Teaching Assistant?

prettypennies

Hello there. I have been a TA for 6 years. I do 25.5 hours a week (to fit in with my childrens school hours) I earn roughly £9400 a year gross and take home around £680 every 4 weeks (this includes getting paid at a higher rate 2 hours a week for covering PPA times).

I did the NCFE teaching assistant course before starting my job and this included a school placement. http://www.ncfe.org.uk/default.aspx?id=18341
I secured a job on the first interview I went to, mainly I believe due to the fact I had some training behind me. I didn't have to pay for the course as I had been out of work for a few years after having my children. There was also creche facilities, though I didn't use them as my children had started school full time.

Most TAs at my school do 30 hours a week. Some also do breakfast club and lunchtime supervisor duties and after shool cleaning to top up their pay.
Our school has a children's centre attached which is open all year round, so the staff working in there get paid all year round.

Other options for earning more as a TA would be to become a higher level teaching assistant, learning mentor or cover supervisor (though experience/training would be neccessary.

Male TAs are sought after particularly at Primary school level as they are few and far between. TBH none of the ones at our school in the past have stuck it out for more than a couple of months.

alenax

Fliss_M wrote: »

unfortunatly JCP dont like volenteer work. They view it as not being available for work and stop your claim, doesnt matter that you'd quit that if it meant a job. (unless someone can tell me different :-D) Oh, that and he's looking after DD during the day seen as he's at home.

I can... I'm doing work experience and they're fine with paying me.

slummymummyof3

Has your OH approached any local secondary schools? They may well have TA/Learning mentor roles coming up for September? He could also volunteer between now and the end of the Summer term (CRB permitting)

TheEffect

I'm a TA/Learning Support Assistant (along with everything else that comes with the job) in London. I started on a gap year when I was 18 and now 19, I've got a permanent contract (and doing Open University). Now is a good time to start sending emails/contacting the SENCO at your local schools, for example one of our TA's is leaving to do pastoral work and therefore we're hopefully going to be hiring a new TA (depending on the intake of children with statements in September).

I would recommend that you OH gets some experience, as this will be vital when being interviewed (even though experience isn't required). There are often clubs or events that your OH can help out with, for example we have an 'After school club for ASD/Autistic children' which allows all children from the Borough to come and meet other kids and they are always looking for volunteers. I also ran a 'chess club' at my school and I had a parent volunteer to teach the kids chess (as I'm useless at that).

Good luck with his search.

CHARDONNAY_3

Where I live, you would have next to no chance of getting a TA job without experience (paid or voluntary) Many jobs are also asking for childcare or TA qualifications too. Altho wages are low, competition is high due to hours being ideal if the TA has school age children.

If money is the main motive, look elsewhere, however if this is what he wants to pursue, he will need to get some voluntary experience (it isn't true that JC stop your benefits if you volunteer, in fact, they are generally supportive of it, providing it doesn't take up too much of your time & you are prepared to give it up if paid work comes along.)

Fliss_M

CHARDONNAY wrote: »

Where I live, you would have next to no chance of getting a TA job without experience (paid or voluntary) Many jobs are also asking for childcare or TA qualifications too. Altho wages are low, competition is high due to hours being ideal if the TA has school age children.

If money is the main motive, look elsewhere, however if this is what he wants to pursue, he will need to get some voluntary experience (it isn't true that JC stop your benefits if you volunteer, in fact, they are generally supportive of it, providing it doesn't take up too much of your time & you are prepared to give it up if paid work comes along.)

Thanks all. I will get him to ask as it would look good anyway.

Reguards money, I job is the main motive its been so long but if we didnt have debts to service or childcare costs to cover it wouldnt be. But really he needs to be getting close to 1k after tax to cover debts, childcare and a mortgage linked to the BOE base rate

Well if competition is that stiff I doubt he'll get an interview, just wait and see I guess. He does have some experiance from looking after my friends kids when we meet up (6,4,4,2[with austism] & our DD 2) But nothing compared to regular volenteer work I know

Cheers again guys

owlet

Fliss_M wrote: »

Thanks all. I will get him to ask as it would look good anyway.

Reguards money, I job is the main motive its been so long but if we didnt have debts to service or childcare costs to cover it wouldnt be. But really he needs to be getting close to 1k after tax to cover debts, childcare and a mortgage linked to the BOE base rate

Well if competition is that stiff I doubt he'll get an interview, just wait and see I guess. He does have some experiance from looking after my friends kids when we meet up (6,4,4,2[with austism] & our DD 2) But nothing compared to regular volenteer work I know

Cheers again guys

To be honest, the chances of taking home 1k are about zero. I don't want to dishearten you but I take home about £840 and I am on a couple of grades higher than TAs normally get because I work with children with learning and behavioural problems (entirely - not in a main stream school). I have also been at the school for ten years so have earned all the increments within the grade as well.

If he got the job at the school, he could always join a care agency to top up his income in the evenings, weekends and holidays. I know a few who do that sucessfully. It is surprising how quickly a couple of evening shifts and a Sat/Sun shift a week adds up.

Would the job centre look favourably if he were to say it was work experience rather than voluntary work?