Teaching by teaching assistant alone Y2

[violetbloom]

My dd's teacher will be off work for about 4-6 weeks this year as she's having surgery. I expected there to be a replacement teacher but this morning found out they will be being taught only by the TA for this period of time. Is this normal? Will this affect their education and I wonder how they'll cope with the jobs the TA used to do which was frequently to listen to reading / do spelling tests / mark homework.

[mrz]

Cover Supervisor perhaps?

They aren't allowed to teach only to supervise even if planning is left which isn't good either

[violetbloom]

Yes, it was cover supervisor. I noticed that when I went to collect dd the other day, the teacher was in the side room doing reading with a group while one of the SN teachers was taking the class. Is that awful?

[CowsGoMoo]

I am cover supervisor, albeit at a senior school. The action your dds school is taking is against the law.

Cover supervision is allowed for 3 days of a teacher absence then a qualified supply teacher must be brought in.

No one can possibly plan for lessons for the next 6 weeks!!!

You should question your school as to what her qualifications are etc.

We do have a TA at my school who is a qualified senior maths teacher, she has been called upon to do supply when the maths dept needed a 3 week cover for a teacher post op. At that point she was paid teacher rate of pay.

When I have covered lessons and been asked to teach I have been paid unqualified teacher status. You never know she may well be a teacher, but do check it out

[cherish123]

In regards to the TA taking a class for 4-6 wks, I don't think this can be right. By law, a TA (or an HLTA) cannot be responsible for a class. The can only supervise classes for short periods of time while a teacher is not present (for a variety of reasons - in an emergency or for PPA). They cannot (and would rightly refuse to) plan, prepare, teach or assess work. They would certainly never be allowed to deliver Literacy or Numeracy - Ofsted would haul the Headteacher over the coals for this!

If TAs could routinely teach, this would negate the need for supply teachers and most supply teachers I know seem able to get lots of work.

Furthermore, TAs are paid a pittance. They would refuse to be exploited like this.

So do not worry - it is unlikely this is happening.

[treas]

My dh has just raised a query with yr2 dd's head teacher concerning the fact that due to the long term illness of one of her part-time teachers our dd has been getting taught by her TA once a week for the last 6 weeks.

He referred to the recent Panorama programme concerning this topic and the following articles Schools 'break law' on teaching assistants, NUT claims and Teaching assistant controls urged

HT says they are not breaking any agreement as the articles are not the view of the DfE even though it is the
view of some unions.

Apparently, the HT and school governors have decided that when CTs are absent for a day or less then it is better for LSAs to cover than a supply because they knows the class, etc.

This would be fine if it was a one off but surely one day a week for 6 weeks is not a one off. DH emailed back that he though that this was not an ideal solution to an on going situation but was aware that budget was an unmentioned factor.

Surely, this cannot be satisfactory even if legal.

Apparently dds LSA taught ICT and maths today - dd completely unaware that she had maths today!

[Teacher401]

Actually legislation states that who takes a class is at the discretion of the Head Teacher. So if the Head decided a class could be taught by the Caretaker for a couple of weeks.

There isn't a legal obligation to how long a HLTA can have them or how long a TA can, all there is, is guidance.

[mumsykins]

Having read your opinion on whether it is illegal to use HLTA to cover an absent teacher, I feel strongly that it makes a mockery of having a full teacher qualification. Surely it is up to the school to employ an experienced first class Supply teacher! As people know these are very important and impressionable years in a young life.
Teaching these days is not an easy skill and one often feels you have to swing naked from a chandellier to keep their attention. There's a reason teachers get the pay they do. A teacher employed for several weeks would be expected to plan, mark, differenciate and be very aware of individual needs. I have to say I would be very concerned if my child was being taught by anyone less than a teacher or a supply teacher!

[mrz]

Actually as I stated earlier HLTAs can only provide short term cover THREE days and

Who does the law allow to teach?

From 1 September 2008 the following people can do 'specified work' (the way that the law describes usual teaching activity) in maintained schools or non-maintained special schools in England:

• teachers with QTS
  
• trainee teachers on mainstream or employment based routes to QTS
  
• OTTs who have worked here for less than four years since the first date they did so
  
• instructors
  This is by no means an exhaustive list but examples of instructors might include:
  
  
• a linguist or an interpreter as an instructor to teach one or more foreign languages
  
• an artist to teach art
  
• a musician to teach music
  
• a carpenter to teach woodwork
  
• an actor to teach drama.
  
  Instructor posts should only be offered for as long as there is no qualified teacher or person on an employment based route to QTS available to supply those skills or qualifications.
  
• staff employed to assist or support the work of anyone falling within one of the categories above (subject to their having the necessary skills and being supervised and directed by a qualified teacher).
  
  Where a cover or supply teacher is genuinely unavailable, HLTA trained teaching assistants may be used but only for the shortest possible time until a qualified teacher is available.

