Teaching assistants in class

[jellybeans001]

Is it except able for a teaching assistant to run a class long term

Perhaps he was to spend time with a TA each day but as teachers are off etc there obviously haven't been the resources to provide your son with one to one support recently. Unfortunately school have limited budgets and need to stick to them so cant fund an extra member of staff to provide your son with that 15 mins each day.

You seem unclear as to if he has met his targets or not, sometimes saying he has but only because of you, and other times saying he hasn't or that you doubt he has met them. You also appear to be quite aggressive and defensive so I shall not be contributing further.

P.S I come from lovely 'outstanding' school.

He has no learning difficulties was just abit slow hitting development milestones so put support in to make sure he's ok he's a shy boy which doesn't help but over all quite clever

Also, what exactly is he sitting with the TA for 15 mins for anyway? That is very vague. Does the IEP really say

Sit with TA for 15 minutes every day?

Difficult as you don't know the qualifications of the TA. We have a situation in our school where a teacher has gone sick for a while. The class TA is now teaching, however what most people don't know is that she's a qualifies teacher (and awesome) just never finished her nqt year.

I'm fine but I feel that it should not have been set as a target then and he has met the target as they set very easy targets

Don't think she is qualified as the head teacher put deputy head in our class but only seen her for one morning then disappeared

She was suppose to be third person to be running class but was never their. Really confusing for me as the right thing to do

Does he have a statement?
Is the 1-1 set out in his IEP or provision plan?

Iep

I was always told to not say anything if I couldn't say anything nice but...

Russianblu has offered some really good advice and you've been quite nasty and argumentative. You seem like one of those parents who is always right...

The TA in my son's class is fabulous. Not sure his teacher would know all details of a problem at lunchtime, especially if not witnessed by an adult.

If a deputy has management non-contact time t is quite usual for them to cover a class in a short term emergency until alternative cover can be found. May that is what happened when she was only in there one morning, the "disappeared" back to her own class or other responsibilities.

It's very obvious from her posts that jellybeans001 is frustrated and angry with the situation and I think as parents we can all sympathise with her. The problem is we don't have access to the full picture.

I would be very unhappy if my child was being taught exclusively by a TA as what appears to be a long term arrangement no matter how wonderful the TA or how experienced or qualified.

It isn't acceptable for a class not to have a qualified teacher.

Things happen - teachers get ill, go on maternity leave, get a new job, same for TAs. Occasionally these things happen to both the teacher and TA in a class - it's bad luck (or in some situations poor planning/management e.g. both the teacher and TA have ongoing health issues and are paired together).

One of the things that would differentiate a well run school from a less well run one would be how they deal with a situation like this. A well run school would immediately identify this as a problem, make a plan, perhaps move a familiar, experienced TA from within the school into the class to support a supply teacher and, crucially, tell the parents what the plan is.

Yes and TAs step in a temporary measure until a teacher can be found NOT as a long term cheap solution.

A well run school would deploy a TA if the head is unable to cover the class while the office is contacting one of our regular supply teachers to get to school ASAP ...that's the difference!

This t a is staying till July, so two t as basically. Thanks mrz I think you have understood me and my concerns whether others have I'm not too sure

Sorry teaching assistants

I'm a Teaching Assistant and a bloody gone one, but there is no way I could replace a properly trained teacher - nor would I want to. You are not being insulting to Teaching Assistants you are just recognising that they don't have the necessary training.

It wouldn't be insulting to a nurse to suggest that you wouldn't be overly chuffed at them having a crack at operating on you!

Spot on vestand knickers like your user name :)

I am a teaching assistant and I agree this is not acceptable. This is not the TA's job. A TA is not paid enough, or has the necessary qualifications to cover a qualified teacher especially long term. They should not have the same responsibilities however brilliant they might be. I work with some amazing teaching assistants.

I have covered classes with another ta on the odd occasion but never more than one or two sessions at a time. It is not something that I would agree to do. My school uses supply teachers to cover PPA time and absent teachers. This is what should happen in a good school.

I also have a child with an IEP and would be cross if his IEP was not been followed. I have spoken to his senco in the past (re his IEP) when the agreed support was not being put in place.

I agree with TheGruffalo2 that if you want to challenge the school you need really precise complaints with measurable concerns.

They didn't follow the first iep set:( so no good really

Have been through all the legalities and acceptable uses of TAs in the classrooms over the last 3 years in quite some detail with school, the LEA, and the unions, plus the official paperwork sent from more central.

A level 3 TA can cover a class short term if unplanned - ie a non planned teacher absence. This can be for up to 3 days apparently, many schools will be for first day sickness only. This should be under the supervision of another qualified teacher - doesn't have to be in the classroom at the time though.

A level 4 HLTA can cover lessons, and is generally expected to plan, teach and assess. This can be for longer term such as PPA cover, but shuld not be in replacement of a teacher long term - ie not covering long term sick or maternity pay.

Some TAs are qualified teachers - more common than people may realise infact. It is possible for one of these TAs to be given a temporary change to their job - and pay - to work as a teacher, like a supply teacher would. This does happen and again is acceptable.

Some schools, however, do try to use TAs as supply teachers - this is not acceptable and actually isn't fair on the children, the TA or the teacher either.

If a TA with qualified teacher status was temporarily converted to a teacher, I think the head teacher would probably let the parents know. As it is obviously better that what might appear to have happened (a class left without a teacher).

Yes that's what I think breatheslowly as we were not informed she was a teacher and after having this ta for a month we were told we would have a third person by newsletter and that would be the debuty head teacher yet I only saw her once in class. What injustice they do to our little ones. If she was a teacher we would have been informed but was not