Teaching assistants in Reception Year - what's the norm?

[cosmicdiva]

I've just found out that the school we're starting my youngest at in Sept has unexpectedly cut one of the teaching assistant roles. Two classes will now have, in addition to the two teachers, a share of one TA in the morning and one in the afternoon. As far as I am aware the two classes are 30 children in size. What does your school have? And does anyone know what the law says in this respect?

There are no rules and some schools have none.

Where I work, in EYFS we have a full time level 3 TA in each classroom and also a level 2 TA who works in EYFS part time when an extra pair of hands is required.

Across the 2 classes (mixed yr r/yr 1) when DS starts school there will be 6 teaching assistants as well as the teachers. I think 1 of them is a 1-1 for one of the year 1 children but the rest are just general TAs

There's no law about the number of TAs in a school, and no real 'norm' either - the school I work at is lucky enough to have one per class, plus several 'floating' - but then we have a resource for children with ASD, so it's a little different from a fully mainstream school. Other schools share one between classes in a year group as yours does, or have a rota.

My dd has 30 children in her class - teacher plus full time TA with another that just does afternoons.

Thus is what happens when budgets are cut I'm afraid. Complain to you local MP not the school-it really isn't their fault!

DD's Reception class has one teacher and two full-time TA's as does the other Reception class but I get the impression that this is not the norm in this area.

Its an Academy and has a very high percentage (currently around 65% I think) of pupils that have English as a second language so a lot of extra support is required.

It does very hugely by school/LA and there are no real rules about how many there 'should' be.

The legal ratio is one qualified teacher to 30 children anything more is a bonus.

All the law requires is one teacher per 30 pupils. TAs are a fabulous, but optional addition, budget permitting - I think many schools are having to cut back in their TA provision.

Early Years is usually one adult to 15 children in a Reception class. In my area that's the minimum. If we're lucky we also get Learning Support Assistants as well.