Supply teaching in Wales (NQT) and stressed

[LaylaJones128]

Hi.
I have been a supply teacher for a year in Wales. In Wales, the NQT year can be completed on supply (a day = 2 sessions).
I had an observation booked last year in a school I regularly supplied in but, due to school closures, it was inevitably cancelled.

Come September, I was back to short-term supply and my external mentor was emailing me about sorting out an observation before the summer term. I was hopeful I would get something by then.

I have now been in the same school 2 days a week on supply for about 6 weeks now. However, I know the school are not accepting unnecessary visitors as the student teachers in the school couldn't have their uni mentor come in to observe them.
Therefore, I know my supply external mentor will not be allowed.

I am starting to feel stressed and frustrated about this observation, as if it weren't for covid and its restrictions (which I completely understand) I would have had my observation sorted.
I've been feeling so much anxiety now as my mentor keeps emailing me about finding a school she can come and observe me in but I don't understand how I can do this when most schools are not accepting external visitors unless necessary?

It's putting me off adding supply days to my form as days are going up but I can't get an observation due to restrictions but I have to add the days I do on supply.

I just want this first observation done but it seems impossible with current restrictions. Any advice?

Could a member of the SLT observe you then pass the feedback sheet to your mentor?

Our NQTs are being observed virtually for the most part, although some visits are going ahead in person. I'm not in Wales though, so may well be different. Have you spoken to anyone in management at the school? They may be willing to allow a visitor in these circumstances.

@Teach234 It is a primary school which already has limited staff - I cover many classes which often change last minute due to staff shortages so there would be no one 'extra' around to observe me :/

@thatllberight I will speak to the headteacher this week and maybe I could arrange something once covid eases a bit? I just know the students in the school were not allowed their mentor in. I have also been in another school in which somebody's college course has been extended because the school wouldn't let the observer come in (apparently she has to be observed with the children before she is passed) so feeling pretty stressed

I work in teacher training and we have recently been re-classified as key workers, meaning we are allowed into schools. It is entirely reasonable for schools to ask for certain measures such as the mentor arriving early to do a lateral flow test, not sitting down at any point, even not entering the classroom, watching from the door and then leaving immediately, doing feedback online afterwards. Your mentor should have been given these alternative measures/guidelines from their management or local authority, so you should ask them for this and present them to your school. We have not had a school say no to us when we have explained how we have changed our processes to protect them as much as possible.

Hey didn't want to read and not leave a reply. I teach in Wales so have a little idea if the NQT observations, although I'm so old I didn't have to do an NQT year!
Speak frankly to the head where you are doing the 2 days and if they say no, which it sounds like they might at least you can go back to your mentor and say you have tried. Then ask your Mentor for advice? What do they suggest? As a school we have limited visitors, so it must be happening across all schools. It can't be something they haven't heard about. Can they find you a school? I know it must be super stressful but it will work out! You may just have to wait a while for your 1st observation.

Sorry to hear you are going through this. Might you be allowed to record a lesson for your observer to view?

@Reenskar I don't think so :/ I presume recording and then showing it to my mentor may be a safeguarding issue for the school?

@BigcatLittlecat My external mentor is deputy head of her school so I thought of maybe emailing her asking if I could, perhaps, go to her school for a one-off observation. As a supply, I am used to being thrown in the deep end and meeting a class and just teaching them, but not sure whether to email her and ask yet.