We have a supply teacher again

[oodyboodyboocs]

My DD seems very unsettled with school When she started in reception she had 2 job-share teachers, unfortunately part way through the year one of them went of sick and didn't return which led to a constant string of supply teachers for the rest of the year. In September she moved up to year 1 with a teacher who had been at the school for a long time so we thought things were improving, until just before half term when they had another supply teacher arrive and 3 days later we had a letter home saying the teacher wasn't returning. They then had supply teachers until the end of term.

In January a new teacher started who would also be taking on the role of deputy head so although they have now got a class teacher she is in and out of the classroom and they seem to have a lot of other adults covering when she is being deputy head. Last half term they had a student teaching them most of the time and she finished before the break.

This half term we get back and there is another supply teacher (the head and deputy had gone to a conference) So this week I thought they would finally have their class teacher back, but no, she is in school but they still have the supply teacher.

We've had issues through the year with DD being sent home because she is coughing, this always happens when a new adult is in the classroom. She also has on going issues with another child telling tales on her which always becomes an issue again when there is another different adult in the classroom. Her behaviour at home as gone downhill more and more since she started at school. I'm seriously considering taking her out of school now and looking for a new school for her for September.

What would you do in this situation, would you be happy with so many different adults teaching them?

Oh and thanks for reading the saga!

No, I wouldn't be happy - I speak as a job-share teacher too!

Obviously, stuff happens with teachers becoming ill or leaving for personal reasons and to a degree we parents have to suck it up. But this seems excessive, and the current situation of putting in a 'permanent' teacher who has heavy responsibilities elsewhere seems to have been short-sighted.

But we're nearly at the end of the year. If you're happy enough with other things (e.g. locality, higher year groups, general ethos of the school) then I would see how next term goes, although it might not hurt to have a word with the HT, just in case s/he's not thought of making damn sure there's a stable set-up planned for next year.

Hello,

We had this situation with my son when he was in year 3. The original teacher was frequently ill and then went on maternity leave, meaning that for two thirds of the year his class was covered by supply teachers (16 in total). We were concerned, but kind of put our heads in the sand and hoped for the best. As a result, his maths really suffered (due to too many different teaching styles perhaps) and he's still struggling to get his confidence back with this.

This year (Year 4) they ensured that his class had the same teacher they had had in year 2, as she is very dependable and was already familiar with the class dynamic etc and they had all done well in their year 2 SATs. Should the school not have done this, we would probably have removed him.

If I were you, I would maybe try to sound out the headteacher on her plans for this class next year and then base your judgement on that. It wouldn't hurt to let them know that you're unhappy with the current situation and that you want some assurances that next year will be an improvement. Alternatively, you could change schools. Your daughter is very young still and likely to cope well with the change as she hasn't formed the solid friendship groups that make moving older children such a wrench.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I can commiserate, my DS is in a similar position, his teacher has also been made deputy head and is now rarely in the classroom, perhaps for 2 half days a week. The class has simply stopped functioning properly, they either go over the same stuff again and again or gloss over things. DS is quite miserable about it as he says the class is noisy, he is being given work to do without any explanation and he gets told off if he asks for one.

I am waiting for the end of term, and DS is too, as we are luckier than the op, prior to the teacher being made deputy head, the class was stable and DS was making good progress.

We're in a similar situation so far ds1 has had 7 teachers in 3 years. The last two years how been dreadful. I understand such things as pregnancy and sickness can't be controlled, but to not put in place permanent substitute teachers and have the deputy head who was job sharing with his teacher for the last two years acting as head as well means that there has been zero consistency for two years now! There had also been building work with more scheduled to accommodate the rise in PAN.

The head is now back and thinking of shuffling the teaching staff around which means job share teacher who has been ds' teacher for the last two years could be moving up with him. If that happens we are seriously considering pulling him out.

The other problem of constant changing and lack of consistency is that no one seems to recognise when the children are genuinely ill/being bullied/having trouble with learning and give mixed messages. I had ds in floods because one member of staff said his writing was terrible, so he slowed down to make it neater, which it did, but then he was told he was too slow as would lose his break time!

(The year groups are mixed hence one teacher for two years).

I have identified two other possible schools for him, but need school to tell me who will be his next teacher!

