TA role - want to help the kids who need it not chasing children round the school

[swiftandquick67]

I am a TA in a primary school and in each year group we have a handful of children who don't access the cirriculum- some are SEN children but several are children who are academically able who just decide they don;t like doing work and know that if they kick scream and throw chairs they will get sent out the class and get sent to the deputy head who then gives them an ipad until they calm down - as a TA we are then called to sit with said child whilst they are on ipad - they are then internally excluded and are supposed to do their work in a small one with a 1-1 TA but they then realise if they kick and scream again they get another visit to the Deputy heads office which they love as often they get given a biscuit too - then to be given more ipad time. School leaders say these children need our love and attention because the reason they act out is because they have horrible home lives!!!!

I spend most of my day supervising kids on ipads. One of the children that often has ipad goes to swimming lessons with my child and he is as as good as gold at swimming but today he said to my child it is great at my school as you kick and scream and you don't have to do any work and you get the ipad!!!!!

I have been a TA for 15 years now and we never ever gave in to childrens whims like we do now. I don't honestly know how much longer i can do this job for I am never in the class anymore helping children who really need it - I just seem to be chasing escaped kids round the school or sitting with kids on ipads who refuse to learn!!!

Completely agree with you.

Go to a different school. They aren't all like that.

At our school, we still have children kicking and screaming, but they most certainly aren't rewarded with ipads.

Sadly, this is all too common now. I am a TA with 11 years experience and have decided this is my last year because of what you describe. I am finding that SLT have no back bone any more and pander to the children and parents for a quiet life except it makes things worse in the long run. There are very few general class TAs now as most of them are looking after children with extreme special needs who should not be in mainstream school. The rest of the children are struggling with how fast paced the curriculum is and with only the class teacher the weakest learners are getting further and further behind. My current class are the weakest class I have ever taught and it’s because the support has been striped away. The classes coming up in next few years look like they will be weaker than this one so I am getting out.

Wow, the senior leaders at your school seriously need to learn some behaviour management strategies. Get out of there sharpish. Not all schools are so soft. Talk about making a rod for their own backs.

If they want someone to supervise these children having a jolly nice nice on an iPad they should do it themselves. That is absolutely not the role of a TA. Vote with your feet, hammer home the message that it's unacceptable.

I’m a teacher and we have it similar at my school.
I don’t know if it’s reassuring to hear it’s the same elsewhere or just as depressing.
The lack of support for SEN is destroying everyone’s education and some of them should be in a special school and deserve better.
Not sure how much longer I can do it either.

I feel your pain! My school is similar- we have children with needs, but they certainly know how to play the system too. Have a tantrum, get taken out of class and senior management will have a lovely chat about what you need to 'regulate' yourself, so have a little snack, play with the sensory toys for a bit and miss all your class work- then get returned to class to start the process again!

One child spent precisely 5 minutes in the classroom all day today. Our poor TA spent all day supervising him on the field to ensure his safety. She was frozen to the bone. He has done zero work in two days. He has hurt other children but it's somehow okay because it's impulse control. (And that's not always true either - he targets specific children.)

We have a clear behaviour policy but it's not being followed through on because of Reasons.

Pupil voice survey carried out today...80% of the other kids say they don't feel safe, behaviour is bad and they wouldn't recommend our school. That's all due to this one child. Four children have parents threatening to remove them. I wouldn't want my own dd in his class so can't blame them.

There is a massive story behind him, but at the end of the day surely you have to prioritise the majority, who don't want to be hurt and are having learning disrupted. And how can we say "this is our clear, robust behaviour policy" but not apply to this one child because we're being inclusive?

I have been a TA for a very long time and over the last 8 years have seen more of this too. All TA’s are being used up to be with those children who refuse to engage with learning or participating in the class room. They are rewarded and get all of the adults time (TA’s) and praise and special treats from SLT. All the experience I have of helping children with SEND needs who do want to learn is no longer being used, as those that want to learn do not get any of our help, as we are being used to be with the ‘disregulated’ children choosing to do what ever they want. It is soul destroying not being able to help those children who are struggling with their learning and really want our help.

As a teacher I'm seeing more and more of this. It was incredibly rare five years ago now it's a daily occurance with many for children. Covid is often blamed for this but I personally think that's too easy in excuse. I think it's weak leadership.

I agree- Hateam - there does seem to be a lot of blaming it on Covid. We are told that ‘ All behaviour is communication.’ I worry that the children are not expected to learn what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour, and I worry for their future. We are expected to ‘listen’ to what their behaviour is telling us, but they are not expected to listen to us. How is this helping them to learn what is socially acceptable behaviour? They cannot sit or listen anymore. They complain of being bored or tired when in class.

Triggers listed on "safety plan" for one of our children:

Not winning (not just sports/games, any difference of ideas/opinions)
Lessons I don't enjoy
Writing
Names of teachers who don't let him get away with physically harming other children
Being told no
Coming to school.
Name of child he targets to hurt (sweet kid, not one to provoke or wind up another child)
Having to do as I'm told

What are we supposed to do with that?!

He came back after a two day exclusion today and promptly threw plants at the wall and hurt a member of staff by throwing something else. But it was all "well done for making the right choice" when he deigned to enter the class 5 mins before hometime and consequently earned the reward he was supposed to be working towards earning (and totally didn't actually deserve. ) No consequences for bad choices or hurting the staff member - we have to just ignore all the bad and praise, praise,praise. As the TA clutches a cold compress to her head.

Meanwhile the lovely but oh so behind child is left floundering as all time is spent ensuring safety of the child above.

It seems to be a problem in all schools - the kids who misbehave or should I say make the wrong choices are being failed by the adults in school but I think now the kids who previously would have behaved are now misbehaving so they get the treats - it seems to be common knowledge among the younger children now if you run out of class you may get a biscuit or even time on the comfy sofa with an ipad . I see more problems with the infant classes rather than the older children because I think when the years 5 and 6 's started in reception pre covid schools were stricter on saying no so these older children definitely have more respect it seems to be the younger children who choose not to stay in the classroom - they leave or decide to not do the work and you can't demand they stay in the classroom for fear of damaging their mental health.

Yes, same in our school and it's depressing!
I was all in favour of " nurture based provision" when it first became a thing and I do still believe that nurturing children and meeting needs are a vital part of a school's discipline system. However I also believe that consistent boundaries, learning that things don't always go your way and accepting consequences for actions (for children and parents) are vital too...but they're sadly missing in action.
Parents shout and scream if staff dare to criticise their little angels rather than backing us and SLT roll over and reward bad behaviour in the name of "nurture"

I don't blame you for being fed up at all OP, no wonder it's hard to recruit TAs.