What's the impact on endless teacher absence/supply?

[rainydays2017]

Year 1 class and teacher has had 3 x longish absences of 1.5-3 weeks and around 7 or 8 absences of 1-2 days since September.

There are supply teachers, sometimes singular days, sometimes for a week or so. Sometimes other senior teachers take the class plus static TAs and student teachers in the mix.

While it's unavoidable that people get sick, it's feeling a bit unmanageable if it continues like this to the end of the year. Child is tearful going in with the extended absences and things have been missed like rewards overlooked or forgotten about. School is good and very apologetic but I guess there's not much they can do really.

If you have experience of this, is there a long term impact on the year or is it ok if a bit frustrating as kids are resilient and used to multiple teachers anyway??

Thanks.

I agree a Deputy Head cannot teach full time if they are non teaching but can certainly do the mornings!

You have absolutely no way of knowing whether that is feasible or not in this particular school. It's not a situation where a blanket statement like that is true for every school.

I've never heard of a DHT teaching regularly. Ours takes upper school PE and a few teams because that's his speciality, but their workload is immense.

Our HT is also out of school regularly (some weeks as much as 3 mornings and 2 afternoons). The DHT couldn't be in class during this time.

OP I really feel sorry for you. Teacher absence and constant supply is not good. I really hope it changes.

Our ex deputy head taught full time and our new deputy head teaches full time (Y6)

Loads of deputy heads teach full time but some do not. I would not expect a teaching DH to teach another class but a non teaching one - in an emergency - could teach! These continued absences is an emergency! No-one knows what the children are learning so it is in the interests of the school and the children to change things. Deputy Heads are often very experienced teachers so why would you not use this expertise if you could?

Obviously I do not know how every school has organised teaching time with a DH but I was suggesting a DH could teach mornings in an emergency - if they have no regular class contact. A DH taking upper school PE and a few teams is a luxury (prep I assume). What are they doing out of school for up to half the week? Definitely not normal for a primary school.