Teaching Assistant Hours

[elainem]

Hi,

 

my ds age 5 currently has statemented support for 15 hours (mornings) we have applied at review for full time (25). We were awarded 20 so have disputed and it is going to panel today.

 

IF we get 25 school have raised with me the issue of lunch hour for TA. It seems that if they get 25 then lunch time might be an issue in terms of paying the TA lunch hour. I am fed up about this because it's not my problem, what can I do about it - so why mention it to me. But in any case seems bizzare 'cos I would've thought either the break was unpaid or if paid should be funded through the statement. Trouble is I don't know enough to be able to discuss it properly.

 

Anyone know what the deal is? Thanks

 

Elaine

[Zemanski]

funding is not your problem, if your son needs lunch times then he should get them

 

Com's statement has 1-1 lunch and break support written in so the school has no choice. If you are challenging the hours anyway you could ask for that to be included

 

Z

[elainem]

sorry, didn't mean that Zemanski - what it is, is that because TA will be there all day school are saying they will have to pay her for her lunch - implying that funds for it won't be in the statement so they will have to bear the cost - does that make sense? But my argument is why tell me, i can't do anything about it - and anyway I thought either break would be unpaid or funded in statement.

 

Elaine

[puffin]

This is not your problem - the contract between the school and the TA is not a problem for you.

[Zemanski]

The school will have money for SEN allocated through whatever system the LEA use, some of it will be associated with statements but most of it is not. The money given to a school for a specific statement does not cover the full cost but extra is expected to come from the general SEN budget, this is how it works for almost all authorities. Schools do not like it much and like to make parents feel guilty to try to keep costs down so they can spend the money how they like (it doesn't all end up on SEN sometimes!)

 

The school has to meet your child's needs, if part of that is that he needs lunch and break cover then they must provide it, it is up to them to challenge the LEA over funding if they have an issue with it, not turn it on you to try to undermine your confidence in requesting something your child needs.

 

Ask for it as an amendment to the statement and the school will have no choice and cannot use guilt tripping to get you to back down.

 

If a child needs something then they should have it

 

Z

[Daisydot]

My son gets 25 hrs p week 1-1 , but was not funded for an assistant at lunchtime. The LEA said my son did not qualify for that level of funding. The LEA refused funding for a dinner lady to support him at lunchtimes - lets face it they don't exactly earn a fortune, I think ours earn ?30-40 per week, if that. As many of my son's problems were happening in the lunchbreak, in terms of other kids bullying him and him getting stressed, they used the TA's 25 hours "flexibly" so she went out in the playground at lunchtimes sometimes. However, of course, this meant she wasnt available for the full time within the classroom, coz she needed a lunchbreak like anyone else.

 

This seems to be a common question - 25 hours is a full time assistant, but what does full time really mean ?

 

Could you take him home for lunch or go in and supervise yourself ? Only an idea.

 

Best of luck

 

Daisydot

[Jill]

I don't think Elainem is saying her lad needs support at lunchtime.

 

I think Elainem's prob is that a 25 hour contract for the TA means that the TA has a right to a paid meal break. The school is saying the LEA don't pay this, they will have to & they don't have the money to do so.

 

 

I agree with Puffin on this one. This is not your problem, if your lad needs 25 hours support then that's what he should get. It's not up to you to worry where the funding comes from. Keep fighting to get it into the statement mate. They've got to do it legally then.

 

Hope you get this sorted.

[Karen A]

I am sure that TAS dont get paid for lunch break unless they are working with a child who has lunch time support stipulated in the statement. If this is not the situation in your case and TA SUPPORT is for class time only then it is up to the school to negotiate with the TA how her hours are organised.Hope that helps.Karen

[lisa]

I agree, this isn't your problem. The TA can go home at lunchtimes or go out to lunch!! When I worked as a temp in a bank, I didn't get paid for lunch. She should only get paid for the hours she works. If it's the law that she's entitled to a paid lunch break (which I'm not sure it is), then that's up to the school to foot the bill!

 

I think our school gets around it by employing TAs as "casual staff" with contracts instead of direct employees, which means they have the same jobs without the perks!

 

Lisa

[phasmid]

A TA funded for 25 hours in a primary school will be covering teaching time only. To get full time support for the whole day would require at least 30hrs per week funding (5x 1hr lunch and 5 days @ 5 hrs a day). This is another area where LEAs can be vague about 'full time support' being offered in a statement. After so many hours the TA is entitled to a lunch break (in my LEA we dont even get paid for break times even if we decide to not go home in that time this includes lunchtimes) which is unpaid and therefore our own time. There are legal constraints around this that must be followed. The best ways round this is two TAs perhaps. ! for the moring session (including covering breaktime) who hands over to another who covers lunchtime and then the afternoon teaching session....or a 1-1 mds.

[desperate]

Hi there. As a teaching assistant I'm wondering where the 15 hours mornings come from. That would make each school morning five hours long. The learning support is generally for teaching hours which is generally five hours per day making a total of twenty five hours per week. To cover lunch breaks this would have to be thirty hours per week. If a student needs to be covered for the lunch break then funded has to be supplied by the lea. Yes the lsa does need to have a mid morning break and a lunch break but this is covered by either someone employed for that purpose or the "named" lsa can take an early lunch when there is someone else available in the classroom. The school does not have to cover the cost if support is of a level to cover the lunch hour, the funding will be for the full 30 hours

[elainem]

thanks everyone for the replies.

 

Matthew presently has TA in the mornings - 5days x 3 hours (9am to 12.00) = 15 hours. He doesn't have support at lunch time. The question was in respect of the TA's own lunch break as school are saying if we get 25 hours TA support (which in fact we have won for one term and then review) the TA will need a lunch break which is not inlcuded in the statement and so they will have to pay for it. I do agree with everyone who has said it's not my problem but you know what it's like, once they mention to you, you start to wonder.

 

I don't even know if the break is paid or unpaid but they must be assuming lunchbreak is paid and therefore as 25 hours is for lessons they will have to fund the break for the TA. I'm going to have to speak to them now anyway having got the 25 hours - might speak to the caseworker first see what she says. Thanks all.

 

Elaine

[smallworld]

Hi,

my son, age 6 has 25 hours 1:1 and a lunchtime support (classed as a dinner lady but that's another story )

He has 2 LSAs which works well cos he's then not too reliant on one person and there is someone to cover sickness etc., and this gets rid of the paid lunchtime issue ( not that this should really matter, but then school can't than burden you with this !! )

Hope it's soon sorted,

 

wac

[phasmid]

No, the school are trying to pull a fast one. They will not have to pay the TA for the lunchtime period unless they are working it. If it is a meal break TAs don't get paid for them (nor do we get paid for mid-morning breaks - at least in my LEA) - so why do they have to fund it???

 

But none of that matters at all really. If you have a statement of 25 hrs support that is what should be provided. The funding of it is not your concern - that is their problem, they have to sort it out, NOT you!!!

[desperate]

Hi there, 25 hours support covers the five teaching hours per day. To get lunch time cover you have to have 30 hours a week support. This is probably why the school are saying that they would have to fund the other five hours. they would need to employ someone to cover those hours If your son needs cover for lunch time you need to get the statement altered to specify 30 hours per week.

[jen]

In our LEA they do not like TA to supervise dinner breaks, they prefer to employ a dinner lady because this is a cheaper option. However, my childs TA supports my child at lunch time and then goes to eat her dinner when my child is eating his dinner.

 

 

Jen