven't heard anything recently. The main moan at the moment is increased pension contributions and losing London Weighting.
Salaries here are £16k full-time but £9-10k pro-rata.

As far as I am aware Single Status is going ahead in our LA. They've been working on it for 8 years (it should have been implemented in 2004, I believe), I suppose they don't want all that effort to go to waste

Interesting. I haven't seen it mentioned in GMB's circulars. They are coming into school re pensions I will ask them then.

yes it is maizied

Hi, I'm in the same position cestlamemechose, I'm volunteering at a school, I went to one of the Teaching Agency events, website could be helpful too. Teh event was all about getting into teaching.

I don't have a relevant degree, some seemed to think it wasn't a problem, others did or that I would need further quals. The best advice I got for my position was to volunteer, get some experience, work as a TA and then qualify as a teacher and really focus on the application form.

I'm a new LSA. A career change once my DS started school.

I did a fair bit of voluntary work at DCs school, that gave me things to talk about in interviews, examples of when I had handled certain situations. I also got safeguarding training as a volunteer and independently did a first aid course. It took me a term to find a position, I worked very hard on my applications and research. I think I had some luck too - being in the right place at the right time. I work in a local school, but not the one where my DC go.

I have a teacher friend and a TA friend who helped me with my job applications, interview coaching.

I also recommend you read Brilliant Teaching Assistant by Louise Burnham, it will cover the things/hot topics that will come up at interview. Then get going with some job applications.

In our area you can't do the Level 3 qualification unless you have a paid job in a classroom, very frustrating. I am doing the course now I'm working.

Good luck.