Job Isn't What I Was Employed To Do

[Guest]

Hi, Just wondered if someone can give me a bt of advice, I was employed as a Ta level 1 about 4 years ago after two years I started doing an Early years practitioners job, invloving caring for a group of 12 children, I have a ccld level 3 qualification, but my contract has never changed I am still being paid as a Ta level 1.I have approched the head and was told that I was employed as a TA level 1 and thats what i would be paid ....Is this right?

. Getting fed up now because I have been told that I shouldn't be doing the job on this contract and pay??

Not sure if I have posted this in the correct place.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Guest

[Shiny]

Hi Misspotter, I am unable to help but didn't want to read and run!!

 

I really feel for you. With your contract did you get a job description? Perhaps you could make reference to what that says.

 

I am sure someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly!!!

[hali]

sorry i cant either - but welcome to the forum

[HappyMaz]

Welcome to the Forum misspotter.

 

I don't know how schools work so I shouldn't really comment, but this sounds a bit nonsensical to me. If you're being paid to do one job but you're doing another then how do they measure your performance? There must be a job description or at least an agreed set of duties that youhave to do each day - and unless they built this job around you personally then I imagine there must be a job description to cover what you do. That job description will presumably have a payscale attached to it so it should be relatively easy to figure out whether it is equivalent to a TA Level 1 or not.

 

Or is this just my private sector brain trying to apply logic where none is called for?

 

I hope someone knowledgeable will come along and give words of advice!

 

Maz

[sienna]

Hi misspotter, welcome to the forum. I think you are experiencing a problem that many of us are also experiencing. I am currently a Level 5 practitioner as I have a Foundation Degree Early Years but I am employed and paid as a Level 3 practitioner. I think in order to be employed as a Level 3 practitioner you would have to apply for a Level 3 job, which does seem unfair I know. Good luck anyway, maybe it's time to move on and apply for another job if you can't get a position where you are at the moment.

 

[Guest]

Hi Misspotter, I used to work in a school nursery and was employed as a Teaching Assistant. I was moved into the nursery and like you ended up in an Early years practitioner job. I had a group of 13 children who I was responsible for. I had to maintain their profiles which involved photographs and observations, hold parent evenings, write reports etc. I was also involved in planning and attended weekly planning meetings in the nursery. I was never paid any more for doing this, although I was paid for attending planning meeting. I have since moved on and am now running a Pre-School (I am Level 3 by the way). My friend is still working in the nursery doing the same job I did and she has no qualifications at all, although she is absolutely brilliant at what she does.

 

Not sure what you can do, to be honest, about your contract and pay. Have you spoken to your head-teacher about how you feel? mrsW.x

[Guest]

Hi Misspotter, I used to work in a school nursery and was employed as a Teaching Assistant. I was moved into the nursery and like you ended up in an Early years practitioner job. I had a group of 13 children who I was responsible for. I had to maintain their profiles which involved photographs and observations, hold parent evenings, write reports etc. I was also involved in planning and attended weekly planning meetings in the nursery. I was never paid any more for doing this, although I was paid for attending planning meeting. I have since moved on and am now running a Pre-School (I am Level 3 by the way). My friend is still working in the nursery doing the same job I did and she has no qualifications at all, although she is absolutely brilliant at what she does.

 

Not sure what you can do, to be honest, about your contract and pay. Have you spoken to your head-teacher about how you feel? mrsW.x

[Guest]

I have approached the Head and basically, I'm still a Ta level 1 in her eyes.

Thanks for replying though, it's nice to listen to what others have to say.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Guest

[Guest]

I also approached my head-teacher about having my pay increased but it fell on deaf ears. I did the job for almost 2 years and then felt that I had to move on. The head-teacher said she didn't want to lose me, but in the end was not sure if that was because I was good at my job or because I was less expensive to employ. There were also girls in the nursery who were Level 3 and had come straight into the nursery as nursery nurses. They were paid quite a bit more than me, but because I had been employed as a TA there was no chance of promotion. My only suggestion would be to look for a nursery nurse position in a school nursery and at least you will be paid for what you actually do. mrsW.x

[Guest]

My advice would be to check your job description for sure!

 

I can see that if you were employed as a level one then to a certain extent that is obviously what you will be paid for but if there are elements in the job that are level 3 then you should be armed with this info before speaking to the head and maybe your union.

 

You say that 2 years in your job changed........... you need to look at job descriptions for level 3 and see if you fit that criteria.

 

I have a staff memeber who is level one paid, but she is doing her level 3 NVQ.

I wouldn't however feel I have to pay her to level 3 when she is qualified unless her job and her responsibilities change.........

But I felt she needed the qualification under her belt. For her own development.

All child care workers MIGHT need level 3 before too long!!

 

Good luck!!

[Guest]

What you are discribing is what it is like in school settings in my experience-I'm afraid thats not a positive thing to say but is as it is. Pay levels are set by the job advertised and appointed for.For 20 years I was on the same grade, 16 of those on the top incriment for the pay scale I was appointed for although the job changed beyond all recognition. There was an LEA re-grading which up'd the basic grade so we all shuffled up and then my school was closed and amalgamated with other. It re-openned as a 'new' school. We all had to apply for our positions (there were duplicates) and it was then the job description was revised and re-graded so after 20 years I got a new grade and level of pay .Unfortunately in schools there is only a career structure for Teachers. The rest of us are expected to keep upto date with current changes and practises, attend courses, taken on addition duties etc with no recognition or renumeration.

