Hate my new job

[needsomeadvice8]

Not sure where I stand or what to do, so would appreciate some advice. I’m work as a teaching assistant, started out in special schools over 12 years ago. Since then, mainstream mainly intervention based done some 1:1 but spent the last two years in a school nursery. As a general TA not SEN. I really liked the where’ve I’ve been for the past 3 years, but I needed more hours, and me and my husband are hoping for a home extension etc I applied for a job advertised as a general TA, at interview I asked where the post would be based, I was told in upper key stage 2 as a sats booster intervention TA, with a small amount of time with a upper key stage child with communication needs but no behaviour etc told me how well behaved the school is how proud they are of this, they briefly mentioned I may do a small stint with a key stage 1 child as their dinner time support and what she was autistic. Nothing more was said on this, I should have asked I know. I was nervous and I then did a teaching part of the interview in upper key stage 2 maths lessons to check I passed the skills and knowledge of the curriculum. Now, on my first day, I was given a time table, by the head. Was told they’ve changed my role, it’s basically 1:1 to child in lower key stage 1. With a small break away from said child for 1 hour per day. I was told told nothing of her needs behaviours etc and after 5 minutes of being introduced to her was left in the classroom, whilst everyone went to assembly. I found out in that 10 minutes that she’s extremely violent and unmanageable. I’ve still turned up to work this week and stuck it out but my goodness it’s been hard. I’ve been attacked everyday, constantly asked to take said child outside on my own when this is happening I have refused this as she needs two adults just for safety reasons. I am right to feel like I’ve been lied to in a way? I would never have accepted the job and left my other school if they’d have told me this at interview, now I’m not sure what to do, I have done special schools before but this was in a different environment and much more supported setting etc safer classroom layout, outside area etc. I want to leave, but really worried how this will look when I reapply for jobs. Any advice would be extremely appreciated

There’s a lot of naïveté on this thread. I don’t mean that in the least bit disrespectfully to any of you. But working 1:1 (without training) with children who lash out is commonplace these days. I’m not saying it’s right, or that school shouldn’t be transparent with you. Of course they should. But it goes on a lot more than you’d think.
In my case, I just got on with it. Things got so much better. But it took time. And I look back now and think ‘why??’ 😆

Yes it does happen, I know that. I’m more annoyed that they knew at interview I was happy at the school I was at, and they completely sold this job to me by explaining to me it was for y5/6 interventions with low ability children to try and being them on-something I’ve done before and loved it at the time. I think they knew if they were honest about this at interview I wouldn’t have accepted.

I would compose an email today detailing how the role is not as described and you are not interested in this 1:1 position and list the issues. Say that you need to discuss it ASAP. There is nothing wrong with going off sick if they do enforce a months notice period. I have agencies contacting me every day, so hopefully you can work whilst looking for a permanent position. They have completely to you knowing full well that they cant find anyone to work with this child. Find your anger. You have left a perfectly good job for this one. I might be tempted to call my union too.

There's really not - many of us, myself included, work in schools and alongside LSAs. I am QTS, do all the cover and when not covering absent colleagues, I TA now. I am more than aware what inclusion has done to mainstream education and how things have changed over three decades.
PRUs are full, CAMHS on its knees, backlog of undiagnosed kids on pathways untenable, behaviour and dysregulation of kids whose needs are not being met disgraceful.
But they were not advertising for a specialist HLTA for SEND and they were unscrupulous in their recruitment. Very unfair to the OP. She was misled and would not have taken the job had she known it was not SATs intervention.

Employment law is your friend. Places cannot give you bad references, they open themselves up to tribunals. Hand in your notice and dont give it a second thought