Can a teaching assistant do this?

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mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by mystery »

Can they teach a whole year group ( under 20) in a separate room, 5 whole mornings per week, all year?

It will be a ks2 year group. The ta will teach them maths and English all year, maybe some science. The class teacher will plan the lessons.

The ta is not a qualified teacher.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by yoyo123 »

unfortunately, yes.

The NUT feel the same way as you do
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by mystery »

Is this because the qualified teacher is planning the lesson that it does not breach the regulations which say that teachers in maintained schools ( not academies or independent schools ) have to be qualified?

Can anyone teach if someone else plans the lesson? Or do they have to have some minimum qualification of some sort?

Where are these regulations written down?

What about the teacher who is planning the lessons? How do they do their job well and plan for another 50 per cent fte? Is there anything else they have to do as well as plan?

Who is actually the child's teacher in this situation? Who is accountable and who has the performance targets?
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by Guest55 »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24429466" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/t ... ogress.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mystery - some articles you might wish to read
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by mystery »

Yes, thanks for those. I am really struggling to find the black and white guidance / regulations whatever it is that sets down what a non-qualified person is allowed to do in a maintained primary school ( i.e. a state school which receives its funding from the local authority so not an independent, academy or "free school" but a community school, voluntary controlled or voluntary aided school).
MedievalBabe
Posts: 1191
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:56 pm

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by MedievalBabe »

You might find that this ta has further qualifications, HLTA, and so through those qualifications is allowed to 'teach' to groups/class as long as the work is planned and guided by the class teacher. There are many very good HLTA's who do ppa cover for half a day a week.
But I also know that there are many ta's out there who are qualified teachers who have decided to take a step down, these are popular with schools as they can utilise all parts of their experience and will alter their rates of pay depending upon what they are being asked to do. They can be asked to cover if a teacher is missing due to illness instead of getting a supply teacher in.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by mystery »

Yes- those could be possibilities. Where are the written regulations which say what t a and h l t a can and can't do?
.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by yoyo123 »

Google is your friend or you could go in and see the Head and get them to justify it
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by mystery »

Thanks. This is the best I can get from googling.

http://www.education.gov.uk/staff/b00202143/hlta" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My impression from reading this is that an HLTA can do pretty much anything and that headteachers can now decide for themselves who is HLTA.

Have I got that right?
wonderwoman
Posts: 511
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:07 pm

Re: Can a teaching assistant do this?

Post by wonderwoman »

Yes.

It happens all the time and will only get more common. I would say you are quite unusual in knowing a TA will be teaching, many parents have no idea their child is being taught by an unqualified teacher.
mystery wrote:Can anyone teach if someone else plans the lesson?
I would argue that they can follow the plan, but 'teach', who knows? I hate following other teachers' plans and usually adapt the plan according to the assessment as the lesson proceeds, in fact I do that with my own lessons too.
If a teacher is planning the lessons for the TA then the teacher is responsible for assessment.

I think it is outrageous. Many TAs are great, so they should qualify and earn the correct salary for teachers. I know many TAs who are planning, marking, assessing, doing parents' evenings etc and are essentially a teacher at a bargain price.

IMO ALL primary teachers should be qualified as they are setting the foundations. Of course independent schools have always been able to employ anyone and now academies can too. Something to thank Gove for.
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