I would certainly consider pointing out that things you are asked to do

 

'are not an element of my job description nor reflected in my level of pay'

Edited June 6, 2009 by Guest

[Possum]

Would it be worth approaching the Governors for a regrading?

[Guest]

Would it be worth approaching the Governors for a regrading?

Hello Possum, Thanks for your reply, what would Ihave to do to regrade? Thanks.

[Cait]

In my old school, when I was a governor, the then classroom assistant found she was doing jobs other than from her original contract and appealed to the governors to consider regrading and re-titling her role. We did this for her as she was working well above her job spec. and were able to tap into a pot of funding within the budget and increase her salary. So it IS possible, and as Possum says, worth trying - what have you got to lose!?! Plus it does no harm to make the governors aware that you are working above your job description.

Would you consider leaving your employment if they don't acknowledge you though? You need to consider the implications for your self-esteem if they turn you down

[JacquieL]

I think you need to look closely at your job description and that of a school Level 3. I know that in both authorities where I have worked there are agreed scales now, depending on which level you are on, and people paid at different levels reflecting their responsibilities. I think there is greater protection for school staff, and more realistic pay rates, than those in the PVI sector, for example. I was under the impression that LA's were sorting all this out. No-one on Level 1/2 would be doing a key person role, but they might be asked to put items in learning journeys, print off pictures supporting staff, but they would also work with groups of children, join in with planning meetings, among other things. It might be worth having a look around to see what rates of pay school positions are advertised at in your LA and what the person specifications are. You can usually find this on the LA website in the jobs section. If you are doing a Level 3 job then make your case, talk to your Union, in confidence, for advice. Your local branch will know how your LA functions. As Cait says, good Governors are likely to look again at your contract of employment if it needs revising.

The downside is they may decide they cannot afford you and want to continue to save money. All these changes to the EYFS may have left some schools a bit behind in just how much the TA's are actually doing. On the other hand they may only want a Level 1. You will have to decide whether to work to that job description and do no more, or look for a new position where you can use your qualifications and be rewarded for them. Moving on can be hard when you are settled, but it is amazing how happy you can be when you are somewhere new where you are appreciated and valued.

[Possum]

You'll need to look up job descriptions for level 3 and see if you are doing that level of work. Then if you feel that you are, you should write to the Chair of Governors and ask him/her to consider regrading your salary and changing your job description formally. You should consider that if you left, they would have to advertise the post for someone doing the job that you are effectively doing. It's extremely galling to leave a job because you feel dissatisfied in the way you do, only to find it advertised at a higher salary, or regraded better - which was all you wanted in the first place!

[Guest]

You'll need to look up job descriptions for level 3 and see if you are doing that level of work. Then if you feel that you are, you should write to the Chair of Governors and ask him/her to consider regrading your salary and changing your job description formally. You should consider that if you left, they would have to advertise the post for someone doing the job that you are effectively doing. It's extremely galling to leave a job because you feel dissatisfied in the way you do, only to find it advertised at a higher salary, or regraded better - which was all you wanted in the first place!

Thanks , it has made things appear a lot clearer, will think about what the next step will be

[JacquieL]

I would be careful before going to the Governors before getting your facts together and talking to your HT. Talk to your Union, in confidence as well, as they are used to these situations. Always go up through the line management system as that can avoid bad feeling.

[Cait]

Good point - make sure you find out everything first - and think about how you'll feel if they turn you down

[Guest]

Thanks, I'll look in to everything first!

[Guest]

I am a reception teacher and my TA is paid as a TA. We have to be careful what she does as the head has upset a lot of our TA's they now don't want to do anything over their hours they come in when the children start and go home when the children leave straight away. We would love to have her be more involved but as she is paid on the TA scale she is there in the supporting role to the teacher. When i worked in a london borough the schools seemed to get more money ? and we had NNEB's employed which had different contracts and different pay scale. I'm not how the levels all work now have they taken over from the NNEB scale?

 

it is a touchy subject and heads can be very funny towards people who start asking for more money you have to justify why you do more etc it isn't fair but like everyone has said tread carefully and do your homework. I think for my head she wouldn't want my TA being treated differently to the other TA's even though she does do a different job like working outside with the children working with groups she doesn't do parents eve or reports etc but she is hands on during the day.

[Guest]

I am a reception teacher and my TA is paid as a TA. We have to be careful what she does as the head has upset a lot of our TA's they now don't want to do anything over their hours they come in when the children start and go home when the children leave straight away. We would love to have her be more involved but as she is paid on the TA scale she is there in the supporting role to the teacher. When i worked in a london borough the schools seemed to get more money ? and we had NNEB's employed which had different contracts and different pay scale. I'm not how the levels all work now have they taken over from the NNEB scale?

 

it is a touchy subject and heads can be very funny towards people who start asking for more money you have to justify why you do more etc it isn't fair but like everyone has said tread carefully and do your homework. I think for my head she wouldn't want my TA being treated differently to the other TA's even though she does do a different job like working outside with the children working with groups she doesn't do parents eve or reports etc but she is hands on during the day.

Thanks for all your replies I've come to the conclusion , that I've really only got two options stay where I am and carry on doing the job, even though I know I'm doing way more than I should or find another one job. It 's help to hear others thoughts . Thanks again.