TA job, any TAs about to tell me some thing?

[OnlyWantsOne]

What are the good and bad points of being a TA in a village primary? 100 pupils, role will be in either reception or year 3&4 class :)

I have 3 DC, one of which will be in year 3 in September soIm hoping if I get the job I can work in a different class to DC.

To get a TA job I guess you'd need to volunteer in a school or nursery first

There is a school very close to me that has a separate staff room for it's TA and (my jaw dropped when I heard this) the TAs have to wear uniform. The same logo-ed t short that the kids wear!!)
however, half the staff upped and left at the end of this year which indicates not all adults are willing to be treated like children

Our TAs are fabulous. The lady I have working with me this year has two degrees and has run her own business. She's really intelligent and is fabulous with the children who struggle.

Ignore the apostrophe in "it's" and the hundred other errors! Im barely awake yet.

Most of our recent TAs have started as dinner ladies which they do whilst taking their level 3 qualifications, they volunteer in the classes at the same time. It's then a waiting game to see if a vacancy arises and , if it does, which one of them gets it.

TAs might be PAID for 26 hours a week but I don't know one who just works that. Mine arrives just after 8 and works until around 4.

I do 26 1/4 hours weekly.

We get paid for 15 minutes break and one hour lunch unpaid.

Start at 9am and finish at 3.15pm. I actually leave at 3.40 the earliest and 5pm the latest.
There is so much to fit into the day.

To be honest though, there are people who do more than they're paid to in every job.

I am glad I work in our school, everyone mucks in together. All staff can eat where they like at lunchtime and are even known to join the children now and then and have their lunch with them. Nice friendly school and staff.

I love it.

I'm sure there are fled

The job situation is so tough that everyone has to work hard and maybe do extra.

But I do believe this is a thread about teaching assistants-so teaching assistants have given their experiences.

Yes, everyone has to work hard, but I don't think a culture where people are expected to do more than they are paid for is healthy for anyone. I never stay late or take work home, I have a family. I'm not a teacher or paid like a teacher.

In almost any job you'll find people who have so much to do, are in first and leave last, but it certainly doesn't have to be like that.

most of our recent TAs have started as dinner ladies which they do whilst taking their level 3 qualifications, they volunteer in the classes at the same time. It's then a waiting game to see if a vacancy arises and , if it does, which one of them gets it

Gosh that sounds competitive
I hate the fact that to get any job nowadays you have to do unpaid volunteering
What if you've got a full time job & want to switch careers & therefore no time to volunteer
I find it exasperating !

It is hard I agree and wish it wasn't so. These jobs are competitive -and for a reason. I take my ds's to work with me and bring them back. Zero childcare and travel as I live next to the school. I also obviously have all the holidays with them too.

As a single parent this is invaluable.

I volunteered for eight months full time to get this job along with others. There are still some volunteering now ,all with the eye on that all important job. I think it would be impossible very hard to get a TA job through advertising, as my school would recruit internally (or use a supply).

I am ambitious and want more responsibility and more pay so I strive to make my displays the best, and to get known for results and hard work.

There are certainly some who are gone on the dot of 3pm, but I will finish my displays, decorate my classroom, go online for playground games, plan interventions, circle time games etc to be the best that I can be. I don't think I could do this by worrying about my hours.

I do the same hours as most of our teachers and I also do a lot of teaching too. Infact I do a lot of the same stuff I did when I was an actual teacher - I taught secondary ict and now as a HLTA I have a lead role in ict and computing across the school and teach a fair bit of it too as well as offering support to the class teachers in their use of ict, iPads etc. I plan prep and deliver, inc planning for other staff. I also do a lot of intervention work all of which I plan and deliver. I also mark and assess, involved in report writing and in pupil progress meetings each half term.

I just get paid a lot less than when I taught.

But my choice and I love the work. And I wouldn't return to secondary teaching for any money! I may return to teaching though at primary instead.

Sounds like you do an amazing amount Hula , but as you said you enjoy it. I'm sure you will be in a strong position to get a teaching job should you require it,either in your current school or in another.
Your CV must look amazing.

I used to want to do teaching-until I saw their workload

I am a bit older now and have a large family, so feel a HLTA role will be the next best alternative.

Pity the pay isn't higher though.

You have had some lovely replies, and most are positive.

I was a parent helper at first (Dad) for five years. Then TA job in another, Infant, school, for ten years. Two years in a tough comprehensive when I reached retirement age.

But I couldn't give it up, and did several years voluntary, primary and secondary couple of days a week.

