Teaching Assistant rate in Berkshire/wider area

Teaching Assistant rate in Berkshire/wider area

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Discussion

Welshbeef

Original Poster:

49,633 posts

205 months

Wednesday 6th July 2022
quotequote all
Hope someone can help here.

Interested (for a friend) as to what the expected rates are for this job.
I hear there are no holidays/no paid leave rather you get paid for 39 weeks and zero pay for holidays?

What pension scheme are they put onto?
Are they annual contracts or normal permanent contracts

mfmman

2,717 posts

190 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Not teaching but in a school environment my wife used to get paid/holidays like this

Worked 39 weeks, holiday payment was pro-rata (52 weeks means 28 days paid holiday, so 39 weeks = 21 days)

39 weeks = 195 days + 21 days = 216. These 216 days were then paid over 12 months, so the same amount was paid each month. When the school was closed no attendance was required so no holidays were 'taken' as such they just fell into the closed periods. If time off was needed in term time (it was frowned on really but we had school aged kids so wasn't an issue) it was possible as unpaid leave.

Pensions were the same as any other job in the company i.e. Workplace Pension Scheme (in our case didn't do enough hours per week to qualify for the pension scheme as it was actually a part time job share so only worked 12 hours per week)

Contract of employment was basically the same as any other subject to the provisos of how holidays/job share were dealt with etc



Edited by mfmman on Thursday 7th July 05:31

Welshbeef

Original Poster:

49,633 posts

205 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
So it isn’t an invitation to the teacher pension scheme.

joshcowin

6,960 posts

183 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Don't know the ins and outs but it's pretty low paid and you are expected to do a lot for the mean salary!

A good mate of mine did it for years until they found out you could earn substantially more in an admin position. They now work at a small mechanics on the front desk for nearly double money, but obviously no 6 weeks holiday, but they don't have to pay inflated school holiday prices!

From what I know I would stay clear of state schools and look at private care companies specialising in young people and their development, same rewards better pay more flexible working.

Welshbeef

Original Poster:

49,633 posts

205 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
I’m assuming it’s above minimum wage which given Full time would be >£19,700. Which is the £9.50/hr.

We have 3 kids primary school age so for now and decades to come holidays will always be during school holidays.

SIMON67

315 posts

265 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Spent 7 years as a TA in state primary schools. When I left, 5 yes ago, hourly rate was less than £9. We were only paid for term time but salary was spread evenly across the year. School holidays were in effect compulsory unpaid leave. Pension was standard local authority so quite good, but with so little going in, not worth much.

Job was fantastic but money absolute pants. Wouldn't have missed the experience for the world but couldn't maintain from a financial view

Welshbeef

Original Poster:

49,633 posts

205 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
SIMON67 said:
Spent 7 years as a TA in state primary schools. When I left, 5 yes ago, hourly rate was less than £9. We were only paid for term time but salary was spread evenly across the year. School holidays were in effect compulsory unpaid leave. Pension was standard local authority so quite good, but with so little going in, not worth much.

Job was fantastic but money absolute pants. Wouldn't have missed the experience for the world but couldn't maintain from a financial view
So 5 years ago min wage £7.20/hr and you say £9 so strictly keeping that per hour value difference (not even % difference) it should be £11.30/hr. Which if Full time would be £23.5k pa.

When you say you were not paid for school holidays does that mean you could formally have a second job if you so wished?

joshcowin

6,960 posts

183 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
So 5 years ago min wage £7.20/hr and you say £9 so strictly keeping that per hour value difference (not even % difference) it should be £11.30/hr. Which if Full time would be £23.5k pa.

When you say you were not paid for school holidays does that mean you could formally have a second job if you so wished?
From google

Salary. Starting salaries for full-time, permanent TAs (level 1) are typically around £18,300. With increased responsibility (level 2), you can expect to earn £18,880 to £19,000. Experienced TAs (level 3) and those with additional specialisms or SEN responsibilities can earn £19,260 to £25,000

liner33

10,780 posts

209 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Funnily enough a local school posted an ad this morning on Facebook , £9.50 - £9.78 was listed (West Berkshire)

SIMON67

315 posts

265 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
So 5 years ago min wage £7.20/hr and you say £9 so strictly keeping that per hour value difference (not even % difference) it should be £11.30/hr. Which if Full time would be £23.5k pa.

When you say you were not paid for school holidays does that mean you could formally have a second job if you so wished?
I'd be surprised if any TAs are on as much as £11.30 - possibly Higher level TAs. Yes, second job no problem. I had a private tutoring business and was allowed to tutor children in the classes that I worked in.

