No teacher for my job share?

[Iammetoday]

Dropped to 3 days a week starting in Sept. Just been told there's no teacher to cover the other 2 days so possibly be a hlta. So I'm a little worried about the planning, assessment, report writing, meetings etc- how can the HLTA do all of this? Or will it fall to me? I'm not prepared to do it. Anyone else in this situation?

It’s not uncommon for schools to use HLTAs or TAs as teachers nowadays. Whilst morally it is wrong, schools would struggle to recruit a teacher to work 2 days a week - unless the school employs a teacher who isn’t allocated a class and supports across school.

You could speak to the HLTA and come up with an agreement to ‘share’ the workload but you’ll probably find yourself doing more because you’re a teacher whereas they aren’t. I would be sceptical having a HLTA as a permanent solution to a job share especially if they don’t have QTS. It is a risk.

@good96 thanks, the annoying thing is I dropped to 3 days to reduce my workload! I don't think they will have QTS, I have a lot of EHCPs to do, reports assessments etc I'm determined not to do it all whilst not getting paid but I just can't see how the work will get done! Do you think I can do anything?

I work 4 days and end up doing a lot because my cover is a TA. If I were doing 3 days, I'd be very careful about not doing 100% of displays, report writing etc. I'd also be worried about having to teach all the heavy subjects. The pay cut to work part time is massive which makes it easier mentally to stand your ground. You're losing thousands and thousands of pounds by working 3 days so don't be guilt tripped into doing too much!

@JunipeJuniper thank you-good advice! I'm already planning the displays, labelling etc never worked part time so good to be reminded to not do it all. Yes I'm anticipating no PE,RE art etc already but lots of the heavier subjects!

@JunipeJuniper does your ta do any of the reports/ assessments?

This has been me this year.... do not underestimate the burden of 100% of class admin on 60% of pay. Set your boundaries. I've asked for time to do the 40% I'm unpaid for - and sometimes that was granted. It has left me resentful but I've learnt to be stronger and say no (a bit) more.

I’m guessing you are primary?
I would speak with your line manager and see if there is anything they can do to support - quite rightly so, if you are only going to be working 3 days then it isn’t fair for you to be doing everything. Might be worth sitting down with the HLTA and agreeing a plan - e.g, you could do the planning but the HLTA do the assessment - and then when it comes to reports then you share these - and then sense check each others reports and add comments where necessary. Ultimately the responsibility of the class will be down to you as the qualified teacher. I don’t know how schools can get away with using HLTAs or even TAs as a long term solution to a teaching job share… that’s not what they are paid to do.

Nope. My head is very good though so if I say I'm taking time owing she doesn't really argue. I use it to go to my own child's Christmas play etc so at the moment that's more valuable to me. On 3 days your workload should obviously be nearer half a full time teacher though so you can't keep taking things on.

Have the school tried to recruit the job share? I don't think it's necessarily true that they'd struggle to recruit for only two days a week. I used to teach two days a week, and many of my colleagues have done the same. For relatively short periods of time granted, usually when their own children are pre school age. I wouldn't presume there aren't teachers out there who would be very willing to do this, and I certainly would be pressing my school to at least advertise it.

I don't think it's fair to expect a HLTA to do a teacher's job for one third of the pay.

@Michino completely agree.

I'm primary but SEND school so definitely a shortage, they have advertised, we are short a fulltine teacher at moment too!,

Suggestion- perhaps it's a member of SLT's job to plan for the HLTA, not yours?

I definitely wouldn't plan for the days I wasn't teaching, and I'd make that clear to everyone. I equally don't think it's fair for the HLTA to plan, either. But it's SLT's problem to solve, not yours!

What an absolute scam for all concerned. And it’s the children who’ll suffer in the end. But don’t enable this ridiculous situation by taking on all the work!

@Postapocalypticcowgirl I have my appraisal this week so I will suggest that about planning!
@Coleslawclara it really is, I can already feel ill be end up doing more because it is the children who will suffer!

You need to get clarity and agreement on who is doing what. If you are going to end up with all the planning, parents evenings, reports, EHCP paperwork, etc, then you need additional non-contact time - the full amount you'd get if full-time, and arguably more as it can be more time-consuming to plan for someone else to deliver. If you're not going to be expected to do it all, you need clarity on who is, and how things will be split.

I think you simply need to ask SLT to decide who will do the 40% you won't do. You are paid to do 60% . If you make this your problem they will let you and will imply it is your responsibility for going part time. It isn't. You need to have very good boundaries and not be afraid to say no. The HLTA needs to do the same really as they will also take advantage of her too. Think carefully about asking for release time to do these jobs. If you have gone part time for workload reasons, setting work for someone else is going to encroach massively. Likewise parents evenings etc.