It's reassuring to know I'm not unreasonable to be concerned.

Manchester I agree with you on the lack of consistency I think that that's a big part of my DD's problem. It's very frustrating.

SVN, My concern about getting assurances is that the head assured us that the teacher they have now would solve the problem with the disruption and it doesn't seem to have done. DD also hasn't formed a strong friendship group, in fact despite my efforts to invite children to play no one has responded and she's had no invites from others, so it may be that by moving her a new school might make a special effort to help her integrate.

I guess I really need to decide whether to take her out now or wait until the end of term.

It's an awful decision to have to make isn't it? Reception was so lovely, but y1/2 has been disastrous. Ds1 is very bright, but needs consistency and support which he got in nursery and reception, but not since and it's telling in his behaviour and attitude to school and work there. For instance he was really enjoying maths and wanted more to do at home so I asked his teacher what she would recommend, she said she couldn't recommend anything at all, his ta told me what what complement his learning.

His TA has been amazing, she's a real gem.

I sympathise as we are experiencing a similar problem with ever-changing supply teachers in my DDs Yr 3 class. We're in North London and her school is meant to be one of the better schools in this area but, despite an optimistic start we are now very disappointed overall in her progression (they seem to be constantly going over Yr 2 work) and the level of consistent teaching. The class teacher is young, enthusiastic and jolly and she has taken on several other duties which take her frequently out of the classroom - that's in addition to a half day of PPA (it's hard to see what comes out of that as the homework is usually a photocopy of some old - some from 2000 - Maths or Literacy paper). We have never been informed by the school about the teacher's extra duties and how often we can expect to see supply teachers or TAs taking the class. Sometimes they use other regular teachers but there has also been a stream of supply teachers, especially this term. Some are good, some not so good but the disruption comes from each new teacher being unfamiliar with the children, the school and what the class is meant to be learning. We feel it is wasting valuable time. We have raised it with the school but - as always - the Heads go into defence mode and assume we are attacking the teacher, telling us what an asset she is with her enthusiasm, etc. We say that she may be a fantastic teacher but if she's not in the class, she's NOT teaching. She may be a good role model (hard working, energetic) but the children only see that she is NOT there. It's hard to establish the minimum number of hours a teacher is required to actually be teaching their own class - does anyone know? We are only told by the school the minimum number of hours (not the max.) she is allowed non-contact time for extra duties and further training.
We're not opposed to any teacher making the most of opportunities to add new strings to their bows and improve their CVs, or the chance to boost their basic pay but core teaching should surely always be the priority? Otherwise, you may as well have a different teacher every day of the week!
We find ourselves at odds with a couple of other parents who are pleased with their children's progress and who will support the school's standpoint whatever. Of course, some people never want to 'rock the boat' but I'm finding the more I do talk with other parents - at our school and other schools - this issue of over-use of supply teachers and TAs is a common concern.
We are planning to move and hope to get our DD into a different school asap but, in the meantime, we don't know what to do to improve things, if the school is so complacent. Go to the LEA?

My DD's school has been just as bad. Outstanding with happy parents when DD joined but went down with a new head. So many changes of teachers. We had the problem of deputy who is not in the classroom as well. Things did not get better, and will not get better, as the head is not capable of managing the teachers or teaching plans.

To get a place at a better state primary, we had to move, which costs. So we have decided to move DD to a private school with long standing reputation. DD (year 4 in Sep) has been, despite issues, very happy at the current school but also really excited about the new school. I think she has been bored in the classroom.

It is shocking that so many schools are failing in such a basic level!

I forgot to add - oodyboodyboocs - that my DD is also prone to 'tummy aches', 'sore throats', 'headaches' in the morning. She never says she doesn't want to go to school and still seems to enjoy school - but now I'm wondering if these aches and pains are a symptom of her feeling unsettled because she never knows who will be teaching on any given day.

You would have thought [though clearly not going by all these examples] you could get a supply teacher to cover half term/ term if absence known to be long term. Surely there are supply teachers who want posts for longer than a day or so?
I was a worker with a social care agency and always chose to take 'long term' posts as I preferred the relative stability.

Ds1 also gets the headaches, stomach aches, etc. he didn't have one of the above during nursery or reception.

Also not once have we received any communication from school about just who is going to be teaching his year group.