Welshbeef

Original Poster:

49,633 posts

205 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
liner33 said:
Funnily enough a local school posted an ad this morning on Facebook , £9.50 - £9.78 was listed (West Berkshire)
Minimum wage / toilet cleaner salary?

liner33

10,780 posts

209 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
liner33 said:
Funnily enough a local school posted an ad this morning on Facebook , £9.50 - £9.78 was listed (West Berkshire)
Minimum wage / toilet cleaner salary?
Yup highly valued the education of our children

SIMON67

315 posts

265 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
Minimum wage / toilet cleaner salary?
Absolutely - unfortunately salary based on when TAs were cleaning paint brushes and singing songs. The job is now much closer aligned to that of teaching staff. Working with children with complex needs, lesson planning, assessments, taking entire lessons when teachers absent or on planning time etc etc etc. It's a very different job to 20 years ago but the salary hasn't changed to reflect this.

liner33

10,780 posts

209 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
SIMON67 said:
lesson planning, assessments, taking entire lessons when teachers absent or on planning time etc etc etc. It's a very different job to 20 years ago but the salary hasn't changed to reflect this.
That is not the role of a TA , maybe a HLTA but not a conventional teaching assistant

SIMON67

315 posts

265 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
liner33 said:
That is not the role of a TA , maybe a HLTA but not a conventional teaching assistant
It certainly was when I was working as a TA. All schools are different and the rules are definitely stretched.

boyse7en

7,124 posts

172 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
liner33 said:
SIMON67 said:
lesson planning, assessments, taking entire lessons when teachers absent or on planning time etc etc etc. It's a very different job to 20 years ago but the salary hasn't changed to reflect this.
That is not the role of a TA , maybe a HLTA but not a conventional teaching assistant
My friend is a TA (not a HLTA) and those roles are definitely part of her remit. She has to plan learning modules, assess reading and writing skills etc.
She works at a small school (only three classes) and takes subsets of the children from all three to do certain "lessons" each week - so she might have 10 kids doing a bit of extra reading practise, or have one or two kids who are struggling with something, or have 20 kids outside doing forest school or whatever is needed.

SIMON67

315 posts

265 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
boyse7en said:
My friend is a TA (not a HLTA) and those roles are definitely part of her remit. She has to plan learning modules, assess reading and writing skills etc.
She works at a small school (only three classes) and takes subsets of the children from all three to do certain "lessons" each week - so she might have 10 kids doing a bit of extra reading practise, or have one or two kids who are struggling with something, or have 20 kids outside doing forest school or whatever is needed.
Sounds exactly like my experience. I tried to challenge the TA grading structure but was blocked because the HT would not accept that we did any 'teaching' . This was the key word - if we weren't teaching, what the heck were we doing most of the day!

SpamDisco

333 posts

131 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
SIMON67 said:
Welshbeef said:
Minimum wage / toilet cleaner salary?
Absolutely - unfortunately salary based on when TAs were cleaning paint brushes and singing songs. The job is now much closer aligned to that of teaching staff. Working with children with complex needs, lesson planning, assessments, taking entire lessons when teachers absent or on planning time etc etc etc. It's a very different job to 20 years ago but the salary hasn't changed to reflect this.
My wife is a TA , (was Nursery Nurse), the pay somehow as managed stay the over the last 25 years, she gets an extra £1 an hour when no teacher is present in the class, she is bringing profiles home to update at night, expected to go in odd days over holidays to set up classrooms. Only being able to go away on school holidays is expensive.

On the other hand she loves the job, even if she wasn't being paid she would still go in, it was great while our kids were growing up as school holidays were never an issue, but he pay is nothing more than pocket money, not a 'living wage'


SpamDisco

333 posts

131 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
joshcowin said:
Welshbeef said:
So 5 years ago min wage £7.20/hr and you say £9 so strictly keeping that per hour value difference (not even % difference) it should be £11.30/hr. Which if Full time would be £23.5k pa.

When you say you were not paid for school holidays does that mean you could formally have a second job if you so wished?
From google

Salary. Starting salaries for full-time, permanent TAs (level 1) are typically around £18,300. With increased responsibility (level 2), you can expect to earn £18,880 to £19,000. Experienced TAs (level 3) and those with additional specialisms or SEN responsibilities can earn £19,260 to £25,000
The real pay will only be around £12-13k once you factor in the unpaid holidays and 30 hour week (0830-1530hrs), SEN is quite hard, not many can or want to do it long term.

liner33

10,780 posts

209 months

Thursday 7th July 2022
quotequote all
boyse7en said:
My friend is a TA (not a HLTA) and those roles are definitely part of her remit. She has to plan learning modules, assess reading and writing skills etc.
She works at a small school (only three classes) and takes subsets of the children from all three to do certain "lessons" each week - so she might have 10 kids doing a bit of extra reading practise, or have one or two kids who are struggling with something, or have 20 kids outside doing forest school or whatever is needed.
She may well do these tasks but they are typical, its very much a support role to the class teacher

There is an important difference to "Lesson Planning" and a lesson module, accessing reading and writing yes but taking an entire class when a teacher is absent is NOT a support role

I don't believe that "taking a classroom of children if the teacher is absent" would be in any JD for a TA