[maizieD]

mrz,
Now this thread has resurfaced, can you tell me what the STPCD is?

Whatever it is, it seems to run contrary to the WAMG Guidance which stated that use of HLTAs for cover was not an appropriate use of their time (can't quote you chapter and verse, I'm afraid)

[mrz]

School Teacher's Pay and Conditions Document

[mumtoabeautifulbabyboy]

Unfortunately teacher401 is correct.
The headteacher can employ whomever they want to teach a class.
There is plenty of guidance on best practice but unfortunately many heads are ignoring this advice (as they are legally allowed to do so) and education will suffer as a result.
There is an unqualified teacher pay scale that hopefully this TA will be paid on to ensure that she is not completely being taken advantage of.
At least it is only six weeks. Many children have whole years of this and the situation is just set to continue given the budget cuts soon to be unveiled

[mrz]

The Law on Unqualified teachers changed in 2007

The Education Act 2002 stated that teachers without QTS could not teach in England unless they fell within one of the limited exceptions. One of these was "trainee teachers who have yet to pass their skills tests". Between May 2001 and August 2008, trainee teachers who would have gained QTS, but for the fact they had not passed all the skills tests by the end of training, were allowed to teach for up to five years (the five year grace period).

During this period, these individuals could only be employed as unqualified teachers; they were not newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and could not begin induction. On 1 September 2007, the regulations changed to remove the five year grace period. The Department for Children, Schools and Families has provided guidance on the amended regulations.
What the change meant

To continue to teach after 31 August 2008, any unqualified teacher who had not passed the tests must pass the tests and be awarded QTS. If you did not pass your tests by the deadline, you cannot teach in a maintained school or non-maintained special school. Your employer must secure termination of your employment 'as soon as practicable'. There can be no extensions or exceptions to the deadline.

You can continue to take the tests and, if you pass, you will be eligible for recommendation for the award of QTS, to teach, and to begin your induction.

The changes may have slightly different implications depending on when you began your final year of training.

Find out how the changes affect you
Employment

If have not passed the skills tests and thus do not have QTS, you cannot take unqualified or qualified teacher employment but can work as an instructor or in a support staff capacity. This includes work as a teaching assistant or higher level teaching assistant.

Surely it is wrong for higher level teaching assistants to take whole classes?

A: HLTAs are trained to lead classes and only do so under the direction and supervision of a teacher ? Teachers remain the leaders and the experts in the classroom and HLTAs are there to support them, not replace them. This is in accordance with legal regulations and guidance which specifies the teaching activities staff without qualified teacher status may undertake [see footnote 1 re. section 133 regulations if further clarification is needed)

. Section 133 regulations 2002:


(1) Regulations may provide that specified work may not be carried out by a person in a school unless he-

(a) is a qualified teacher, or

(b) satisfies specified requirements.


(2) Regulations specifying work for the purpose of this section may make

provision by reference to-

(a) one or more specified activities, or

(b) the circumstances in which activities are carried out.


(3) Provision by virtue of subsection (2) may, in particular, be made by reference

to an activity specified in a document of the kind mentioned in section 124(3).

(a) the possession of a specified qualification or experience of a specified kind;

(b) participation in or completion of a specified programme or course of training;

(c) compliance with a specified condition;

(d) an exercise of discretion by the Secretary of State, the National Assembly for Wales, another specified person or another person of a specified description.


(4) Regulations may limit the period of time during which work may be

carried out by a person in reliance on subsection (1)(b).


(5) In this section "school" means-

(a) a school maintained by a local education authority, or

(b) a special school not so maintained.

[Over40]

Just check you HLTA hasn't got QTS as well. Two at our school have as they are qualified teachers but choose not to.

[cherish123]

Not legally allowed but some schools still do to save money.

[leccybill]

Zombie thread

[rollonthesummer]

I know this is a zombie thread but it was interesting to read all the replies! It was clearly not allowed in 2010 but now, times have changed!

I know of lots of schools using TAs to teach whole classes for extended periods now. All our PPA is also covered by TAs.

I presume the law changed-was it when academies/free school started?

[Jaffacakecake1234]

My mum is a TA and she is brilliant loves the kids and wants to become a teacher you will find alot of TA's want to be teachers but just arnt quite their yet (money. Exams ect) but they still care about the kids and n eduction

[user789653241]

I know it's a zombie thread.

My ds' yr2 teacher was SLT. A lot of classes were covered by TA. Also she took about 2/3 week off due to illness, and it was covered by TA for whole time. ds had best progress in that year, IMO. Some TAs are great, and even better, if the leading teacher is great too.

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

Why would someone find a thread that is seven years old to put a pointless comment on?

[user789653241]

Maybe because it's happening quite regularly these days with funding cuts? It's interesting though.

[gatorgolf]

I thought it is now allowed if school is academy