There are 262,800 teaching assistants (TAs) in England and Wales, making up more than 27 per cent of the entire school workforce.
From displays to discipline, playground duty to papier-mâché, the teaching assistant is there to save the day.
The TA role can look like a tough gig; pro-rata pay, no desk and only being able to take holidays when the prices are sky high.
Related
How to become a TA
How to move from TA to teacher
However, the fact that the TA role is so family friendly, plus the fun and challenge of working with children, makes it a dream job for many parents.
Vikki Pickering, a TA at St Paul’s Church of England School in Gloucester, took up the role, after working in an office once her son was at the age when he was starting school.
“It began when I realised my son would need a staggered start and I was requesting the time off,” she explains.
“And then I thought, well, soon it will be Christmas holidays and February half term…and I just thought: ‘how on earth will I make it all fit?’”
Work at work, parent at home
Pickering had completed a PGCE before going into a related but not school-based role, but wasn’t tempted to take a classroom teacher position.
“As a teaching assistant, I am able to have flexible hours, and do school pick-up and drop off. That wouldn’t be possible if I were a classroom teacher.
“Plus, when I leave work, I can leave it all behind and be a mum at home. If I bring any work home, it’s things that my kids can help out with; they love helping me mount resources or cut out pictures,” she says.
“I finish at 2:30pm each day, and that means I can get across town and be there to take my son home, and hear all his stories about school and what he’s been doing.”
Family flexibility
Becky Allen, a teaching assistant at Bishop’s Thorpe School in York, left her job in a nursery, where she worked until 6pm each day. She now has a job at the same school her daughter attends, which means she can work a full day and still do the school run.
“The school has been really flexible and allowed my daughter to be with me for the five minutes before and after school so I can still do drop-off and pick-up,” she explains.
“This means working is actually affordable because I have minimal childcare costs.”
Stepping up
Many teaching assistants come to the job later in life with a wealth of experience in other roles behind them.
This means that teachers really value their contributions and they can be offered interesting projects at a whole-school level, without the pressure of more responsibilities.
“I led a whole-school assembly and organised a Roald Dahl day for my school,” Pickering says.
“It was something I really wanted to do, so I didn’t mind the extra work. What was lovely was that I could stretch myself and enjoy organising something like that but it wasn’t expected of me.”
Understanding the system
Working in a school and being a parent is also great for when you have questions about the system.
“It is so helpful when you understand the way they do things; the method used for the long multiplication homework, for example,” says Pickering.
“Working in a school is definitely an advantage; it demystifies so much of the school system that I wouldn’t understand otherwise.
“Being a teaching assistant is ideal when you have a young family,” adds Allen.
“You have all the positives of being in a school and do all the nice parts without the stress.
“Now it’s lighter in the evenings, I can go for a bike ride after school; I’m not sat worrying about paperwork or data or targets. I’m just enjoying time with my family.”
For TAs looking to become classroom teachers, Tes Institute can help you gain a qualification while staying in your current school.
Find out more about their Straight to Teaching course.
