[senco-forum] TA troubles

It was good to read the feedback on this. I envisage being in a similar 
situation in the not too distant future as we restructure the 
department etc. It is good to have some strategies beforehand.  I'm not 
being pessimistic - I just know my TAs!
Julie

----Original Message----
From: amandavh at btinternet.com
Date: 28-May-2007 09:21
To: <Janrolnick at aol.com>, <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Subj: Re: [senco-forum] TA troubles

Hi Janice
  Some ideas for SEN Team buildiing from someone who has had to do 
this as I have been in the same boat.
  The first thing is to get some support from SMT.  One of the 
deputies is my line manager and I have worked closely with him to make 
the Team a team.
  The first thing we did (his idea and my organisation) is to have one 
whole day SEN Team INSET a year.  We send letters to all the parents 
explaining that pupils were going to be challaged to be in class 
unsupported on that day.  We ask one or two to keep their child at home 
(yes, I know it is possibly not legal or moral but it does the child 
more good in the long run).  We have coffee and do lunch as part of the 
day.  We do training activities all day and these always include some 
sessions run by TAs themselves.  We also told the Team that we want 
them all to be professionals.  We have pushed them all into getting 
Level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications if they haven't got them 
already and I work on making sure they understand about AfL etc.
  We also had some difficulties when we made four of the Team into the 
Core Team.  These people have permenant contracts and they are for 30 
hours a week.  The Team Leader has a permenant contract for 37 hours a 
week and is paid at a higher rate than anyone else which did not cause 
a problem.  The Core Team interviews did.  We worked on this by first, 
making sure that the Core Team were seen to be working their extra 
hours and then by not referring to them as a separate entitiy at all.  
  One of my difficulties is that my excellent TAs get head hunted by 
management to do other jobs such as Exam Officer, Work Related Learning 
co-0rdinator and so on.  I have far too many part time TAs.
  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

Janrolnick at aol.com wrote:
  I am having problems with my TAs. Apparently there is a lot of 
bitching and 
backbiting going on - mainly about position and status. Some of them 
think 
that, because they have been at the school for a long time, their 
status is 
higher than that of other 'newer' TAs. In actual fact some of the more 
recently 
appointed TAs are better, more professional and more capable than the 
old 
guard who were appointed before I became SENCO and who really got the 
job 
because they were mums at a loose end. As we know the TA profession 
has moved on!

The head has a tendency to use TAs fpr cover supervision and opne of 
the 
main problems is that he has been asking some of the newer TAs to do 
this. The 
old guard see it as their preserve, particualrly as extra money is at 
stake.

Has anyone else had a similar problem and if so how did they deal with 
it? I 
feel like calling a meeting and telling them how unprofessional they 
are 
being but I'm not sure this will have any effect. Advice please!

Janice
SENCO

Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall
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