Are non qualified teachers ie. TA's allowed to teach the class?

[scanner]

We were told last week which teachers dc's will be getting next year. DD2 going into year 2 is getting two teachers, one fully qualified for three days a week and the other isn't qualified for two days. I presume this is allowed, but I am concerned about it. Does anyone know what the position is on ta's teaching?

[ICantFindAFreeNickName]

I think that a TA who knows a particular class, and knows their personalities & what they are currently learning, can teach more than a supply teacher coming into a school for just one day.

[scanner]

Sorry, I didn't come back to the thread sooner.

This 'teacher' is definately not qualified. She took my ds in reception for two days a week last year. This set up changed half way through the year, originaly there was one full time teacher, then she went part time and the ta stepped in for two days a week for the remainder of the year. At the time I asked the qualified teacher about it and was reassured when she said that the ta was doing a degree in early years and very up to date.

However, next year they will be in year 2, studying for an early years degree isn't so relevant. I don't know when she's doing this studying as she's full time in the school, so I assume evenings etc.

I don't have a problem with the ta, ds likes her, but I am concerned about her experience.

Do you think I should have a word with the head, am concerned about looking like a pushy parent.

[mrz]

If she is studying for a teaching degree (it's called an employment based teacher training scheme ) she can teach the class

[scanner]

Thank you Mrz.

[gingernutlover]

also somtimes called a GTP (graduate teacher program) they are open to people who have a degreee in a national curriculum subject and want to train to be a teacher on the job - they are paid but less than teachers

i think you are quite within your rights to ask the head for furthur explanation, I klnow i would

[coggy]

Oo-er Mrz.....I wonder if our teacher/head knows this...could be problems in September then......

[SofiaAmes]

If she is good and seems to be doing a good job of teaching your ds, I would mention it to the head, but be open to the idea. When my ds was in reception he had a woefully inexperienced Qualified teacher who really didn't get either ds or the class. (It was a very very socio-economically mixed class in West London. She would do things straight out of the national curriculum that were completely inappropriate for them without even thinking about modifying it for her specific class.) 5 weeks before the end of the school year she left abruptly to go back to Australia and the TA took over. I was very concerned and spoke to the head about it who reassured me that she was competent and in the process of studying to become a fully qualified teacher. She had been a TA in that classroom for something like 10 years and had gone to that school as a child. As it turned out she was fantastic and DS learned more in that 5 weeks then he had for the whole previous part of the year. She knew the children so well that she knew how to teach directly to each and every one of them. So far (ds is now 7) she has been his most inspiring teacher to date.
So....maybe talk to the school, but also give her a chance even if she isn't officially Qualified.

[maidamess]

I am in the death throes of completing my HLTA (don't go there!) and feel I was asked to do it for the express reason of covering PPA on the cheap.

I am not even an experenced TA, I have been in the job less than a year. But I do have a degree unlike the other TA's in the school, so was the fist choice to do the HLTA course.

It is not a qualification, it is a 'status' (A woolly term if ever I heard it) My Head wanted me to do 3 afternoons PPA cover next term with 3 different classes.

I said No s I felt i wasn't experenced and also didn't want to be a teacher on the cheap. I felt the parents would not be happy If someone who wasn't qualified to teach was in charge.

I WISH I'D NEVER DONE THE HLTA!! Perhaps I'll fail and all my problems will be solved!