Yogs:

I think 39 weeks is the norm in most places now, it makes me cross that I don't get paid for training days,

39 weeks does include training days - children are only in school for 38 weeks of the year.  Unless you have to do another 5 days outside of normal school weeks and training days, which I believe some areas do.  However there do seem to be quite a number of people who post on here who actually don't know what their pay is made up of.  I would be surprised if anyone on a permanent contract doesn't get a holiday entitlement paid pro-rata so that the actual wage is around 39 weeks plus 8 bank holidays and a proportion of whatever basic holiday rate is, e.g. 20 days per year, making a total of around 42 - 46 weeks pay split equally over 12 months. 

However, if you are on a temporary contract whcih does only pay for the days you actually work you should be taking this up with a union as it is not appropriate and can be challenged.  Do mget in touch with your HR department and clarify what you wages are actually based on - it is not unknown for them to being paying you incorrectly - I got back three years arrears becasue I realised I wasn't being paid my correct holiday entitlement based on my long service - not a lot of money on an average month but quite a nice little payback with it having gone on so long!

£19,000 FTE is a lot of money for a TA.

This issue is not new. I've worked on and off as a TA for many years (18 ?) and have never been paid for more than term time plus holiday pro rata. Most recently I was on a 26 hour week contract ( we started late on one day a week when there was a long assembly).

It is not a living wage! For me,this was fine until my husband decided to leave and I was faced with supporting myself.

 I feel it's a double bind when working tax credit, once children are no longer at home, doesn't kick in unless you work at least 30 hours. Schools could not run these days without TA's, but we're not valued by the system. I have felt very valued by staff within the school, which goes a long way, but doesn't pay the gas bill. At least some sort of retainer over the school holidays would recognise that realistically we can't just find other work to make up our hours/weeks.

I suspect the main problem is one of supply and demand. Whilst there are plenty of parents happy to earn a low wage but have time off when their children do, no-one will feel the need to pay us better.

I'm lucky and now have some contracted teaching hours, so will not have to leave education when my son does, but still wanted to post and show solidarity!