Part/time TAs

[denishhol]

Hi all I am thinking of doing some part time TA work in a school. I was wondering what hours you are doing, specifically the times you arrive to school and the times you leave? How it coincides with childcare (especially if they're younger).
Single parent on UC
TIA

The problem I find is that they want you to stay until 4, and often getting it at 8.30 which then means paying for breakfast club and after school club… you can sometimes negotiate leaving earlier, but it’s rare. I managed one school to let me leave at 3 and I could pick up my kids, but that’s only happened once. If it’s the school your child is at, I think there can be a conversation about the child being in after school club for free.

Hi I was a full time TA but going back part time when my mat leave ends. I will be working 8.30-4 and my DS will be at nursery from 7.30-5. I don’t know what my hours will be when my DS starts school but that’s years away and I’ll probably be in a different job then but I find the hours work well and as the nursery my DS is going to is open before/after my start/finish times I think this works well.

My problem is I get 15 hours funded childcare however this is only offered on a 9am to half 4pm. DWP will be kicking me up the arse soon and I just need to do something. This was suggested to me, I considered teaching before but flunked my degree. I have prior experience in hospitality. It seemed a good fit but possibly impractical.

A few TA times in my school...
8:40-3:15
8:40-3
9-3
9:15-2:45

Hours depends on class and needs of children

Schools are desperate for TAs. You may well be able to easily negotiate the hours you want.
TAs are usually to fill the funded hours in an EHCP. A child doesn’t usually get funding for every hour they are at school so most TAs are part time.

This is very helpful thank you. I was wondering since its been a long time since I set foot in a primary, I remember my own TA, turning up at sort of midday, not necessarily there when you arrived or for the dull day (where we were in the same classroom all day) to class though I suppose standards vary by school.

Our part timers are either 8.45-12, 8.45-1 or 1-3.20.

I’m in Scotland so probably a bit different but none of our PSAs stay past the 3 o clock bell and most leave at 2.30 (generally 8.30-2.30 with only a 15min tea break)

If you work on supply to can set your own hours dependent on need.

Y6 more likely to need staff for trips and late finish.

Ask at interview.

It varies hugely so you are bound to be able to get hours that suit you.

They should get a 20 minute break if working 6 hours.

I’m a full time pupil support assistant in Scotland and my hours are 8:45 to 3:20. Colleagues who are part time work fewer than 5 days, or shorter hours as agreed individually or as advertised by recruitment advert.

You can always do just midday/lunchtime supervision, if the school you apply for do these? - some schools use the TAs for this. But for TA can also be versatile: mornings/afternoons/full time/ part time/ days. You just need to look on your local schools and see what they advertise tbh. Some schools like a qualification but some will take on parents. All depends on the school. Good luck

Do you mean they favour parents of children in the school, or generally? It genuinely shocked me to hear of parents helping out at their childs school. It doesn't sound healthy. At least if it were my parents, I'd be twice as traumatised. Primary school was my break from them. Very...icky, personally.

SEN TA and single parent here. I work 9.30 - 3pm which enables me to do school runs/pick ups. I also do SMSA for lunch hours which are 12-1.30.

At my school if you’re good we’re really flexible with TAs, we’re really struggling to recruit, getting hardly any applications. Lots of our team are part time, obviously we need to cover the kids, so we need certain things covered. We are a big secondary, so have a large team which I imagine allows more flexibility than a small primary would be able to give.

I think she means will take on parents without qualifications, not the parents of the kids, we have TAs with kids in our school but we don’t have them working in the same classes as their children.

When I was a TA I arranged it so I left at 3pm (15 mins before the children) so I could do the school run.

Was this negotiated whereby you explained the 9pm worked for you as a parent? I think my hatred of school and the rather formal decades old education I had just instills in me that if the kids are starting at 8 you showing up at 9 sets a bad example. Maybe more relaxed now? I'm a bit out of touch with schools now, but I'm trilingual, so English/ language in general is my forte, quick learner, warm, always used to love helping my brother out with his homework and he loved how I explained things. It's more the formal/policies sort of things that are alien to me.

Yes, my deputy headteacher at my school asked what hours I could do and I explained as I was a single parent needing to do all school runs, I could only work from 9.30-3pm. Thankfully they understand I am a single parent to 3 children and allow me to be flexible with my hours.

I do understand what you are saying about making a good impression and being at work early as a TA. When I was a TA in primary mainstream, the teacher would email me lesson plans beforehand so I knew what learning would be taking place in the classroom so would always arrive prepared.

I think just ask at interview because as people say schools are crying out for staff especially TA's as it's hard work and a very responsible role and the money is absolutely terrible!

The funding only being available 9-4:15 is a weird one tho I never realised they could stipulate that?? What difference does that make to a provider??

They offer half 7 til 6. Which leaves 4.5 hours another day to make 15. I just couldn't leave my baby there that long. I just couldn't.