Being taken advantage of as a supply teacher

[Supermummy88]

Good evening everyone.

I would just like to know what you all think and would really appreciate your advice. I’m a secondary school teacher and have been teaching for about 10 years. Since last year I have been doing supply work at a local secondary school a few times a week, whenever the school need me. I decided I wanted to have a break from full on teaching and have been enjoying doing some supply work. I haven’t had any issues or anything and the kids just get on with the cover work that has been set.

I had a call from my agency today saying that the SENCO at the school has complained because apparently I said to a SEN student that he’s stupid and dumb and not clever because he’s got special needs. I was absolutely shocked at this accusation as it is totally untrue. I wouldn’t even know who’s got SEN because I don’t know the classes or the kids and no list is given. I actually feel very hurt and upset by this. There was then another complaint that I left the classroom in a complete mess. Last week i went into a classroom and it was in such a bad state when I got in there that I was then blamed for it. However, i explained to the head of department that it was already like that. Then yesterday the same thing happened and the class was a mess as I entered, however, I went straight to the cover manager and told him that I’m about to teach in this classroom but it’s a complete mess and that I thought I would let him know before I get the blame. Today, they’ve complained to my agency and said I left the class in a complete mess. Agency are fully on my side about all this.

I just feel so upset by it all because non of it is true. Is this how it’s like for supply teachers?

It is common for them to be blamed for many things.

However, did you realise that when you go into Take Register on SIMS, right clicking on the title bar give you the option to bring up an indicator for SEND/PPG/Medical Issue/etc? It works for any class. It's also Automatic if your school uses Edulink for registers and Arbour/Bromcom/etc all have similar options.

I’d be finding another school.

Hi,
For a start Neverdropyourmooncup, as a supply teacher you do not get given access to sins/bromcom.

I've done supply for two years now in many schools and it's absurd to think you can learn everyone's special needs during a day.

OP welcome to the world of Supply. it can be both brutal and fantastic.

Find another school and don't worry about it!
They are mad to blame you. Just move on.

But yes, it IS how it is. When they don't know you any accusation can stick. When you are not on the payroll properly you have no rights.
I was banned from a school because one boy made a grotesque allegation, (after I'd sent him out for poor behaviour) and they didn't even ASK me my side of the story. Yet I'd worked there for two weeks and they had given me great feedback every day to my agency.
It's the nature of supply.

Not all schools use SIMS

We don't give supply staff access to SIMs.

Except for the places where you are, rather than having to take a paper register or ask the class to reliably write their real names down and not the names of friends who are truanting on a piece of A4 and run it down to the office. It's certainly reasonable and legal when engaging a more regular supply or cover supervisor to add them onto the MIS and issue a user account in cases such as the OP's, having been there frequently over a year.

But never mind, I was only making a suggestion that might be useful if somebody wasn't previously aware of that functionality. It's also available in Go4Schools (I forgot to mention that one) - I am not personally familiar with iSAMS and IRIS, but they are also very likely to have the flag feature already enabled as default.

I've been supply for about 5 years now. It is so much easier when the staff are supportive of you.
I've worked at schools where they are amazing and so helpful. I've also worked at a schools where they were awful.
Definitely try a different school. I've worked at almost every school in my area and there are a couple I've told the agency to not send me back to and for both it was more about the staff than the students.

@Luckypoppy I usually get Sims or arbour access from schools.

This school only gives supply teachers paper registers with no information about the children!

Stuff does happen sometimes. There is a teacher at one of the schools I go to regularly who is always trying to trip me up. She's a pain in the arse. I've got to the point where I actually quite enjoy it.

I once got yelled at when I brought a class in from playtime and the child at the end of the line whizzed off across the playground to get a forgotten coat and I had no choice but to hold the door open or she would be locked out. Then the rest of the class were in the classroom unsupervised. I asked the yeller what she thought I should have done and I asked her if she would like me to leave. Funnily enough she didn't.

Most schools are lovely so don't let it get you down.