Y6 residential

[Prettypussy]

I'm a Y6 TA and work 25hours a week usually. The residential trip will be 5 full days. I just wondered if in in other schools TAs are expected to go on the rip for the week without any extra pay or time off given in lieu?

Before I became a teacher, I was a Y6 TA and was given an extra £300 on top of my pay to go on a residential for a week. The school I work at now just gives everyone who attends one day off.

I've not heard of anyone getting paid extra I'm afraid, although I absolutely think someone on low pay and PT contract should be.

We ask for volunteers, any TAs going get a day off afterwards, teachers don't!

Ours always used to be voluntary but it was pretty standard relevant year group tas would go for the whole time.

in my current school we find people (including teachers) prefer to share the week so most people just do a couple of days.

the first couple of trips I went on there was no “extra” pay. The last one, they paid us for a full week of the normal school day, which did make a difference to those of us not on full time. We were working at least 7am - 10pm though…

Just seems to expected that the Y6 staff go as a matter of course in my school. It's a pretty big ask I think to be expected to go from Monday at 8am until Friday evening, working full days from 7am every morning until the kids go to bed at 10pm and then you are responsible all night for them too, keeping an ear out, and available for any that need anything, not able to go home to your own bed at night, not able to see your own family etc. all for only your regular pay.

It might be expected, but it's not compulsory. If you don't want to go, then say so. We always have more volunteers than we need as it's great fun!

It absolutely is a huge amount of work - which is why it is so frustrating to hear parents on forums like this moaning about some detail they don't like, or - my particular annoyance - demanding that they see photographs of their dc during the trip.
However, IME over many many years, the TAs and teachers who work with a class usually want to go with their class, as - although exhausting - it is so rewarding too. It is great to see the dc achieve things that, for some, are massive.
If a TA (or teacher) isn't able to, then there are usually other staff who will swap with them IME.

I do want to go as I feel it's an important experience for the children and something which helps you to build good relationships with the class for the rest of the year, but just think it's quite unfair in terms of expectations and pay. It's certainly not a holiday as some parents seem to think it is!

Our school asks for volunteers and there are generally enough who want to do it as we know how much the children get out of it. I would only expect to be paid for the extra hours worked if I was told I had to go on it.