PSAs on school trips instead of parents

[Jedbartletforpresident]

Anyone else in a school which does this?

Our school has always asked/begged parents to help out with school trips and has almost always got enough parents. There are plenty of us who are SAHM or who work PT and are always happy to help out. There is almost always also a PSA (TA) also on the trip, but they have always utilised parents.

New SMT - (Head & 2 deputes) - and all of a sudden parents are not being requested for trips. DD1 has had 4 trips so far this year and has another 1 this week and we haven't been asked to help at all. I asked her who went on the trips and she said the teacher and 2 or 3 PSAs. (As well as student teacher who is currently assigned to their class but that was just for last week's trip.)

It's not just her class trips either because I have seen several trips walking past our house (we live next to the school and the kids who know us always wave in at the window if they see me) and there haven't been any parent helpers - just teachers and PSAs.

I don't understand this - why would they send PSAs out of the school for a trip and thereby taking them away other classes when they could be using parents?

Anyone else have any similar experiences?

(There has been some speculation about it being a further indication of the SMT trying to keep parents out of the school - this is one of many changes along these lines since the new Head took over a year ago, but I don't want to cast aspersions if there is a genuine reason for it. I'd just like to understand because it seems odd.)

[MaisyPops]

I think the overinvestment comes from coming across like you know the ins and outs of the head's deployment of staff and going as far as to suggest that a head changing thr set up of parental volunteers (when even regular volunteers weren't DBS checked!) is part of some conspiracy to keep parents out of the school.

AuntieStella I see how you've read it and that is what they're getting at. I just disagree. Most of those unstatemented children will not have TA support in secondary. Class TAs aren't really a thing either. The students come up to us with how many hours TA they are entitled to and we work out TA allocation based on that.

A day without a TA isn't the end of the world. If a child is going through assessment thay means they'd probably get a 1-1 TA then it is unlilely the head would move that TA unless needed.

[Bowerbird5]

We always take teachers, HLTAs or class TA1:1 TAs for any medical/ behavioural children. Then if needed parent helpers. So for swimming just Teacher and HLTA or TA or HLTA and a TA. Long journeys more support. Never just Teacher and parents. TAS pinched or swapped from other classes. So 8am -4pm trips might not be possible for some TAs because of own childcare.

[Jedbartletforpresident]

Apologies if I came across that way - that certainly wasn't my intent. I did say that some people (i.e. Idle playground gossip) suggested that this was part of the new head keeping parents out of the school more as there have been quite a lot of changes in the last 6m especially along these lines, however I also (thought I had) made clear that I didn't necessarily agree with that and just wanted to understand what was normal in other schools as this was a departure from the long term norm in our school and it seemed odd. I don't believe I have ever been critical - just curious.

I mentioned the number of PSAs only because the teacher shortages mean that our PSAs are all overworked as it is and are regularly taking on extra things that I don't think are part of their job description (like teaching a class for a morning/afternoon/day to cover for staff absence) and so it seemed unusual to me to change what has been the norm for a very long time, and in doing so, taking PSAs away from regular class time even more.

I can see however that asking a simple question in my curiousity about the change has come across badly and I am now "that parent" - what joy - so I will bow or now.

Thank you all for your input on what happens in your schools - it's been really interesting to hear how other schools do things.

[Jedbartletforpresident]

(Oh and no governors up here in Scotland - just the PTA, which I am involved in but it is purely about fundraising)