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.

So she's still no longer a teacher though she's now a teaching assistant. Both two different roles entirely, so this point you make is irrelevant.

I’ve worked with several younger teachers who couldn’t spell…

Private school teachers don’t need any teaching qualifications, or QTS. Most will have a degree, though I do know one who hasn’t even that.

It was a state primary! The rule is apparently that a TA can lead a class if a teacher is in overall control, but this rule was interpreted very loosely by the school.

I find it surprising that private schools don’t have to have any specific teaching standards tbh, but I suppose the parents can choose with their wallet.

@Outfor150

True, but they often do employ industry specialists and I am sure they are most certainly educated to a certain standard. It is a real gamble in academies in terms of standards if your child gets an unqualified teacher. They do not have degrees either.

I went into a school 5 years ago to do a first aid role and by the second term the head teacher pulled me into his office and handed me a timetable to teach health and social care. Needless to say I left shortly after.

Depends on the school and area.

At my school competition for TA positions is high with very well qualified and/or experienced people applying each time.

Of our TAs and HLTAs we have qualified teachers with teaching experience in primary and/or secondary, people who have done a teaching degree but chose not to do the NQT period, some with other degrees, one who is currently doing a part time foundation degree before beginning a teaching degree, others with various TA and HLTA qualifications and some older ones who have many years experience. All employed with us have done a minimum of a TA qualification as well as additional intervention training and qualifications, minimum of GCSE grade C in English and maths (or equivalent) and had to get through an interview in front of a panel of 3-4 people including a 20-30 minute teaching session and a paperwork task. All our TAs are part of the teaching staff and employed to be in school FT in term time, olds all inset, training and after school staff meetings.

It's been a very long time since my school has just employed the local mum looking for term time school hour roles.

Your school is the outlier of all outliers.

The recruitment of TAs is a national problem, and it's been in the news for a couple of months at least.

www.theguardian.com/education/2022/oct/09/teaching-assistants-quitting-schools-for-supermarkets-because-of-joke-wages

www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/support-staff-leave-supermarket-jobs-cost-living-crisis-bites

Yes, usually a TA is observed by a teacher before being let loose on a class. Once she's considered competent she's then given more responsibility. When I was a TA, I often used to lead the class. Also, remember that TAs have to do CPD continuously, like teachers nowadays. I've run courses on literacy specifically for TAs and I know they do numeracy too, as well as behaviour management. It's not a support job anymore. It's a semi-professional role.

Saraclara - we are extremely luckily at my school. It's a nice place to work within a friendly, diverse and generally supportive catchment. We're fortunate that we don't struggle to attract a high calibre of TAs here. We also attract a lot of well qualified newly qualified teachers too. Though we don't have much staff changeover generally - just retirements recently from long timers here, and some may leave positions.

My daughter went to a school when she was little where some of the TAs were also qualified teachers so maybe that is the case in this situation?

@MadameDe

Semi pro without the pay.

Is the school an Academy? If so then this is perfectly legal. Only LA schools need a qualified teacher by law.

I have never once heard of an ex teacher becoming a ta!!

They may drop to a part time role in the school, but no teachers I know have ever gone for a ta position.

Hlta's are usually very competent but no way would I want this long term for my children.

They'd have been honest about it if it was.

I know it was a state primary. But I was just making the point that lots of teachers, at the best schools, might not have a single teaching qualification.

This may be the piece of legislation you’re looking for:

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/762/made

Note that this doesn’t apply to MATs etc. It provides some context on heads deeming TAs etc fit to teach.

@JustKeepBuilding - who made you the thread police?

Calling out rude posts, such as yours, isn’t being “the thread police”.

As a TA, please raise this with your school. It may be the TA is actually a trained teacher and is possibly being paid properly. Much more likely this is school taking advantage of TA who will be being paid barely minimum wage!

Anyone can become a TA where I am, every time we advertise for a TA job we never get more than 1 or 2 applicants because it's a lot of responsibility and work for little money.

@Springtoautumn thanks for digging that legislation out. If this doesn't apply to MATs and I've understood the last bit correctly then any school can use support staff to teach at the discretion of the HT. I wonder if in 2012 'support staff' was meant to mean eg PE coaches but has lately been interpreted to include TAs.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I suppose the school will get around this as the letter that came round said that Mrs X will still be involved in the planning of lessons etc. So if Mrs X has planned the lesson then I assume the TA can therefore deliver.

I know TAs have to do CPD etc, but I am concerned that 1 class has a designated full-time teacher and DD's class do not. This doesn't feel right to me.

I will gently raise it with the school.

While that used to be the case, with advertisements attracting dozens of applicants for every TA role, it is no more. We struggle to get 2 or 3 to come in for an interview in our area because potential TAs can earn more working at the local Tesco/Asda/etc with flexible hours.

yes, from what other people have said, it would seem my experience is now out of date, it was a couple of years ago that I was a TA. On one hand, that is not a good thing for education, on the other hand, that does mean it sounds like I could go back to being a TA more easily now, if I chose to....

Many TAs could be deemed 'fit to teach', but they are entitled to ask they be paid for covering if they're being asked to cover. If schools can't or won't pay the 'extra', then TAs can refuse to cover.

Depends where you live. Like a pp TA's here are ten a penny and competition is not fierce. Its been years since my ds's were in primary, but I would want my ds's taught by qualified teachers not TA's.

There is no competition any more. We have 2 TA vacancies and that is not unusual. You can’t survive on TA pay unless you have a rich spouse.