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Primary education

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Original poster

HLTA as the class teacher

67 replies

ChristmasTreeRock · 12/12/2021 14:48

My junior aged child will not have a teacher with QTS for at least a term, due to school apparently being unable to replace a retiring teacher. A HLTA is going to take the class. Now I know nothing of their own qualifications, but is this legal? School is not an academy. Quite concerned after two years without being in school full-time.

OP posts:

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TizerorFizz · 13/12/2021 16:39

@Mumdiva99
How the Head runs the staff complement is not up to the Governors. They could query it of course but it’s not a strategic decision.

I don’t think most schools set out to employ non qualified staff. Sometimes it can be difficult to recruit mid year. I feel in this case they might have been left high and dry with a late retirement and didn’t plan for the vacancy in time. If they cannot recruit a teacher, they are saving money. I don’t think schools set out to do this but might grab an opportunity with both hands! It may also be that supply teachers are not good enough and they prefer the staff member they know rather than break the budget for supply staff. They would be better advised to try and get their own supply staff as quite a few schools do. Much cheaper to do this.

CaptainMyCaptain · 13/12/2021 16:39

@Redlocks28

Again I ask for evidence. Are you a member of SLT in a school that does this? If so why wouldn't you query it? Are you a governor in a school that has done this?

I have been a supply teacher in numerous schools where this has happened. I don’t need to supply evidence-I know it happens. If you choose not to believe me, that is up to you.

Quite.

Nuffaluff · 13/12/2021 17:14

My SIL is an HLTA and has been working for years as a reception ‘teacher’ in her school. It is definitely a cost saving exercise. She doesn’t have a degree.
I wouldn’t be happy with that even though she is lovely. I used to teach reception and it is no easier than any other year group.

TizerorFizz · 13/12/2021 18:16

I’m not sure that YR is compulsory education for all DC. This allows for flexibility with the 4 year olds I think!

fabulouslyglamorousferret · 13/12/2021 18:36

Our school has had recently tried to recruit for upper KS2, the standard of applicants was truly shocking. After a week of unsuccessful interviews we have asked our school HLTA to step up for the rest of the year and have offered to pay her on the unqualified teacher pay scale. She is far better equipped to (she has a first in Education from a far better uni than I went to!) see our year 6 cohort off for the next couple of terms.

Replacing her to cover the rest of the school's PPA is going to be the next challenge!

TizerorFizz · 13/12/2021 18:57

Are y6 doing sats? Or have they been dropped? That’s brave! A bit more than seeing them off I think.

TizerorFizz · 13/12/2021 18:59

@fabulouslyglamorousferret
I think in your situation i would do the same though. However more worrying is why applicants were shocking? That’s a terrible situation and I guess these teachers don’t have jobs. I’m assuming the head asked them to teach.

Mumdiva99 · 14/12/2021 09:01

@tizerorFizz I agree that staffing is not down to governors (but querying
questioning and assuring ourselves the school budget is being spent appropriately absolutely is) .....however as a chair of governors we absolutely would question our HT of she was staffing classes with HLTA just to save money. I know it happens for other reasons....as you mention. Including not being able to recruit in time, not wanting multiple supply, having a TA that knows the kids etc etc.....my point is that cost saving isn't the first reason. (I think lots of people who comment on these threads do not understand the structure and complexities of schools....e.g. don't understand why HLTAs are used for PPA, don't understand that if a school has a falling role and you have 1 term before losing a class and you are 1 teacher short for 1 term it may be better covered by an HLTA etc etc...

TizerorFizz · 14/12/2021 09:17

Yes I would query the decision as a governor but governors cannot change it. However if we didn’t see the retirement coming, I would be mortified! However people do assume governors make decisions about day to day running of a school. They don’t.

TizerorFizz · 14/12/2021 09:20

@Mumdiva99
I do need to clarify that I’m not a school governor right now! However I used to be a governor trainer and I have seen lots of governors who think they are there to make decisions about staffing and all sorts of operational matters. It’s very difficult for parent governors to accept the strategic role at times.

Mumdiva99 · 14/12/2021 12:04

@tizerorfizz I do agree that all governors must be trained in their role....that isn't too challenging. It's the wider community as evidenced on plenty of MN threads that don't get it.....always see the cry of 'go to the governors....' whether or not that is appropriate.

TizerorFizz · 14/12/2021 13:45

@Mumdiva99
Yes I do agree. That tends to happen because parents have not read about how to raise issues at school that are operational vs making a complaint via the complaints procedure.

cabbageking · 14/12/2021 23:58

Presently many schools are struggling to get any teachers via supply and are doing their best to keep the class going.

A TA the children know may be better than a poor teacher you would not normally employ.

pleasehelpwi3 · 19/12/2021 11:01

I'm a state primary Y6 teacher.
I have the greatest respect for nurses- but I'd like a surgeon to operate on me.
I have the greatest respect for legal secretaries- but I'd like a lawyer to represent me in court.
I have (some!) respect for traffic wardens, but if I dialled 999 I'd want the police to turn up......

I'm not sure I entirely believe one of the pp who said as a HLTA they were on the school's SLT- this doesn't make sense. Some HLTAs are fantastic (I work with many who are) but they are not teachers. It doesn't mean they're not capable of training to become teachers- and then doing the job vent well- but they haven't been trained to do the job. As a parent in general I'd be really annoyed; however if the HLTA was known to me as brilliant I'd be probably be prepared to tolerate this for a term. A pp's suggestion of mixing the teaching: teacher/HLTA across the year group is a good one.

RandomDent · 19/12/2021 11:09

Maybe they have recruited but the person isn’t available till Easter.

cansu · 21/12/2021 17:47

Teddybeans
There is a world of difference between TAs, HLTAs and teachers. Planning is not just about having a lesson plan and a resource put in your hand before the lesson. A good teacher plans as they are teaching. They assess what support is needed through their questioning and adapt their teaching as they go. They change any resources that have been provided to meet the needs of their classes. They may decide they need to go back and reteach or do more work on a particular concept or skill. The idea that this can be done by anyone who has worked in a classroom in any capacity is ridiculous. OP you are 100% right to be annoyed by this. The school have a responsibility to provide the class with a teacher.

cansu · 21/12/2021 17:50

I also think schools are struggling to recruit in upper primary because they won't pay UPS. They are expecting to get experienced teachers for mainscale pay. Unsurprisingly, teachers are voting with their feet. Paying a HLTA instructor rate for a whole year of full class responsibility is woeful.

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