Can teaching assistants leaving in July still receive August pay?

[Sprookjesbos]

Can anyone clarify the rules around TA contracts and notice periods in a state school?

I need to leave my job, it has got to the point that I know I cannot do another year. Having made the decision I feel immense relief, but I'm concerned about summer pay.

I can pick up some work in September (supply plus tutoring) but obviously this won't be available over the summer and I also have to look after my own children.

I naively assumed if I handed my notice in soon I could say I'd leave in July, give them lots of time to hire a replacement, win win. I used to be a teacher and whenever I left a job in July I'd get an August pay -my understanding was I'd already earned it.

However - friend has just told me this isn't the case for TAs. I thought this may force me into a situation where I email over the summer saying I wont be back -not ideal for school and would mean no goodbye to kids or colleagues which would feel awful - but friend said even if I do this they don't have to pay me August!

Anyone understand the rules on this? Feels really shitty if TAs don't get paid August because obviously they then save that money (replacement would start September) and I lose it with no way of earning for August. I have slogged my guts out for years at this school to the point I'm completely burnt out!

Can't you just resign but give your last day as 31st August?

Well that's what I was planning to do but apparently not, they can tell me it has to be given as the last day of term?

That's what I would have done as a teacher.

Do you have an HR or Personnel person at school you can speak to about it? Or ask your union for advice if you don't want to let your school know you're thinking of leaving? I think at my school TAs can get paid for August if they finish in July. Like you say, it's better for the school to know earlier so that they can recruit, but it'd be mad if that cost you 6 weeks of pay.

No, smallish primary school so no one I can ask really. Union is a good idea though, I'm a unison member so could give them a call.

I don't want to leave on bad terms with anyone I just really need the summer pay and it feels fair that I get it! Thanks for your advice.

If your contract is the standard 4 weeks notice you could hand in your notice on the very last day of term in July. Check with the union to see what they say, but I know someone who did this and got the 4 weeks notice paid to them without working any of it, as it was in the summer holidays. Alternatively, If you have a good relationship with the head you could discuss this before hand and let them know your intention to leave. You can always give the letter in and state your last working day will be 31st August. I did something similar . I handed my notice in February but I am in year 6 and didn’t want to leave until after SATs. I wanted to give the head enough notice as there are 2 EHCP children with medical needs in the class that need support for the last half term. This was agreed and I leave next Friday. I didn’t have it in me to stay beyond that. I have trained an existing member of staff over the last 2 months to cover the medical needs so it’s worked out well and the head was grateful for the advanced warning.

Thank you for that, I'm glad it worked out for you.

That does make sense. I don't feel right handing my notice on on the last day but I can see why people do to avoid this issue. Thing is even if I did that I'd still only be paid half of August but that's better than nothing!

Is it not just that TAs are paid term time only? That’s the difference.
Does your La run an SEN Summer play scheme or an inclusive one where you are paid more for supporting a child with SEN. Worth a look. They often need staff.

We are paid term time only with 5 of the 13 weeks holidays paid, but it is spread across 12 months in 12 even payments starting in September so theory the August pay is for hours already worked - that was what I thought anyway!

And thanks for that tip, it's a good one, but I have my own send child at home for the summer making summer work more complicated !

I’m a cover supervisor, which is paid at a TA grade and I resigned from a school last year and gave my leaving date as 31/8 so I got my August pay. I gave more than the statutory 4 weeks notice but I didn’t have to. I just wanted the school to have time to find a replacement.

Thank you!
It seems variable, which makes me think it's at the school's discretion. I think I'll call the union and find out if it's something I'm able to push back on.

I'm sure there's no rule that you finish precisely 4 weeks after you hand your notice in - it's a minimum, not a set timeframe.

I do see why resigning on the last day of July and having the summer as 4 weeks 'notice' seems last minute and difficult to recruit, but it can always be as little as 4 weeks and it's not as though they can't advertise within that time - probably just have to wait til Sept to interview. Quite normal for there to be a delay in a replacement starting.

That said, if you aren't moving anywhere specific that starts in Sept, why not resign to finish at the end of the month, so you do work your notice? (School still might not recruit until later in autumn term though)

You are paid differently - as your pay is stretched over the year - so you're actually not paid for the holiday. Even if they put your last day of work as the last day in the summer, they will need one more payment to make it OR they may end up paying you a bigger lump sum at the end. Either way - your salary must be paid.

its holiday pay for hours you have already worked but I have no idea how it’s calculated. It’s hard as you don’t want to leave them in the lurch and unable to recruit but don’t want to leave yourself short.

can you go back and resign and leave end of sept?