Teachers and ta's. Are you expected to go into work when your own children are sick

[cassgate]

Just that really. I am currently working at my dc's school as a paid ta at lunchtime. I also volunteer a couple of days a week whilst I study for the level 3 diploma in specialist teaching and learning in schools. I am also used as supply ta cover as and when required. My problem is that my ds is currently off sick with a sickness bug. Started early hours of this morning and last episode of sickness was at 8.30 this morning. I am supposed to be working this week to cover sickness but obviously I called in this morning to say ds was ill and neither of us would be in. I am not however sure what I should do about tomorrow. Ds can't go in even if he is well as per the 48 hour rule but I am in two minds as to whether I should try and get child care so I can still go in. Normally, I would only be working lunchtime so I would go in and get someone to take ds for me for an hour but I am supply this week so not sure what is expected really. What happens at your school?. Are you expected to get child care in place to look after your sick child or is it just a given that you will be off until they are better. Any guidance appreciated.

I'm a teacher. But I'm in Australia, not the UK.

Anything routine we would certainly wait until the weekend, but in an absolute emergency, we could certainly say we were going to be late if there was no other option (eg something that was life or property threatening). Sometimes, life just happens. We're not robots, we don't sit in the supply cupboard between 3pm and 8am waiting for our students to come and take us out of the box and play with us. We have lives, families and sometimes shit just happens.

If my child is ill, he is the priority - if I'm not paid for the day I take to look after him, fair enough. If, on the very rare occasions this happens to most teachers, the school is unsupportive, they shouldn't employ parents at all.

I had to take a day off to look after DS then 15m shortly after starting a temporary teaching post. DH took the brunt of it. I was working p/t so had my usual home days, and DH "worked from home" on a couple of others, but there was no other option on the day he had to go out to a site visit. Anyone else my DCs know well enough work F/T. Our nearest relative is his G Grandma 40 miles away, who isn't physically capable of caring for a young child all day. No other family is within 100 miles, and most in another country.

I was deeply relieved that he didn't get chicken pox then. Days before the job started, we saw a friend whose DD was unknowingly in the contagious phase, so I spent the first two weeks holding my breath. Karma got me back by OFSTED being in during my first week.

Correct. I work in an academy - our childcare is our problem. It's all unpaid. But we get paid if we are sick personally.