Teacher and 1:1 TA only

[Jimjiminyjimjiminy]

Hi,

My DS is due to start reception in September. There are approx 25 children in the class. They’ve always had a TA for the class but the teacher has said this year the TA is a 1:1 for a particular child and not for the rest of the class. I’m a bit concerned about this as one of the other children is definitely more than a handful and I was hoping the TA might be able to keep an eye on that DC a bit. Is this normal?? I feel like the TA is going to end up dealing with the other kids too and then the little girl doesn’t get her 1:1.

Unfortunately absolutely normal now. I'm a 1:1 TA for a child but also the whole year group TA for 91 children.

It's what happens when there's not enough money in education. I feel for the teacher - they can't work productively with individuals/small groups and ensure that the rest of the class are on task at the same time. However, a 1:1 may well work with a group of children because that's what their child needs support with - communicating and interacting with others, for example.

Surprised (but a bit relieved- no idea why!) to see it’s normal. It seems insane that the ratio goes from 1:13 to 1:30. I have no idea how the teacher gets to listen to children read / what if someone wets themselves etc. It must be awful for the teacher too . In previous years they had a TA for the whole class but just the 1:1 this year.

It’s all down to funding sadly. If the child who has the 1-1 has a clear specific EHCP then the TA will only be able to work with that child for the hours stated. However often even with an ehcp the wording is so wooly that there is no clear expectations - which makes things harder all arojnd

You're lucky to have had a full time TA. Our infant classes are usually 20 to 25 with a couple of sessions per week with a PSA - a total of maybe 3 hours. Likely to be even less in the coming year.

Sounds like it’s completely normal then. I just felt for the child who most likely won’t get the 1:1 they need.

How on earth do they manage behaviour with continuous provision then? Need eyes all over your head never mind in the back of it.

DDs primary school has no support at all in Years R-2 now because they've had to drop down to classes of 32-38 in Years 3 to 6 so the Tas are needed to support those teachers.

@YoungestSpinster

Up to 38!?

To be honest I can’t really remember much regarding TAs when I was at school but I don’t think classes were over 30.

@YoungestSpinster

How have you found her infant school experience without having a TA?

[quote Jimjiminyjimjiminy]@YoungestSpinster

Up to 38!?

To be honest I can’t really remember much regarding TAs when I was at school but I don’t think classes were over 30.[/quote]
Yes, school is 2 form entry but only has funding for the extra teacher per year if each class has at least 20 children in, so if a couple leave and no-one else joins in the upper years they have to put all the children with one teacher.

[quote Jimjiminyjimjiminy]@YoungestSpinster

How have you found her infant school experience without having a TA?[/quote]
Dreadful to be honest, she's just finishing year 2 and she has some SN, plus there's maybe anout 5 or 6 in her class of 31 who could benefit from 1-1 support from a TA but haven't had it. I'm almost looking forward to next year as even though her class will be bigger as it'll have 36 in they'll have full time TA support.

I meant to say it’s a mixed R / y1 class too so the teacher will also be dealing with two different curriculums. Not sure if exactly 25 children but thereabouts.

When I started school there was no such thing as a classroom assistant.
My P1 teacher had 31 of us in her class and managed just fine, and no, we weren’t sitting at desks all day either. We played and worked just fine.
I think it’s all very precious. A competent teacher will manage just fine.

A competent teacher will manage just fine, however the quality of support you can provide all children is massively increased with support in the classroom. Having a good TA will make a huge difference to the education your child receives.

It's due to lack of funding and it's the children who will lose out.

Fair enough @BingBongToTheMoon

I can’t remember having a TA either. However I don’t think I had constant access to an outdoors space like they do now. I also think we played in the afternoon but I don’t remember moving around different activities in the morning. I was just checking if it’s normal and it seems as though it is.

[quote Jimjiminyjimjiminy]@YoungestSpinster

Up to 38!?

To be honest I can’t really remember much regarding TAs when I was at school but I don’t think classes were over 30.[/quote]
My mum taught 40 with no support in the 80s/90s. I asked her how...She kept the kids too busy to misbehave 😂

I am a ta in a primary school in year 6, there is a ta in each room and a 'floating' ta as well in year 6.
In every class from reception there is a full time ta and also 1-1 ta's as well if the child's plan has requested one.
Every year we have a meeting with the head and it's explained that she has to justify our wages to the governors as there are a lot of us. It is agreed to every year as the job we do is recognised to be of the benefit of the children.
I feel that it is short sighted not to have ta's in every room as I feel we are needed.

My mum taught 40 with no support in the 80s/90s. I asked her how...She kept the kids too busy to misbehave 😂

It’s not comparable. Schools nowadays are inclusive, there are not as many special schools. This should be a positive thing if there’s adequate staff to support this, but more often than not there isn’t. I think the OP is right to be concerned and the teacher will be under a lot of pressure. Also the 1-1 won’t be able to do her actual job efficiently because no doubt she will also be needed for class TA duties, it’s inevitable. So if I was the parent of the child who needs the 1-1 I wouldn’t be happy either. The school have used one child’s EHCP to fulfil the adult ratio in the class as an excuse to save money on another TA.

@Rosesareyellow

That is exactly my concern- I wouldn’t be happy if I were the child’s mum either but then I don’t know if she knows. When I was being shown around the classroom the teacher just mentioned it - this is the TA- she’s a 1:1 for one of the little girls. Otherwise I wouldn’t have known that she wasn’t there for the whole class.

My DS has also come home from nursery after having been hit by another child / toys snatched etc despite getting a lot of staff time at nursery. This child is going into his class and I think he will need a bit more help than average, which a class TA would provide.

However if the ratio is 1:30 then there’s probably nothing that can be done.

@Lovingtheglitter

That sounds amazing. Are you in a large school as this is a small village school- R/y1 together in one class. I would have thought mixed ages would definitely need a TA but seemingly not.

[quote Jimjiminyjimjiminy]@Lovingtheglitter

That sounds amazing. Are you in a large school as this is a small village school- R/y1 together in one class. I would have thought mixed ages would definitely need a TA but seemingly not.[/quote]
We have a double form entry so 60 pupils in every year from reception to year 6. There is a nursery attached to the reception and 2 sen units - one for each key stage.

It is in a town with at least 3 other primary schools and the smaller towns around it also have their own primary schools.
It is still a busy, hard but fulfilling job with the amount of ta's we have and I genuinely don't know how schools are able to do it without them.

@BingBongToTheMoon Things have changed enormously. The expectations for the children at the end of Reception now and what Year 2 was expected to do 20 years ago. The children haven't got cleverer, but the expectations have got higher. Behaviour management wise, 1 adult is fine, but if you want the learning to be productive and for each child to meet their potential, then you need at least one more full time adult.

I have a child in reception with SEN and a full time 121. This would worry me 😩 in our class there is a separate ta as well as the one assigned to my daughter - they all work flexibly and my daughter often spends time 1:1 with the class teacher whilst 'her' ta does other things as well. It's a great balance but without a third adult in the room I don't know how it would work. We have a 'tight' EHCP that clearly states the level of supervision my daughter needs and specifies a lot of interventions (activities) that her 121 does with her everyday so she couldn't really be 'pinched' for the class but I would still worry.

@YoungestSpinster

Sorry she’s had a tricky time. I completely understand the financial limitations but at the same time it seems impossible so many children (plus SEN) and no second pair of hands. I hope juniors is better for her.

@GoFishFingers

That set up sounds ideal. I imagine it would be positive for your child to also spend time with the other staff and not just ‘her’ TA. I share your concerns for the child in this school though as I can’t see how you could truly remain 1:1 without another TA.