...to expect ^some^ --any-- information from school about long-term teacher absence?

[CSLewis]

KS1 teacher, has been absent since before the summer half-term.

Since then my daughter's Year 1 class has sat their Phonics test.

Two weeks ago I asked the Deputy Head what the story was regarding her class teacher, and was told a letter was going out to parents.

Still no letter, so today I asked the Head the same thing, and was told again that a letter was going out (apparently today but I'll believe it when I see it), and that she was due to have a conversation with him this afternoon about some medical results, after which she'd know more.

Head was very defensive and clearly annoyed at me for harping on about the total lack of any communication from the school about the absence (now going on 2 months) of this (very nice) teacher.

I told her that I do understand their difficulty if they don't know if/when teachers will be back from sick-leave; I also understand how difficult it can be to recruit decent staff, let alone decent cover/supply... it's BECAUSE I understand the difficulty that I'm worried about the situation of my daughter's class!

AIBU? To want to be kept informed of who is teaching my child? To think that the school could have kept us informed (in general terms, I understand the teacher has a right to privacy) as to the likely situation going forward, a little earlier on? Because it sounds like the Head thinks I am!

This kind of response from school really annoys me.
My DD(7) has has a supply teacher since February, who only works part time then TA or other cover for other days. She's SN has no IEP this year as class teacher - new to the school to this year - didn't get round to it. And its not a supply teachers job to write IEP. Their class teacher has reappeared this week. They were due to have deputy head given their rough year to enable catch up. Just been informed with 2 weeks of term left that next year they will start with a supply teacher as head is now off so deputy needed to cover! So DD starts another year knowing her SN will be ignored and she will fall further behind - (despite significant help at home!).
She has lost her confidence and we have lost our confidence in the school to provide her an education. (We'd move her but no spaces in year group locally!)
Sympathy to those off - not asking why - just asking for consistent education, mindful of identified needs.

I wouldn't be asking about the teachers sickness but I would want to know what was being put in place for the class in terms if continuity etc. Although I would have empathy for the teacher it isn't my problem she's been signed off work. My child still deserves a decent education so yes, I would be asking questions with regards to teaching but not personal questions relating to why the teacher was off.

Calm down! All schools do phonics, usually daily, so in a sense they'll have been "studying for the test" since after the first few weeks in Reception. It would be a poor school that wasn't aware of who needed support in phonics by the end of Y1. Administering the check isn't rocket science and the adult there wouldn't have been able to give any help anyway. As to receiving the results, presumably you'd have had this question to ask regardless of who was teaching. I think most people here are well aware of what the phonics check entails and precisely how useful it is to all concerned. I sense some experienced posters amongst us!

yanbu
a message saying the teacher is absent for some time and the lessons will be covered appropriatelyis all it takes.

As long as the school are providing appropriate cover for.the class YABU.

My ds' maths teacher went off half way through the GCSE year with "the flu". The cover teacher was an art teacher who kept bursting into tears as she couldn't help them. It took the school a further 3 months like this before a substitute maths teacher was found and it really impacted on the classes performance.
I bumped into the teacher at a pantomine and she told me she was off on stress. I felt very annoyed with.the school that they did not keep parents informed and/or apologize at the disruption in their learning.

Shady, that's a pretty identifying set of circumstances. I don't think you should really be sharing it on here.

I expected to read about year 13 A Level or year 11 GCSE students without a subject specialist for most of the year when I opened this thread. Year 1 who will have a different trained and qualified KS1 teacher for a few weeks is not exactly a big drama.

As for the phonics test, I thought it was to see if they need extra help? So if they don't need extra help, great, if they need extra help, they get extra help. Win win situation. No one will care about the result of their phonics test in a couple of years.

There are teenagers who may have life changing exams, and may miss out on their first choice of University because of this kind of thing. That I could understand worrying about. Year 1 it really isn't a big deal.

Btw, parental engagement means engaging with the child, not annoying the teacher and demanding to check up on the headteacher's decisions. If you want to be more involved, feel free to give up your time and become a parent governor, but don't expect special treatment for your child because of it.

Honestly, I think a 6 year old having to "study for a test since Christmas" sums up everything that is very wrong in education. I'd be kicking off about that, never mind what's happening with the teacher.

These responses to the OP take the biscuit.

If it's the school that is saying a letter is going out they are the ones setting the expectation of communication/disclosure. It's normal in that case to want to follow up and to be interested in wanting to know how cover is being managed. Of course it's a difficult situation for the school and how awkward to have parents wanting to know more. DH is in SMT at a secondary school - so I get that it would be. OP yanbu

They've been studying for it since Christmas

Fuck a duck! Studying for it? DS has just done his, he read 20 words off a sheet. That's it. I think some perspective is needed, especially as any additional needs would have been identified way before the bullshit phonics screening.

'Studying for the phonics check'? Ah, yes, that will be 'learning phonics' then.

There is a lot of misconception around the phonics check. The only 'studying' that should be involved is making sure children are familiar with the concept of alien/nonsense words, that they don't 'correct' themselves because they don't recognise the word.

And to those who think it's pointless teaching children to read alien words, don't forget that every word is 'alien' when they first encounter it, and without being able to read unfamiliar words no one would be able to enjoy Roald Dahl books with his snozzcumbers and frobscottle.

I DO NOT PERSONALLY CARE ABOUT THE PHONICS SCREENING!

I've already said that.

I mentioned it as an issue that the school might have wanted to communicate with parents about, in the context of the extended absence of their teacher over the same period.

While I'm here:

I DO NOT WANT TO BE INFORMED OF THE TEACHER'S REASON FOR ABSENCE!

I merely would have liked to be informed of the FACT of his absence, at some point over the last 6-8 weeks, and given a general idea as to how the school planned to teach DD's class.

but but ...CSLewis you really should stop worrying about the phonics

and -

OP, the school plans to cover the absence by getting supply teachers. What else would you expect? You want a letter to tell you that?

The school can't tell you that they have booked Mrs so and so for 7 weeks because they don't know if they have. They can try but supply is fickle and can bog off at any point meaning they will have to get someone else.

You know the teacher is off and you know the class is being covered, have you asked the school who would be administering the phonics test, when you would get results because that's what you said you wanted communication about.

I'd put the specific questions I had in an email to the HT to deal with in her own time rather than trying to catch her as children were arriving or leaving.

Alright Rumpelstiltskin, cool your heels.