Seience teacher here. I would not be allowed by my HOD to leave an experiment for a cover lesson. Health and Safety and all that. Many LEAs don't allow it. I try to leave work that will keep pupils relatively interested, but it can't be onion skins and microscopes I'm afraid. There would certainly be an issue if something went wrong and there was not a qualified science teacher on hand. Technicians are great at my school and often help out but I would not expect them to take full responsibility for taking a lesson - they've got enough to do!

Going right back to my OP, if anyone is remotely interested!

I mentioned it to the old head of science on Monday morning, as we were chatting about cover in science. He said, 'well Mo, it's simply a case of making time to cover her, isn't it. Maybe June or July, when Yr 11 have left, might be considered!'

I haven't had time to cover her this week and I think it'll just be forgotten about now. She's fine with me, I've had other dealing with her and she's fine. Didn't mention it!

And again, if you're interested, I have covered 109 lessons just for staff sickness this week. Tomorrow, I know I have at least another 8!

They usually assist the teachers so yes, I guess so. I suppose the problem is, if a teacher is off sick and a practical is planned, it may be something that only a qualified teacher can do. So that would mean a quick alternative being considered.

It's so difficult to judge though. You just don't know how a day is going to pan out, until I take the calls at 7.30! It would be impossible to have a cover lesson ready to go at the drop of a hat. I rack my brains daily, as to the easiest and most convenience way, we could make this work.

ICT is another problem area. Because the majority of the work is course work from Yr9 upwards, how do you police what the students are doing? Work is set, but if you don't know exactly where they are at, you don't know if Jonny is supposed to be sending e-mails or Jane is supposed to be surfing the net for pictures of pop stars! (Both, are in fact, part of a Module for GSCE, btw!!)

Are your technicials willing to have pupil contact? They can really smooth the way to have a good cover lesson with some practical work.

My technician is always keen to assist with practicals and I would have no qualms at her doing a demonstration on her own. I think between her and a non-science teacher, they would be able to run a class practical.

I suppose with any teacher who is planning an absence, preparing the cover work is just as hard as teaching a proper lesson. It is even harder if you want to involve other people, such as technicians, to deliver your lesson. I think you would only do it if you were going to be out for several days and don't want the same class to be covered for back-to-back lessons.

I'm pushing to get my Science Cover Teacher to be able to do some simple experiments at the moment. Flippin Health & Safety is ridiculous. I'm not expecting her to be able to use bunsen burners and acids, but surely microscopes and onion skins or the like, are acceptable.

Well done for the part you are playing!

When I was doing my two year of supply, the second year I worked exclusively in one school. I was there four days a week, mostly, except during a phase where they recruited more CS. I got my hours back when most of them didn't work out.

It is good to know the students and have some continuity. I tended to work with the Science dept whenever they had need, and if we knew about the absence in advance, I would do practical lessons too (anything to avoid the dreaded copying from the book). The main issue is that teachers would generally leave cover work not knowing that I would be doing the cover so they left the boring stuff, which I would then have to make a lesson out of with two minutes' notice.

It was good for me as I think I am a better teacher for the experience, and hopefully I enhanced, a tiny bit, the education of those children.

We have our own bank of emergency cover work. Especially Science! All the rooms have interactive boards and internet access. The MOD website, is fab for KS3 stuff!

Wow Maureen, sounds like you have a tough job but certainly the right attitude to it and your school is going in the right direction. I work, luckily, in a school (1200) which is relatively settled with a low staff turnover (only one actually left at end of last year and he was retiring and only 2 year before that) it must be doubly hrd in a school which is breaking its back to get back on track.

Nope! We have zero budget this year! We're a big school, with 1800 students. We should have/need 10 cover supervisors. At the moment we have 8 and I had to fight hard to make it 8. I have been promised that in April, I can have 2 more.

We are in transition at the moment. 18 months ago, we were in Special Measures, and CS's were introduced to help improve things. Teachers were leaving all the time and I used to get in 4 or 5 agency staff everyday! It is definately working though. The students get used to seeing the same 'supply' teachers around and we do get a certain amount of respect from them, because we can get to know each other.

I am an incredibly positive worker and I can see that if we can all pitch in and ride out the hard times together, we will reap the rewards in about 3 years time, when we are part of an Outstanding team. We have already moved to Satisfactory, with elements of Good. Aparently, we are one of the only schools in the UK, who were actually in Special Measures for less than a year. 10 months I think it was.

Oh yes, students should always be encouraged to undertake pastoral responsibilities, particularly mine (that extra time at the beginning of the day makes time for coffee for more preparation time for me )