Primary TA

[ClusterFukt]

Primary school TA in EYFS. Previously nursery and now reception class. I’m struggling with the needs of the children, lots of violent behaviours due to SEND and I’m being scratched, bitten, hit, kicked, strangled etc pretty much on a daily basis. It’s wearing me down mentally. We just don’t have the staff and I’m being made to feel this is all normal and it you just have to get on with it. Wondering if I’m just weak and need to toughen up? Trying to keep all of the children safe is driving my anxiety through the roof. I’m met with shrugs and suggestions to just persevere from teachers and SLT but it just feels wrong and like I’m failing the pupils and damaging myself in the process. DH is aghast at some of the bruises I’m coming home with but the children can’t help it. Any advice?

That sounds awful. You aren’t employed to be a punching bag. Are there other TA’s at the school who could help you with idea navigate with the HT and class teacher ?

To be honest, that sounds awful. Sadly there at a growing number of pupils who should be in a specialist provision but there aren’t enough spaces so they end up in mainstream but unable to access the primary curriculum-even with funding (when the LA can be bothered to give schools some).

For the money that TAs are paid, I’d go and find another similarly paid job.

Honestly, unless you love it I'd leave. The money is utterly shit. I work as a SEN TA in a Secondary School and absolutely love it. Would you consider doing that instead? We are massively understaffed, and the amount of children which need help is huge and growing.

I'm a primary teacher. Cuts to education funding have meant SEND provision is dire in most areas. Most schools I know have kids on roll that are totally unsuited to mainstream schooling without extensive support which is not possible due to lack of funding. TAs bear the brunt of managing these kids.

It is not you being weak - hats off to all the wonderful TAs out there who do so much with so little. However, there is great difficulty recruiting TAs these days for a reason. We have lost so many in the past couple of years who have gone off to work for the NHS/probation service/cleaning/supermarkets. It's no longer a parent-friendly job putting up displays and hearing kids read. There's no shame in moving on if the role is not what you anticipated.

You are absolutely not weak and do not need to toughen up. Sounds like your team is really unsupportive. Everyone must be very frustrated. Please leave.

It sounds like and incredibly tough job and you sound very badly supported in it by your school.

Have you had any training in the needs the children have? Like de-escalation and positive intervention.

A lot of schools do actually have an employee assistance programmme thing where you can phone up for advice, short counselling if you are a bit traumatised by it. Might be worth checking if you have access to one.

But mainly there are better paid jobs with less violence out there.

No this is not normal! Find another school who will actually implement strong leadership and make it so your job isn't impossible! You shouldn't be being physically attacked by pupils in the normal course of things like this. The only school I ever worked at that was like this was in special measures.

I do like some parts of the job, the calm times are delightful but it takes very little to trigger some of the high needs children and then it can get intense very quickly I’ve never seen strength like it in children who are just 4 years old.
The teacher wants them to go to sensory room at times like that but trying to move them is impossible and my back is wrecked from lifting them so I can’t do that anymore. So much learning is lost because of trying to manage and contain challenging behaviour.
We have two joined classes do two teachers, myself and another TA and one supply TA who supports the one one child who has 1:1 there are 60 children in total and 13 have some level of additional need with 6 of those who could really do with 1:1.

I work in a SEN provision as a learning supprt worker (TA) and i got my job through an agency and was kept on! If this is happening in the school i would dread going in every day! Maybe register with an agency and once something is lined up hand your notice in! Take whatever they offer and wait for a temp to perm role to come along xx

Unless you have had training you should not be ‘moving’ or lifting any child and not alone , should be 2 adults. Also any incidents bruising , biting ect on you need to be recorded on an accident/ incident form. So many kids need more than what a regular primary can deal with

Gosh, that’s awful. I’ve experienced a fraction of what you have, and I didn’t stand for it.

Report it, in writing, every single time and keep reminding your headteacher that you don’t feel safe. I would also get Union advice.

We need an overhaul of SEN help/education in this country, and I think children like this should be with specialists who can help them, instead of causing injury to employees and other children. And we all feel like we can’t complain about ours and our children’s wellbeing for fear of being called discriminatory.

You don’t deserve this, and you’re a saint to continue as long as you have 💐 please don’t stand for this, the sooner we all stand up and say no, the better.

We’re there for the education of all the children, not just to manage the extreme behaviour of children who can’t be accommodated in places best suited to them.

(I’m a KS2 teacher, but I’ve just done a stint in KS1)

Thanks for all the responses, I knew deep down this wasn’t the norm but they have a way of making you feel you’re being unreasonable. I will start looking for a new job. Will be sad to go but I can’t do it anymore.

It is sadly common. I think this is also the reason why many schools struggle to recruit TAs. The money is shocking and the job is too much for most people. There are many children in our schools who need specialist schools. There should be more asd specific schools. My dd has asd and struggled in mainstream. She eventually became aggressive because she was stressed, unhappy and inappropriately placed. It wasn't the schools fault. When she moved to an asd school she became happy and calm.

I would also second reporting in writing. Most schools have a system such as cpoms or go4schools. You could also do it via email.

If you can, leave.
As others have said, the money is shocking and the work mentally and physically challenging.

Get the hell out love. I did my last day on Thursday as a TA in reception. Absolutely fucking feral. The cohorts get worse year on year but Jesus wept. I have that many scratches on my arm I look like I’ve been self harming. I didn’t even hand my notice in, three days of that hell was enough. Tara 👋.

@Itslosenotloose god that sounds awful!

@Sortmylifeout52

Honestly? It really was, and im a tough cookie. Done the job for years but the strain emotionally and physically now is just too much. I got out quickly before my back went.

Yes I get that.
It's not worth the fight each day.
Good for you.

Is this a specialised send school or a general primary school?

Unless you have had specific training please do not lift the children. You risk hurting yourself, and also the children. And you're putting yourself at risk of a potential complaint. It's not worth the risk I'm afraid.

If their behaviours are such that they need physically removing then you need specialised training, something like Team Teach.

The school should be supporting their staff. What training and support have you had?

Also - after any such incident, report it on their in-school safeguarding system, such as CPOMS. Each and every incident. Be factual and concise. It's really important to have the build up of information- it can help the child in the long run.

@Qilin

Thats why I left. Too much handling, zero support. All the team teach training in the world wouldn’t have helped the level of need in my mainstream class to be honest. I left one child to kick and scream on the floor and refused to pick him up and I was reprimanded by our head for not taking control of the situation. It’s constant firefighting and nowhere near enough staff.

We’ve had manual handling training recently and the advice was that we can lift them but make sure to hold their torso and not under their arms. It’s pointless advice because when they’re kicking and screaming there’s no way to get a grip anyway it’s like trying to hold on to a wet bar of soap. I’ve told the head I’m not lifting them anymore. It’s a mainstream primary academy.