School issues

7 replies

Thaigal · 07/11/2006 21:13

There is a teacher at my sons' school who, whilst very nice is constantly ill. My eldest son had her in reception and she was always off school at least once a week until all of a sudden she fell very ill and ended up being off work for the rest of the term. The school was unprepared and short on funds meaning that the children got a number of "stand in" teachers each day for a full term, each day there would be a different teacher and the majority of the class were upset by it and unsettled, parents were complaining and the school was getting stressed saying they were doing everything they could. I sympathised with the teacher involved but I felt this was a poor start to these 4 year old's educations.

Anyway my son is now 7 but my youngest son is 5 and this "ill" teacher is back at work and is my 5 years old class teacher this year. At first things were fine but now its starting up again, she's off school at least once a week, sometimes for a few days and when she is off school the kids get a stand in teacher who does no real work with them, just more or less keeps them busy for the day. One week the kids will bring homework home, the next week they wont...they're supposed to bring a reading book home each night yet when this teacher is ill (lately every other day!) they don't bring one home...my 5 year old is already behind where he should be and I feel angry that this is just making him even further behind. Same with spellings...one week they'll bring them home, the next week they wont...it just all depends on this teachers attendance.

It seems silly to me, she is a nice teacher but surely if she needs so much time off work the school should look at replacing her for the children's sake?

OP posts:

morningpaper · 07/11/2006 21:14

Bit odd

What's wrong with her?

Have you thought about bringing it up with the governors and asking for a policy to be put in place to provide proper cover?

brimfull · 07/11/2006 21:16

I would be worried about this,seems a good reason to speak to the headteacher and voice your concerns.

Whizzz · 07/11/2006 21:16

While I sympathise, I don't think the school could sack someone easily because of their absence record. I assume that the school will know more about the teachers condition & are obviously doing all they can to help manage it.

mysonsmummy · 07/11/2006 21:24

cant totally symphasise with you. ds just started reception and this teacher is absent for 3 or 4 afternoons a week with a different supply teacher covering. we dont get work when shes not there either. but we've never had spelling or sounds home at all. but them she hasnt done a timetable yet so not holding my breath. receptions TA left in july and they only got a temp in. so now the TA is leaving in january sop more change for ds. the school is fantastic but its only as good as its teachers. she is quite unapproachable too so dont feel i can say anything.

HonorMatopoeia · 07/11/2006 21:30

They couldn't sack her but this is unacceptable, the school should look towards getting a 'permanent' supply so at least your son only has to deal with 2 teachers. Supply teachers should also follow plans left by the teacher (presuming she has the plans in place in the first place).

Original poster

Thaigal · 09/11/2006 19:25

Well this week has been ridiculous, she was off school Monday, Tuesday and today which means so far she has only made in into school once this week. This also means that the children's reading books have only been changed once this week when they're supposed to be changed daily.

I know they're only 5 so it's not as if they're in the middle of SATs etc but surely it's still important that they keep up to where they should be? The majority of this class are behind where she should be as it is (including my son) so this is doing them no favours at all.

Would it be out of place for me to raise my concerns? Am I worrying over nothing or do I have a reason to be concerned?

OP posts:

MrsBojangles · 09/11/2006 19:39

I would be voicing my concerns. Especially for kids that young consistency is important, at least imho. I know that dd who started reception this year wouldn't do very well if the teacher would constantly change. The do get different teacher's aids or whatever they're called and that dd likes because she gets to meet 'new people' , however if the main teacher would constantly change she'd probably be devastated!

If your ds's teacher were at dd's school I think 99% of the parents affected would already have said something and requested a permanent stand in as somebody else on here suggested.

Flip