If you have any special skills or experience it is nice to run clubs. I did recorder, keyboard, percussion, computer clubs, touch typing.

And TAs may be in the best position to know how the children are really feeling, and monitor what might be going on in their lives.

I started as a parent volunteer. After four years when I was in school almost as much as the staff I decided to train as a TA. As I already had a degree it was actually quicker to train as a teacher! So I did. One of our teachers started as a volunteer then became a TA, then an H LTA and is now a teacher, I it took a few years but it was worth it

I am training to be a TA (now doing L3)

The school I have volunteered in has been great (not my DC school) in that I have learnt loads but (a) not allowed to use the staff room (b) not allowed the key pad code (which usually would be fine except other classrooms have the key pad code to access them & it hinders me doing my duties (c) not allowed to be alone with a child, even taking them to sick bay. This I could understand at first, but I have been in that school for 2 years! (D) only let me in reception (no problem with this - it's their choice but feel I need experience in KS1.)

Anyway, from sept am volunteering (to finish L3) in my DC school (yr1) a couple of days a week so am really excited about it!

People doing Level 3 - in our area we are told that is for TAs with a supervisory role and a degree of experience. I wanted to do level 3 ( I gained level 2 to get a foothold) but was told that as they were not training any more HLTAs that it wasn't necessary,and therefore wouldn't be funded! I would have to pay for it myself if I wanted to get it. So much for development and training!

In our school we are all paid 28 hours a week ,so technically part time but we are all in early and leave about 30 mins after school finishes. It really bugs me that they won't pay us the extra 4 hours so we can be full time!

It seems the role of T A is subject to wide variances between local authorities !

All our TAs are expected to be level 3 and to self fund. We don't have HLTAs at all. Jobs are as rare as hen's teeth so basically we can ask for anything ( and we get it!)

I copied and pasted this from another thread detailing how i got the job.

I'm a TA in my ds's school and started as a volunteer. I went in four days (chose not to do Mondays) and worked my bollocks off.

My aim was to make myself indispensable and show what I could do. I created lots of lovely displays, jazzed up book corners, and helped out with anything and everything.

I learnt so,so much while I was there that I never once resented the hours I gave. The skills I learnt, the jargon,behaviour management and just being known as reliable and able to do a good job-all totally invaluable.

I was offered two paid hours a day to cover sickness,that led to three months temporary full time contract. Which led to a permanent contract

The headmistress was so impressed by me, she gave me a pay rise in three months, is paying for me to do my level 3 qualification online-I have to keep this secret as not all TAs get this. I am now first aid trained (extra money) and hope to do the HLTA qualification after.

I still work hard and often stay late. Help out everywhere. It's a job that is in demand and you have to show the school that you are what they need. Anyway you can. Quibbling about extra hours might mean someone else will be happy to step in and do those. Volunteers are plenty.

I wanted this job and went all out to get it. I smile every single day and I adore my class. I sing,dance and laugh-but my class know I mean business!

It definitely seems all local authorities are different indeed.

A HLTA saves the school having to get a supply for the odd afternoon/day.

When a teacher has a meeting for example, and two TAs take the class,I have stepped up to do the teaching instead of the level 3.
Not all TAs are confident or want to do this,but although I don't have the level 3 NVQ yet, I am educated past that level.

I absolutely love it and would seriously think about training to be a teacher if I was 20 years younger with no dcs

I'm a qualified teacher but now that I've had DD I have been out of teaching for 5 years. should I do a level something TA course, or will my PGCE and 12 years' experience be enough?

Hi -

Things are always changing in education, as well you know. But if you were a reliable teacher for twelve years, it shouldn't take much to swot up on what has changed (and is about to change in Sept) so if you find jobs to apply for, go for it!

Maybe depends a bit on what original degree was, and if you have had special responsibilities, or specialist skills, but children don't really change that much over time, not at primary anyway. I guess secondary and the Txt and Twitter generation must be harder for teachers to adjust to.

[Looked at your profile and DD pics, so that experience must be an added advantage.]

Good luck.

There were a couple of teachers at my last interview Galena - where I am at least, NVQ3 or equivalent is the minimum qualification but lots of people have related quals or degrees rather than a specific TA NVQ.

galena go for it!

Any school should snap you up as you would be an asset in the classroom.

We have a TA who has just done this after coming back from maternity leave.

Will be a big drop in pay though, and I've heard teachers say they can earn as much as a TA by going part time.
Is this an option for you?

Don't know about teaching assistant qualifications though, each school will have it's own requirements. I would hope not though as you are more than qualified.