Teacher absent from class (not ill)

[0MrFibble0]

Hello all, this is my first post so please forgive my ignorance with anything I say. Recently I have realised just how often my daughters teacher has been absent from class. I know it has been continuing for some time but only now has it come to light, my best example is this week.
Monday she was absent in the morning, rehearsing a play with the class in the afternoon.
Tuesday absent for most of the morning, in the afternoon she was COVERING ANOTHER CLASS.
Wednesday absent for the morning.
Thursday (today) absent all day.
Almost worse is that she would come out in the morning to lead the class in, and that would be all they would see of her. It is like it is just to keep up appearances.
Now if she were ill that would be understandable, but she is doing other things in the school. My opinion is that she is the class teacher she should be teaching. I have spoken with her and she agrees and "advises" me to air my views on the matter. I have put a letter into the head and I'm waiting to hear back.
I would like to know what you think about it, and what if anything else there is I can do.
Thank you all for your time.

What is her position in the school? Deputy/ Assistant head? Who has the class when she is out? Does seem like a lot of time out if it is on a regular basis.

So who is teaching her class during her absences?

Sorry I had meant to mention that while my daughters teacher is absent the class is covered by either 2 or 3 TA's or 1 TA and a GPT? (apparently that is a trainee teacher).

The teacher is "just" a teacher ( I don't mean that to be derogatory)

Sounds like she is pissed off at being taken to cover other classes when she should be teaching too. What a ridiculous situation, completely unacceptable for continuity of teaching. Some absences are unavoidable, but these are not.

Hope you get a decent response from the head. I'd keep a record of future absences and if the head doesn't sort things out, I think the governors are the next step.

Does she have a role wider than that of class teacher? I know some of our senior teachers can have sometimes have a lots of days out as can the SENCO. Sometimes the reception teachers are out visiting nurseries and year 6 teachers visiting high schools etc.

Sorry cross posted!

Sounds like they are using the gtp to cover class and use the class teacher for deputy type duties- also sounds like the class teacher isn't happy with the arrangment- I would keep questioning the head about why this is happenening!

One or two of those sessions might have been her regular PPA time and/or release for curriculum or leadership responsibilities.

Unfortunately some schools do tend to use teachers this way when a Gtp or student teacher is in situ. The rationale is that it might be better to have this teacher covering another class, who will know her, than to employ a supply teacher. Budgets are also tight.

I have had to do this as a teacher and didn't like it much, or think it was a good thing for the children...

But the GTP will be teaching 50% of the timetable by now, so it sounds about right.

Sounds like a lack of communication between the school and parents if you didn't realise this was going to happen.

I know she helps with the school council and a few bits, an afternoon or so a week I could live with, but at the moment it's excessive.
Noblegiraffe I started a diary on Monday. Governors were my thought if the head doesn't resolve it. The head and I have had a run in, in the past so I'm not too hopeful

But how else do you expect the GTP to learn how to teach?

The GTP's percentage of teaching responsibility will already be reported to governors.

The only issue here is that you haven't been informed that this would happen gradually over the year.

By the summer, the GTP will be teaching 80% of the time, btw.

It sounds like it's connected to the GTP student. If she is good, then the school may be deploying the teacher in areas that are needed around school. What does your dd think of arrangements? Is she happy? Learning? The reply about talking to the head may just be a standard response.

Thank you all for your replies this far, Feenie, thanks for that bit of info about the GPT teaching 50% we weren't even told there would be a trainee teacher. I only found out when I blew up about the absences. Most parents don't even realise the teacher has not been in class.

GTPs are actually paid as unqualified teachers, and receive a lot of support from mentors in the school, who also observe them teach. They do take a high percentage of lessons - I think rising to 80% next term. Most GTP student are really keen and are full of good new ideas.

You haven't mentioned that your dd's progress is being affected by this arrangement, so I assume she's quite happy with it?

41nottrendy my daughter is really upset about her teacher not being there.

The GTP sounds like the reason for the 'normal' teachers absences. But I do think the parents of that class should have been informed of the situation- if only so you have a name and a face to approach with any issues.
I find it really annoying as a parent when different people are showing my child out every day and I don't even know half of them. One of sup-ply is different but as this is a planned situation I think the communication has been poor.

As other's have said, the GTP student will be teaching the class. That is the way they get their training. A PGCE student would cover the class in a similar way.

It would have been good practice to inform the parents of what is happening and prepare the children though.

Again thank you all for your input, now understanding what a GPT is, and what usually happens with them I know what to expect. Maybe I shouldn't say this but I'm going to enjoy venting at the head over how it's been dealt with.

I dont see how this has been dealt with badly. A student arrives, you introduce them to the children and say 'miss/mr x will be teaching sometimes'. Surely your child came home and said 'we have a new teacher'? The children are often not told they are a student as it encourages the children to take advantage.

Their class teacher has not been absent. They simply have someone else teaching at the moment. A teacher should not be sitting in a GTPs lessons after the first few weeks, its unecessary. Obviously they will be used elsewhere in the school.

Unfortunately your daughter's feelings about the situation are irrelevant unless you feel the GTP is in some way a bad teacher and thats why she is unhappy.

The GTP isnt covering or babysitting the children. They are teaching and being paid to do so.

Perhaps the communication has been poor, quite common sadly. Rather than go all guns blazing, perhaps email asking for clarification. You can then formulate a 'blazing' reply if necessary!

Wellthen, would you not have thought the parents should have been kept informed as to who is teaching their children? As far as we knew it would be her usual teacher all year. I was aware of a new person in the class but as far as I knew they were another TA. I actually thing that my daughters feelings are relevant to her learning at school, I remember that if I was unhappy with a situation it would most definitely have implications on my schoolwork.

41notTrendy, your right I will keep my cool as long as possible.

I think its a PGCE rather than a GPT (not that I would know the difference, if any).
Wellthen does bring up a question for me, what supervision would there be of a PGCE/PGT (if any, and who should it be e.g teacher, TA).
People have said about the % of teaching one would be doing in class by now, but I'm not sure if the levels are right as the PCGE has only been there since after Christmas, not the whole academic year.

If it's a PGCE student then the class teacher should be available and not teaching another class when the student is teaching.

Thank you Nobelgiraffe that's just what I was looking to know.