Teaching Assistant

bobbiely

Hi, just looking for some advice about finding and getting a teaching assistant job. I just spent the last year teaching English in Asia (in a high school 16-17 years old) and have returned to get experience in an UK school before making decisions on whether to train further in education.

Preferably I'm looking for primary school positions but believe my TEFL experience makes me a better candidate for secondary schools as I'm used to dealing with that age range. I've applied and applied for jobs, mostly via agencies, but am getting nowhere. Currently in Yorkshire but plan to relocate to London where, I'm led to believe by the number of T.A jobs I see, there are more jobs and where all my friends are located - currently have no social life living in Mum and Dad's place due to no friends nearby and no cash.

Just got a temp 16 hour job in order to pay my board and save up to relocate. Sorry this post is long but basically what/where else can I apply? What am I doing wrong? I have a good degree in English, experience teaching and am enthusiastic and commited, I want to expand my experience in the field and ensure this is the career I want to do!

Gleeful

I'm not sure you could afford to live in London on a TA wage? The pay, once you take off holidays, is pretty grim!

slummymummyof3

TA jobs are currently having hours cut as schools battle with their budgets. Many TA's get their jobs by volunteering as parent helpers and so a school 'gets to know them' so to speak. Ideally you should look at volunteering in a school to get some experience in the age group you wish to work in - you can then ask them to provide a reference for you (in the right context age group wise)

Have you thought about ESOL teaching in a college of FE? You can do your teacher training on the job!

Oldernotwiser

Gleeful wrote: »

I'm not sure you could afford to live in London on a TA wage? The pay, once you take off holidays, is pretty grim!

The OP would be able to claim WTC (if doing enough hours) or help with her rent/council tax if on a low wage.

bobbiely

Gleeful wrote: »

I'm not sure you could afford to live in London on a TA wage? The pay, once you take off holidays, is pretty grim!

Yeah, I thought it will be very difficult financially but in terms of having a job I enjoy and friends it would be priceless!

cindy101

bobbiely wrote: »

Hi, just looking for some advice about finding and getting a teaching assistant job. I just spent the last year teaching English in Asia (in a high school 16-17 years old) and have returned to get experience in an UK school before making decisions on whether to train further in education.

Preferably I'm looking for primary school positions but believe my TEFL experience makes me a better candidate for secondary schools as I'm used to dealing with that age range. I've applied and applied for jobs, mostly via agencies, but am getting nowhere. Currently in Yorkshire but plan to relocate to London where, I'm led to believe by the number of T.A jobs I see, there are more jobs and where all my friends are located - currently have no social life living in Mum and Dad's place due to no friends nearby and no cash.

Just got a temp 16 hour job in order to pay my board and save up to relocate. Sorry this post is long but basically what/where else can I apply? What am I doing wrong? I have a good degree in English, experience teaching and am enthusiastic and commited, I want to expand my experience in the field and ensure this is the career I want to do!

well Good luck finding something in London i have been in training this year to get a job as a TA,, as i have an Autistic son i need a job withing school hours so TA would suit me and i have experience with Autistic children,
the trouble i find is the work here in London schools is mostly on a voluntary basis ,
you get a placement as part of your course and their are so many people now going for TA positions even getting a voluntary position is now hard,
(im in London) and one of the girls who was on my course at start of year already had a placement in a school and was hoping that since shes being doing it for a year now for no pay , was hoping the school would take her on full time this year, alas this has not been the outcome shes now now been their 1year 5 months and her school are now laying off paid TA's and have no intention of taking on anyone now,
i myself have now given up on getting a TA position that i been training for and have gone for nights shelve stacking in a supermarket , again another placement in hope of getting the job,

as another person said already it is very expensive to live in London rent alone will set you back most of your wages,.
and a job very local to where you will be living would be ideal as iv had jobs in the past where the working wage just covered my rent council tax and bus and train fair,
then had to do nights in a pub to feed my family,
good luck in whatever you do,

bobbiely

slummymummyof3 wrote: »

TA jobs are currently having hours cut as schools battle with their budgets. Many TA's get their jobs by volunteering as parent helpers and so a school 'gets to know them' so to speak. Ideally you should look at volunteering in a school to get some experience in the age group you wish to work in - you can then ask them to provide a reference for you (in the right context age group wise)

Have you thought about ESOL teaching in a college of FE? You can do your teacher training on the job!

I'm looking into a CELTA course which would qualify me as a TEFL/ESOL teacher however that wouldn't start til after the new year anyway and is a thousand pounds Luckily I could travel on the train to get to the nearest centre although I'd have to give up my job to attend the intensive 9-5 course.

I'm seriously considering volunteering and want to, I would have done it already at my local primary however I thought that by the time my enhanced CRB check came through I'd be able to move and/or might have a job by then ... guess not!

Oldernotwiser

bobbiely wrote: »

I'm looking into a CELTA course which would qualify me as a TEFL/ESOL teacher however that wouldn't start til after the new year anyway and is a thousand pounds Luckily I could travel on the train to get to the nearest centre although I'd have to give up my job to attend the intensive 9-5 course.

I'm seriously considering volunteering and want to, I would have done it already at my local primary however I thought that by the time my enhanced CRB check came through I'd be able to move and/or might have a job by then ... guess not!

I wouldn't invest this amount of time and money in a TEFL course to teach in FE. Pay in this sector is appalling compared with school teaching and chances of promotion are very poor.

gill_hc

I know in our school if you are volunteering you can start as soon as they have checked the blacklist - I think its called list 99 which just takes them a phone call ?
I started the day after saying I could help. You just can't be left alone with any children which means you'll be inside the classroom with the teacher/TA rather than for example reading with individual children in the library as you can do when the enhanced CRB comes through.

Person_one

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

The OP would be able to claim WTC (if doing enough hours) or help with her rent/council tax if on a low wage.

That's what I thought when I took a HCA job. The threshold if you're a single person with no kids is surprisingly low.

slummymummyof3

bobbiely wrote: »

I'm looking into a CELTA course which would qualify me as a TEFL/ESOL teacher however that wouldn't start til after the new year anyway and is a thousand pounds Luckily I could travel on the train to get to the nearest centre although I'd have to give up my job to attend the intensive 9-5 course.

I'm seriously considering volunteering and want to, I would have done it already at my local primary however I thought that by the time my enhanced CRB check came through I'd be able to move and/or might have a job by then ... guess not!

If you are considering ESOL teaching then try and get into a college of FE and they will fund your PTLS, DTLS etc whilst 'on the job' - that way you avoid paying £1k and you are getting a salary whilst you train. However, these qualifications will only be aceptable in the life long learning sector rather than a school - depends on your long term career aspirations????? What you do need to consider are the long term implications - school teaching is far better paid than working in FE!