Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

TA teaching

11 replies

pigsinmud · 23/02/2016 16:04

My dd2's year 5 teacher has left. Before half term we were sent a letter telling us a new teacher would be joining the school and teaching the class 3 days a week and then Mrs X would be teaching them for the other 2 days. It also said Mrs X knows them well as she's been their TA for a while. I'm 99.9% sure she's not a qualified teacher. Is this allowed in a state school?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
BoneyBackJefferson · 23/02/2016 18:41

She may have a teacher type qualification (not HLTA but similar).

And although it is recommended that you have qualified teachers in state schools a non qualified person can teach at the description of the head.

If the school is an academy then there is no rule that the teacher has to be qualified.

toomuchicecream · 23/02/2016 19:55

There is a teaching recruitment crisis. If the choice is a TA who knows the children, is good at teaching them and does a good job versus ongoing supply teachers so no continuity or consistency for the children, which would you rather choose? The school may well be very unhappy with the situation, but they've had to choose the least bad option.

Hulababy · 23/02/2016 19:59

Yes, it is allowed in some circumstances, even in state schools. And if it is an academy then even more so. It is not best practise for it to be a permanent basis in place of a class teacher.

The TA may also have other qualifications that makes her more able to do so, or even have QTS/teaching qualifications - just because they haven't taught then it doesn't mean they aren't qualified

Hulababy · 23/02/2016 20:03

It will also depend not he level of the TA as to how much teaching (or delivery) they can do. A TA should teach under the direction of a teacher, and many shouldn't be planning the lessons, etc.

Original poster
pigsinmud · 23/02/2016 20:41

Ok thanks. School has just had a disappointing ofsted inspection to pile on the problems. Dd2 is not keen on this TA as she shouts a lot and is just feeling sad that the best teacher in the world has left! I agree with the continuity point, it's just shame that she has been a bit stressy when left in charge of the class in the past.

I suppose I feel like the school is losing it a bit. Loads of teachers have left in the past couple of years.

OP posts:
spanieleyes · 23/02/2016 20:52

And loads more will leave in the next couple of years too, you may as well get used to it! The recruitment and retention crisis will begin to have a serious impact on many schools.

momtothree · 25/02/2016 00:04

A lot of teachers do TA work - either due to the stress of the job or family commitments etc - some do TA and teaching on supply to get the bills paid -

mrz · 25/02/2016 06:47

www.bbc.co.uk/news/10497175

gingerdad · 25/02/2016 06:57

My wife ended up doing similar. Had taken a ta role as it was 200 yards from the house. But was a teacher. She lasted as a ta about a year before ending up teaching as someone had left. So this ta may well be a qualified teacher. My oh has since left education all together and loving it.

mrz · 25/02/2016 07:07

"higher level teaching assistants are for short-term absences only" quote from Unison

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread