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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

The staffroom

Reception with no TA.

45 replies

TequilaTequilaGin · 27/03/2017 20:06

I can barely word my horror. Is anyone else facing this?

OP posts:

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padkin · 29/03/2017 21:50

And what about the requirement to provide access to an outdoor environment? I know that free flow isn't statutory, but it is highly recommended, and often expected. That would be impossible without an additional adult. What is the outdoor access like in your setting?

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Msqueen33 · 29/03/2017 21:53

That's awful. Christ I'm glad our school appear to have our TAs. My dd has autism so thankfully has a 1:1 who they utilise sometimes.

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TequilaTequilaGin · 29/03/2017 21:55

My room is admittedly nice and big. We do have our own little garden area which we access from the back corner (classroom door at the front corner). I think I would have to cover access to the outdoors by timetabling outdoor time. It just wouldn't be safe for them to be out without an adult.

I just cannot see any positives. I use tidy photographs and lots of labelled baskets and things. I am quite easy going and not one of those teachers who freak when things are in the wrong place, but you know what children can be like when left to their own devices- everything tipped out, muddled up etc.

Aurrurughghggh.

OP posts:

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picklemepopcorn · 29/03/2017 22:01

I started teaching with 25 mixed reception / Y1, and two mornings TA a week as long as she wasn't need elsewhere. We shared a TA among five or so classes.

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Letseatgrandma · 29/03/2017 22:12

-I started teaching with 25 mixed reception / Y1, and two mornings TA a week as long as she wasn't need elsewhere. We shared a TA among five or so classes.

How long ago was that?

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DanyellasDonkey · 29/03/2017 22:16

I'm in Scotland so no TAs. We have a classroom assistant 3 times a week for around 1.5 hours. Can't imagine how wonderful it would be to have someone full time

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BlueRingedOctupus · 29/03/2017 22:26

I am not a teacher but have kids in reception and omg i cant believe you don't have the support from a TA. I am just in awe teachers. They are amazing.

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picklemepopcorn · 30/03/2017 07:19

25yrs ago? Start of the national curriculum when it came in twelve different folders.
We still had a Banda machine...

I volunteer/do supply in local schools and am amazed by the richness of resources on offer. Pritt sticks, actually in the classroom. Even teachers didn't get pritt-stick in my day. We used PVA in egg cups with glue spreaders and cocktail sticks. We had to account for every photocopied page.

The resources available now (well until very recently) in terms of staffing and supplies are remarkable in comparison.

I know teaching is tough, really really tough. I'm glad I don't do it any more.

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Piglet208 · 30/03/2017 07:39

I don't know how you can be expected to provide quality EYFS without support. I have just returned from an early years conference where the central theme was quality interaction in continuous provision and building relationships with key workers. You can't do that all by yourself. I would be highlighting the relevant parts of the framework for the headteacher alongside the ofsted guidelines.

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Mistoffelees · 30/03/2017 10:30

Danyella, can you give some advice on how to deliver the EYFS successfully with 30 children and one adult please? My TA is often one to one with a child, leaving me to do an adult focused task as well as continuous provision. I find it impossible and feel like I'm only doing half a job with both things!

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blaeberry · 30/03/2017 13:20

I'm in Scotland too and the default for P1 (age 4.5 to 5.5) at out school is 25 kids and no TA. You only get some TA time if a child/children in the class are identified as needing it for SEN (and the bar is quite high for that) and then to just support that/those children.

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DanyellasDonkey · 30/03/2017 16:06

Mistoffelees I can't, Today our P7 teacher was off and the class was split as no supply for love nor money. I got 3 kids in my class and it was great - one to each table to help my little ones with their work.

Normally I rush around like mad trying to hear reading the best I can (which is never as good as I'd like). On the 2 occasions per week when I have a classroom assistant, both coincide with hall times so I only get classroom help for half of the time

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picklemepopcorn · 30/03/2017 16:16

Believe it or not, we used to have more than one child reading at a time, and could read upside down and guide them at the same time. Each child knew to keep going no matter what, and we'd turn between children as they needed us. I'm NOT saying it was a quality experience, but we had to read with each child twice a week. You can only squeeze so many into play times and lunch times!

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TequilaTequilaGin · 30/03/2017 18:22

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but is the Scottish P1 stage not usually far more formal than EYFS? Lots more sit-down-desks working.

As it obviously has to be with 1-25 ( :( )

My timetable/provision this morning, for example, was:

good morning circle time
phonics input, done by 3 different adults
continuous provision and intervention time (1 adult inside C.P., 1 outside, 1 intervening)
end of morning circle time

OP posts:

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DanyellasDonkey · 30/03/2017 21:50

I can't really comment on P1 as I haven't done that recently. Ours school is quite formal but others may be different. We have to cover the "outcomes" for Curriculum for Excellence which are so vague. We're lucky in that our HT and DHT have gone through everything and worked out a curriculum coverage document for each stage. However if we didn't have that we could be farting around not knowing what we're doing.

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Mistoffelees · 30/03/2017 22:22

Ah I won't lust after the Scottish approach to early years then! Ireland OTOH are suggesting early years approach up to age 10!

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DanyellasDonkey · 30/03/2017 23:50

Just looked at some stuff on EYFS. It reminds me of the integrated day much vaunted in Scotland at the start of my career and hated by most teachers. I just ignored it and continued to teach fairly formally as did most of my colleagues.

Does every teacher have to follow this kind of plan in early years? I'd hate it

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Mistoffelees · 31/03/2017 21:42

I don't know what the 'integrated day' is Danyella but most EYFS classes have a mix of adult led and continuous provision, with a few carpet sessions and guided reading sessions thrown into the mix too. But the best settings (IMO and according to research on effective EYs practice) have a couple of carpet sessions but otherwise all continuous provision with open ended resources and the adults are 'free' to support and extend the children's learning through their play.

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DanyellasDonkey · 31/03/2017 23:08

Don't think it's the same in that case. With the integrated day you had maybe 4 groups. One would be free play, one language, maths or craft and the kids did half an hour at each one then moved round. That was back in the day with only a teacher so you can imagine the chaos that ensued!!

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MooMooTheFirst · 16/05/2017 02:03

I teach nursery and this year there are 26 children with me and my TA. When I started a few years ago, I had 30 with 4 adults.

It's such hard work! Especially as there were six in nappies atthe beginning of the year and eight with additional needs - three of those with severe needs, to the point where during carpet time either me or my TA would have to physically hold two on our knees and the other child would be with the other adult. There's no peaceful carpet time, no free flow between inside and outside because invariably someone needs a nappy change or falls over and everyone has to come inside to be with the remaining adult.

This is one of the many reasons that I am looking for ways out. I don't envy you OP, the thought of it makes me feel quite ill!