Secondary teacher getting TA job in primary

[nottonightjoesphine]

Whaddaya reckon to my chances folks? I'm a teacher of sociology in a secondary school. There's a long story really but the shorty one is that I hate it. Hate the demands on my family time, the sleepless nights, the scrutiny, the relentless sense of fear.
I've seen a job for a full time TA in a local primary school. Financially we can take the hit but do you think they would even bother giving me an interview? Never worked with small kids before, never even did any teaching practice in a primary school.

I need some good news people. Would they touch me? Are there any heads on here who could give me some insight?

Year 1!

Have never worked with such tinies!!!

Yes, if you are a TA, then leading group maths activities will be part of what you are expected to do.

Blimey! Will this be after the teacher has explained to the children what they need to do? The reason I ask is because while I obviously know how to count etc, 'teaching it' according to accepted NC methods is a something I struggle with , and I know this from my own dd. I've spent many nights banging my head against a wall with her (y2) because she didn't get something and I was actually baffled 'how' to get it through to her. It made me realise exactly why primary and secondary PGCE's are so different.

Good luck. I think they would be lucky to have you. I know a few TA's at local primary schools who are actually qualified teachers so it's not unusual. I think schools can take advantage of you though. My friend who is a qualified secondary teacher in technology (food, textiles) has picked up supply work at local primaries, but as a teacher, not a ta. Obviously pay much better. Across the whole school, and frequently she is told what she needs to teach, the hour before.

How much research have you done? Have you looked on the TES website?
There are very generous people sharing all sorts of activities and planning for free, it might help you with your DD if not the interview.
Are you up to speed on www.letters-and-sounds.com which is the phonics scheme a lot of schools follow in KS1?

I was a secondary school teacher for 10 years or so. I am now a HLTA in an infants school.

My role has varied over the past 5 years (started as a level 3 TA, now a HLTA; started in Y1 - now mainly in Y2 but teach some Y1 and EYFS too) but I do enjoy it. I do a lot of teaching, as well as class support. I teach whole classes, and then do some group and individual work.

Class support - I do this in Y2 at the moment 4 mornings a week, supporting the class teacher mainly in literacy and numeracy.

Interventions - I plan, deliver and assess. Might be Maths, phonics, literacy, reading, etc. I also do an early morning intervention before school starts 3 days a week whih involves selected children and their parents.

PPA cover - I plan, deliver and assess. I teach Computing (I was a Computing teacher at secondary). This year to Y2 and also an EYFS class, 4 afternoons a week.

E-Safety co-ordinator - I am in charge of this, run training for pupils, staff and parents, keep documents/policies up to date, etc.

I am also responsible for all our iPads and keep them up to date, etc and run staff training about various apps, their class use, etc.

I also unofficially lead ICT/Computing across school, becoming more official from September. So I attend various courses about the new curriculum, am looking at developing the new scheme of work for our school, training staff, etc.

So - all very varied and all very busy! But I love it.

Wirh regards to another post.

I do not work with any one specific child. I am linked to one class in general. In my school all classes have a level 3 TA linked to them. In EYFS these are full time. In Y1/2 there is a specific TA each morning, and then they do interventions in afternoons taking children from all three classes in the year group. I don't do the interventions in an afternoon any more now as I teach instead.

We also have 2 level 1 and 2 TAs who work as one to one TAs with specific children. They do not take interventions or whole classes. They are there to sit with an individual and keep them on task, take them to the toilet, etc. They have specific training for each child they work with but they work under direct supervision of the class teacher.

It is definitely not uncommon to have qualified teachers working as TAs. Of our 9 FT TAs several are qualified teachers - there for various reasons: just qualified and not yet got a teaching post so gaining hands on experience whilst they apply, teacher who did their BEd or PGCE but then decided not to teach, a couple who are nearing retirement and wanted less stress/paperwork but still the classroom work. I left teaching as I had come to hate secondary teaching; initialy did this a considered retraining but now love it so much I have stayed and just got more and more invovled that way.

