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Original poster

Should schools be using supply staff?

57 replies

Rhine · 09/12/2020 12:38

I work on supply in schools and up until a fortnight ago had been at the same school since the begging of term and was part of a ‘bubble’ there. The head then decided it probably wasn’t wise to have outsiders coming in and the placement ended. Since then I’ve been here there and everywhere, usually day to day.

It just doesn’t sit right with me going from place to place like that at the moment, and whilst some schools are very hot on being ‘Covid safe’ others are shockingly lax. The one I went to on Monday being a case point. Staff not even wearing masks in the corridors, staff in out of each other’s bubbles and no social distancing etc. I doubt they even realise how lax they are, but I did because I’ve seen what’s going on elsewhere.

I also get the impression that I’m one of the ‘last ones standing’ at the agency. Either that or people are opting not to work, and they are becoming even pushier than normal.

What do others think of this as I’m really worried that I’m either going to get ill myself or am asymptomatic and am potentially spreading it anywhere I go.

OP posts:
OpheliasCrayon · 09/12/2020 12:43

Ive wondered this. But then what do schools do if there's no staff?

OpheliasCrayon · 09/12/2020 12:43

(I'm a teacher )

Welcometonowhere · 09/12/2020 12:44

I think schools should be doing everything to stay safe but also everything to stay open, to be honest.

JamesMoriarty · 09/12/2020 12:46

I'm supply in nursery and haven't taken a shift since March. I agree with you, I wasn't happy to be working all over the place.

ChloeDecker · 09/12/2020 12:46

It’s tricky! You don’t say if you are primary or secondary but my secondary is still using supply (I’m just recovering from Covid mown have to ppl after my child as their bubble is closed) so a supply teacher is in my classroom joining my Teams lessons for the class. We would probably be closed if not for wonderful supply teachers like yourself as we have a lot of staff doing the same.
So sorry that it is unsafe for you. I do understand.

ChloeDecker · 09/12/2020 12:48

Not sure what happened there but should say ‘and now I have to supervise my self isolating child’!

Original poster
Rhine · 09/12/2020 12:48

OpheliasCrayon I think supply should probably be a very last resort and they should try and manage as best as they can without it. I know a few local schools have made a decision not to use supply, and the next county has stopped altogether (I think supply there are furloughed).

OP posts:
OverTheRainbow88 · 09/12/2020 12:49

Most secondaries have cover supervisors.

Our school is offering us to do supply on days we usually don’t work. So I’ve been in the last 3 fridays to work on my day off, being paid as supply.

We’re also being used as emergency cover during our PPA time- I’ve lost the same PPA 4 times in a row now.

Original poster
Rhine · 09/12/2020 12:51

Chloe I’m primary. On Friday I was called five minutes after being booked to be told the year group I was going to had been sent home. That was a lucky escape!

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 09/12/2020 12:52

The DfE have set up an emergency fund so that schools can buy in supply teachers rather than close schools due to lack of staffing. They are clear that staffing issues shouldn't close schools.

Char2015 · 09/12/2020 12:53

My daughter had a different supply teacher each day for 7 days whilst her normal teacher was off sick. I wasn't happy about it, but there wasn't much I could do about it apart from not sending her in and this wasn't something I wanted to do for her sake.

ChloeDecker · 09/12/2020 12:54

We only have one cover supervisor in our large secondary and they are permanently covering and existing teachers doing all the cover lessons they can too.
Supply teachers have been a last resort for us as we barely have the budget.
I guess, if a supply teacher, didn’t want to take a job they wouldn’t have to? I could be showing my ignorance here! Sorry.

Welcometonowhere · 09/12/2020 12:57

That’s correct as far as I know chloe

ChloeDecker · 09/12/2020 12:57

@Rhine

Chloe I’m primary. On Friday I was called five minutes after being booked to be told the year group I was going to had been sent home. That was a lucky escape!
Oh blimey, yes! A lucky escape. Obviously with primary I have zilch knowledge of it but definitely more at risk for sure. It’s such a rotten time.
Original poster
Rhine · 09/12/2020 13:00

Also last week I had a headteacher be horrendously rude to me at one school because I’m not a mind reader and didn’t know their procedure for lunchtimes! No one had told me! The cheeky sod should have been grateful they’d got cover at all.

OP posts:
DrMadelineMaxwell · 09/12/2020 13:01

The thing is, primaries in particular rarely have any slack in their staffing budget due to cut after cut in the last ten years.

Whereas we once had qualified teachers doing ppa and TAs or HLTAs able to step up away from their role with intervention groups or 1-2-1 support, it's the TAs who are now already the PPA support. And ppa is a legal requirement so schools can't neglect that to allow cover for sickness unless they knew it was very short term..

Weve had no covid cases in staff and no bubbles closed since sept..but weve still had 1 long term absence for.stress, 2 x staff off for a week or more due to bereavement and several having to isolate waiting for tests. We couldn't cover that without using agency.

That said, when I was off on Monday due to a death in the family, there was not a single person available from our agency to cover.

Original poster
Rhine · 09/12/2020 13:11

It’s really hard isn’t it DrMadeline I don’t mind working, it’s the going from place to place that bothers me. I’d rather be in the same place continuously.

OP posts:
Welcometonowhere · 09/12/2020 13:18

That is the nature of supply though, rhine, surely

movingonup20 · 09/12/2020 13:20

My friend is contracted to a single school for supply, she gets a retainer rate if not required for exclusivity (she does wfh admin work for another sector too so works well)

Plastichearts · 09/12/2020 13:23

My agency said they are the quietest they have ever been and the demand for day-to-day supply is not there at the moment.

Original poster
Rhine · 09/12/2020 13:24

Yes I know it’s the nature of supply, and normally I don’t mind that but at the moment I’m worried that I could potentially be spreading it all over the place.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rhine · 09/12/2020 14:47

@Plastichearts

My agency said they are the quietest they have ever been and the demand for day-to-day supply is not there at the moment.
That’s interesting. I suppose it’s different depending on where you are in the U.K, but the impression I’m getting is that the agencies around here simply can’t meet the demand at the moment. I’ve just heard that a school nearby has decided to close from Friday and have all classes online next week due to a lack of staff.
OP posts:
Plastichearts · 09/12/2020 15:04

What I mean is that they are covering the absences within the school with cover supervisors, not supply teachers.

Original poster
Rhine · 09/12/2020 15:20

That sounds like they’d rather not have outsiders in, which makes sense I suppose.

OP posts:
Suanana · 09/12/2020 18:12

I understand your cornerns but children/teachers are catching covid even if supply teachers are not used;
Yes you go around school to school so it's up to you whether you want to find a new job or take the risk with supply,
But schools need staff to stay open;
My children's school is very small so not often supply is needed but they've still had a few positive cases,
So supply or not, schools will still have it