Hugo Pierre, Former Camden Unison schools convenor
Unison members at Richard Cobden Primary School in London are taking four days of strike action to end the undervaluing of their role in the school. Teaching assistants (TAs) are now working strictly to their job descriptions and the senior leadership’s perceptions of the work they do in school.
Hidden away in their offices, the senior leadership team (SLT) continues to deny the essential, creative and important role the TAs play in making sure all children in class can access learning. The school, in a very deprived area of Camden, has children with a wide variety of learning needs. In order to downplay their role, the SLT says that teachers direct the TAs’ work. But even the most experienced teachers rely on either a dedicated class TA, or one that is dedicated to individual children with the most complex needs, to make sure the class runs smoothly.
The TAs are now demanding to see papers and plans before they work with children. They are only supporting children when they’ve been given explicit instructions by teachers.
Previous strike action has had a big impact on the school. SLT and the governing body continue to mislead the council, which did the grade evaluation for the posts, about the true extent of the work they do. Many of the teachers back their TAs, even though the work-to-rule can be difficult for them, and parents and students have been very supportive.
The TAs are organised and sticking together. They know they play a bigger part in the school than management gives them credit for, and they are determined to only stop their action when that’s recognised in a higher pay grade.
