Being taught by TA

[Chocolateyshakes]

DD's class teacher is currently acting up into the role of DH for one term. We received an email to say that the other job share class teacher would be teaching DD's class for 3 days a week and her actual designated teacher 2 days. So far this term DD has said she has not been taught by the other job share teacher, but by the TA each day.

Is this allowed? I know TAs work incredibly hard etc, but they're not a qualified class teacher. I am just concerned that one class has a full time teacher and DD' sclass is being taught by the TA.

Please don't flame me. I would just like to know legally how much a TA is allowed to teach a class.

How do you know she's not qualified? My daughter is being taught by a TA at the moment. The TA trained as a teacher and has worked as a teacher for several years before having children. She stopped teaching to have children and now is working as a TA as it fits in with childcare better. But the school ask her to cover classes as a supply.
My other daughter was often taught by one of the admin ladies. Turned out she is a trained HLTA.
I think unless you have particular concerns around safeguarding you should trust the school.

I know lots of TAs who are teachers but wanted an easier life. Also, if the teacher plans the lesson, a TA3 or HLTA can deliver it.

Loads of TAs are teachers but didn't want the responsibility/stress of what teaching demands these days.

It sounds fine, Lot's of TA are teachers who don't want the stress of full time teaching.

As above. She might be a qualified teacher. You can ask the question though

Yes it is allowed - there is no issue at all with this. Lots of schools cant fill all teacher positions and use TAs extensively

She may well be more qualified and experienced than the teacher.

She should get an hourly overtime rate - obviously teachers dont get this so this does tend to mean that schools cut back on a lot of the unnecessary crap if a TA has the class, instead of a teacher.

The teacher is probably doing the planning, and might or might not be doing the marking

It’s not ideal. People will try and defend it (like the head at my DC’s school) but it’s a poor show really. Our school advertises for TAs, the ads state the candidates need no experience and a few weeks later, they’re in charge of a whole class. It’s appalling and makes a mockery of teachers who train and so on. A TA facilitating a lesson is not the same as a teacher teaching a lesson. Good on the teachers for striking, I say!

Yes it is. Happens a lot more these days and often after the term they then carry on teaching albeit as an unqualified teacher.

@Nimbostratus100 - who are you? Gillian Keeling?

there is no issue at all with this

I think you’ll find there is!

*Keegan - bloody autocorrect!

who is Gillian Keeling?

I have been both a teacher and a TA

there is a huge competition for TA jobs! Only the best, most experienced, best qualified candidates stand a chance. Many adverts specify they will only consider ex teachers

Whereas there are frequently no applications at all for teaching jobs.

And it is often the same people applying for both jobs.

I didn't originally intend to return to teaching, but I couldn't get another TA job!

This is part of the reason why teachers are about to strike....

I think you’ll find there is!

I think you will find for most schools there isn’t. If the schools is an academy, free school or independent then legally they don’t have to have qualified teachers. There are many schools using unqualified teachers permanently.

@Nimbostratus100

Really? TA jobs are ten a penny where I live. Schools struggle to recruit due to the poor pay and inflexibility. They definitely do not get the best so to speak. They often just get who applies.

the other aspect that needs to be considered before preferring a "trained" teacher over an untrained one, is to consider what that training consists of - it is largely classroom observation and practice - and a TA may have more of that informally, than a teacher has anyway.

Thee best teacher training I have ever done was my time as a TA

It may be different where you are, but competition for TA jobs is fierce here, normally among ex teachers

Slippery slope employing unqualified staff. I know teachers that are wary over accepting TA posts. They don’t want to be taken advantage of.

I have occasionally worked with TAs who I would consider weak as teachers, but most of them have been fantastic, and their job is teaching, they do teach, they are teachers, just through a different route, and in different circumstances.

I am a TA, I am not a teacher. This is just a stop gap job for me. I don’t do half as much work as the teachers, have none of the accountability or stress.

agreed, you need to enforce your boundaries, and your overtime rate

@Nimbostratus100

My cousin works as an UQT for a year 3 class. Pay is abysmal.

but what you are doing with the children you support, is teaching them, and what you are witnessing is classroom practice, and you probably could do it, although I obviously respect that you might not want to

certainly can be - that is why taking a job as a TA, on an hourly rate, and charging for overtime, can work better

As a TA, my hourly rate was better than as a teacher. As a teacher, the pay can easily dip down below national minimum wage, if you calculate take- home hourly

@Nimbostratus100

I was torn between teaching and occupational therapy. Decided OT conditions would be better for me long term. It’s been an eye opener.