Headteacher won't disclose qualifications of TA

[AStreetcarNamedBob]

My son starts reception in January and it's a long story but the "teacher" is actually a TA

I've emailed the head master and asked to know what Mrs Xs qualifications are (ie QTS or NVQ level 3 or whatever)

He has refused to disclose saying that he won't discuss his staff without a good reason. Apparently the fact that my son is going to be entrusted to this women for 6 hours a day is not a good enough reason to be told her qualifications.

Would this surprise you? Does it seem an unreasonable question. The head is acting as shocked as if I were asking something personal like what colour pants she wears.

All I wanted was a response saying Mrs X holds a level X in early years studies or something.

mrZ. When an entire school role is less than 100 pupils, an additional QTs teachers salary can make the difference between a balanced, and deficit, budget.

The school my children attended had less than 100 pupils but every child was taught by a teacher albeit it in mixed age classes and no TAs. I've taught in schools with less than 50 pupils all taught by teachers ...no TAs and my friend teaches on a island in a school where she is the only teacher with children aged 4-11 and no TA.

I'm not saying it can't be done - but it does put financial pressure on a school.
Other factors such as proportion of SEN and pupil premium are also a factor.

The school the OP describes is not 'good'. Just adding a QT won't change that - and their current setup is not (afaik) considered illegal.

of course it can be done and without breaking the law. Do you honestly think the LEA will see transporting pupils to the mainland everyday as a better financial alternative than employing enough teachers?

i agree that the younger the child the more is required of the teacher. This is more than IMO as i am qualified and have taught primary, intermediate and secondary students. It also seems to be illegal and the op is absolutely right in asking that the law be followed and that her dc be taught by a qualified teacher.

Do you honestly think the LEA will see transporting pupils to the mainland everyday as a better financial alternative than employing enough teachers?

If it was in England, the LA could adjust the sparsity factor to provide the OPs local school with the funds in order for them to employ another QT within budget - but that would have be taken from the budget available to support other schools in the area.

I'm guessing that the HTs, teachers and parents of those schools might object - and there are a lot more of them then there are parents and teachers on the OPs Island !

I'm not familiar with the Scottish system so don't know if funding arrangements are the same - it may be that there are other ways of supporting small, rural schools without impacting on other schools in the area; if so, I stand corrected !

My understanding of how a 30 pupil R or combined R/ Y1 class works is that they would have one QTS and one or more TAs and the TA could sit with a group out of sight of the QTS but is not their teacher, and that group would also spend small group and whole class time with the QTS.
Can this not work in a two-tiny-room situation?
If the children really cannot squeeze into one room for whole class chats/stories etc can't the QTS alternate or repeat such whole class chats and then organise everything for all the R/Y1 and spend half their time with R and oversee the TA if the TA needs more direct supervision than average e.g. if their manner with the children needs working on?

ask Nicky Morgan - she wants all school to be academies and thus able to hire non qualified teachers

on the other side, at my DCs primary there was a TA who helped in class and ran the library
the fact that prior to her nervous breakdown she had been a secondary head counted for nothing on paper
the kids loved her
and I trusted her skills UTTERLY