How do support staff get treated in schools these days

[Anybodygotchocolate]

A friend who works as a teaching assistant was in bits when I spoke to her after work today. She was so upset, not because of the children, she says, but because of the way the teachers and SLT treat her and her colleagues. She has always enjoyed her work, and always speaks highly of the teachers. But more recently, some (and by no means all), seem to be very unsupportive and rude in the way they treat her and her colleagues. She is too nice, and will always try to defend their behaviour, but the way they speak to her and treat her sounds awful. Is this a new trend due to how stressed out teachers are, or are they being particularly unkind to her?

There is never an excuse to be rude to TAs and support staff - they do a brilliant job and are worth their weight in gold. In my experience, this is not normal and should not be happening even if teachers are tired and stressed. Something I am seeing more and more of though is TAs being used to do things way above their pay grade and being expected to do stuff outside their contracted hours, for example clubs, for no extra pay. It's a bit of a thankless task to be honest and needs to be valued more.

Nowadays it seems that schools are putting additional pressure and responsibility onto TAs and support staff - particularly around using them as a teachers to cover lessons when there is a teacher absence and even if they don’t have QTS which in my opinion is out of order. They aren’t paid to be teaching classes - just there to support the main class teacher. It makes a mockery for those qualified teachers who have spent years in higher education to get their qualifications for someone unqualified to be doing the job.

Teaching assistants cover classes usually without adult support, because they are the adult support when the teacher is taking the class. They also do all of the break times and lunch time supervision.

This is often said but it's unusual now for class teachers in primary to have any TA support anyway, except for children with an EHCP. I think TAs are well treated where I work. They don't have anything like the responsibility teachers do and rightly don't do unpaid overtime.

Working with children with complex needs in a mainstream setting can be tough and with SLT capacity stretched TAs can be placed in concerning situations.
Also, TAs often not paid for their half hour lunch breaks and often don't get anywhere near half hour anyway due to pressure on their time.
In some school settings it is a thankless, stressful role for little pay.

Many TA’s do work unpaid extra hours. Yes, some TA’s start and finish the school day on time, but these are usually ones with young children attending the same school. Many TAs are dedicated and start early and finish late so that they can get everything done that is demanded of them. They also do take classes on their own with children who have EHCP’s and children who need complex behavioural and emotional support, and are often not backed up by SLT or their teacher when behavioural issues arise.

I'm not sure if this is in response to me but I was answering the question in reference to where I work, which I did state. I'm aware many TAs do work overtime.

Are they getting a proper break in their day? If they work 6 hours, they're legally entitled to a 20 minute break. It sounds like they may not be getting that.

TAs are amazing, and should be treated well. It's not an excuse, but a lot of teachers are very stressed, and that can turn into them taking it out on other people. It doesn't make it okay, and your friend should maybe look at moving schools to see if she has a better time elsewhere.

A lot of SLT also exploit TAs because they are cheap.

I am not a TA, but I am a support person in a secondary school (pastoral). I am a huge supporter of teachers and feel that we all need to work together as a team, for the benefit of the students. Bar a few exceptions, in the school where I work, teachers will pretty much blank me. It will be as blatant as passing me on the corridors avoiding eye contact, only for their faces to lit up when they notice another teacher right behind me. If I don't greet them first, they don't even acknowledge my existence. If I walk into the staff room (which I avoid), I feel invisible. It is probably more to do with the culture of the school I work at, rather than teachers themselves, but I have only ever worked in one school, so I can't compare. It's been 11 years in this school, and I feel that I will just leave silently, and my absence won't even be noticed.

Gosh, that is awful @JustAPawn
A poor reflection on them rather than you.
A school should be a team valuing each other. It sounds like your school is not like that.
Do you have staff surveys on wellbeing, etc? It maybe worth flagging up how depressing this aspect of this school culture is.

JustAPawn, it is so sad that you are not acknowledged for the work you do as part of the team. It is so demoralising when colleagues choose to treat people differently on the basis of their job role or’status’- in their own eyes. Schools promote equality and inclusion etc. , but then not all staff (some do) treat their own colleagues with equality and inclusion. I feel it is very sad that you are feeling that you could leave silently and your absence would not even be noticed, and I feel that there may be many people who work in schools also feeling this way. 💐

JustAPawn, just to add, I suspect you do an amazing job and the pupils would notice if you were not there.

I am support staff and have been at my school in various roles for a long time. I feel respected by the leadership team and get on well with the teaching staff. I asked to have my job regraded as it did not reflect that to do the role I have as I needed a level 6 qualification which the school supported and paid for. However I feel that many support staff are generally not suitably remunerated for the work they do as well as a culture of the are 'only support staff and not a teacher'. There was a comment recently made to me by a teacher regarding the job grade/pay of a member of support staff leaving was really high! ( this member of staff was paid approx £30k), somehow they didn't think that role was worthy of this, thing safeguarding etc. Also recently another comment regarding a trip going out, ' if xyz support staff go that would mean there's no teachers going!' Some teaching staff really don't cope well outside their classroom!
Support staff really underpin a school and without them teaching staff would not be able to do their job. Saying that I have the utmost respect for teachers as the job many of them do is amazing.
Also it seems that some teaching staff are surprised at the previous careers that some support staff had such as management positions.
Apologies if there's any typo!