And I can't remember last time I did a classroom display - other than the ones in the ICT suite, which are based on the work I teach anyway.

Thanks everyone. Can't believe you do so much teaching as a HTLA?! Do you take work home? I'm gonna be swotting up on those phonics this weekend!
I want to embrace this job if I get it, and fully plan to work hard, but for a pay cut of 35k, I don't plan to be used for teaching classes on my own or taking work home. Is that naive of me?

HLTAs often cover classes, the teacher plans the work. Most TAs I've worked with over the years in different schools have taught and supported anything from 1:1, small group, up to half the class.
The best TAs do put in extra time and thought, I used to have to frisk one of mine to stop her taking things home 'Just to finish' and she'd produce the most amazing and tailored resources for specific children.
No, they can't make you take home work, or do more than the job specs detail, but you will find that there are some amazing, talented and dedicated people working in the role who go above and beyond. Those are the ones that every school wants.

A pay cut of £35,000?? .

Whatever the amount you are being paid to do this job, what you were paid before is irrelevant.

I think it is relevant. I don't want to be used as a teacher when I'm a TA

Thanks Goblin. I'm not work shy in any way (in fact my inability to draw a line under the working day or say no to requests is one of many reasons I'm leaving teaching- I'm my own worst enemy really.)

One things I've learned about myself is that I work hard, but not necessarily smart.

It is relevant. You want to work as a TA so you will get paid TA wages. You won't be used as a teacher but tbh you will be expected to do what is needed. I was a parent helper in school. Not paid. I did a lot of what the TA did as it needed doing. I didn't say oh no I won't do that as I am a parent helper, not a TA. If the pay cut is such an issue for you then look for a job paying the same as you were on.

I work at home too I'm afraid. But some don't. I am my own worst enemy at times when it comes to work load.

I didn't say the pay cut was such an issue for me, you sound like you're nitpicking.

Goblin child - ime HLTAs do their own planning. It's certainly within their job spec. Just supposed to be under direction of a teacher - but that just means teacher will talk about what they need to be learning etc or knowing what's on the plan, not necessarily planning for them. Though I plan entirely myself and lead the subject I teach. Level3 TAs aren't supposed to plan though.

Nitpicking?
What did you think the job of TA would actually involve, and how much research have you put into your career change? I
can't think of a single TA I've known or worked with that hasn't gone way beyond what's expected on paper. Competition is fairly fierce for the posts, so schools can afford to be very picky. Is it a permanent post, or just for a year?

I'm aware I now earn way less than I did as a teacher. But I currently enjoy it much more than I did being a secondary school teacher.

I have toyed with the idea of returning to teaching but in the primary sector - you do not need to retrain or do a conversion - but I enjoy what I do at the moment and fortunately we are not dependant on my wage so I can choose.

The nitpicking comment for was for itsfab, not you goblin, I've appreciated the advice you've given. I didn't say the pay cut was a massive issue for me- and I don't mind going above and beyond, but I'm clear in my mind about leaving my current position to relieve the current stress I'm under. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to express that I want to stick to TA duties and not be expected to cover lessons constantly just because I'm a qualified teacher?

Thanks hulla, yes it's just for a year and is for a level 2. Is planning required for that level?

A friend of mine left teaching two years ago for stress reasons. She went for a HTLA job in a secondary and by Christmas, two thirds of her timetable was teaching English to GSCE and A level exam classes. She was being paid as a HTLA and doing the job of a teacher, she left after a year because of the stress and came out of the profession altogether, so disheartened was she that she would ever be able to work in schools and stay broadly within the role that she was being paid for.

Good Luck with the interview.

Am gobsmacked at the comment up thread that a parent helper reckons she did the work of a TA. Would not be happy if that was my children's school

Level 2 should involve NO planning and NO whole class teaching. I would assume it would be mainly classroom support and some intervention/small group work.