Teacher - always absent for medical reasons (pregnancy)

[121onandon]

I'm trying to understand how other schools deal with absence for medical reasons as I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with my kids school over this.

Last year DD1's teacher was pregnant. In the term before she went on mat leave she was barely in (I'd say 2 weeks max over the whole term). The school dealt with this by splitting the class up and over-filling the other class in the year group and the year below (to the point my DD was commenting she was sick of sitting on the carpet when there was not enough tables and chairs...) Once teacher went on mat. leave they covered her position by depriving another year group of a teacher (so another class having to deal with change mid-way through the year).

This year, 3 days after the start of the new school year there was another pregnancy drop out, this time in DD2's year (I don't live in the UK and here, by law, pregnant women cannot work a) until they have blood tests proving immunity to certain things and b) if the government says the risk of certain viruses, eg: flu, is too high - as happened last year).

Yet again the school have split up the class without a teacher and overfilled the two remaining classes in the year group. We have had no timetable for this year for DD2 and signs the teacher is way too busy (one reading book home so far). Next week marks half way through this half term and we are in a state of stasis regarding how the year group will be staffed for the year.

I'm getting the usual - she's pregnant it's the law, what can we do, from the school - but surely there are other ways to deal with absences for medical/personal reasons? Using other available staff at the school who have free periods? Ensuring the school is staffed enough for this suggested method? Hiring supply staff?

I should say this is a private school - £10k to join and £5k per term - I'm not talking about a head teacher having to cope with austerity cuts.

Please could you share how your schools deal with staff absence for any medical conditions (or perhaps compassionate) which will be ongoing over a period of months.

I feel sorry for the remaining staff and for the kids being messed around in this way. Not to mention furious about being short-changed over the service we are paying for.

Thanks

Although I think some of the comments on here are resonating a point - I feel the school are justifying their poor management of staff absence because it's a pregnancy - we must not be seen to criticise or ask too many questions, the school's hands are tied etc.

I'm not interested why the teacher is off, it is her business. It cannot be right that the education of the kids suffers and the remaining staff are overworked and thrown out of their own plans and routine whenever this happens.

I don't think the OP should don their hard hat but the thread title does not match the issue at all and implies they are moaning about pregnant staff, which isn't the case.

To go by the opening post itself, yes, OP, if it is law regarding a pregnant woman not working without test results etc. then they should have policies/funds in place to cover that.

In the U.K., yes, existing staff can and do cover during their PPA but this is usually more common in secondary school than Primary and more so in fee paying schools even (my husband usually has at least one cover lesson a week over my situation which is to not have cover as often I have only had one cover lesson three weeks in to term)
The school is obviously trying to save money but as it is fee paying, I don't see why. They should employ supply staff to cover that.
I don't think you should put up with it and am surprised more parents haven't complained. But then, being in another country, I'm not sure what is the norm.

In the case of long term absence at my school, they would get a supply teacher in. I'm surprised they haven't done this at your school so that there is at least some continuity. I'd be even more miffed as it's fee paying so you'd expect the service you're paying for.

It sounds like splitting and over filling classes is a sensible option if they can't find a supply teacher though. I'm not sure what else they could do...could the head teach them?

I expect they haven't even looked for a supply teacher - though given we are not in the UK I'm not sure how many primary supply teachers who teach in English there are.

There is no way the head would teach them - he doesn't even turn up to fairs, assemblies and events because he's too busy.

It varies from school to school how medical leave is dealt with.

Some schools have cover supervisors whose job is to cover and lead (not teach) lessons (short term)

short term known cover would be provided by agency cover teachers.

Long term known cover would be supplied by agency cover teachers.

Schools are in a tricky position as they can only get agency staff either on the morning of absence or from sick note to sick note.

IMO, There is no excuse for not providing a teacher for a known, planned absence,

Look, obviously the problem is with the school - their process for dealing with this is rubbish. They are getting away with it because either 1) this is culturally acceptable where you are (by "culturally" I mean there is a culture of hostility to pregnant women and a more casual attitude to large class sizes and missed days of school learning, I'm not trying to make a dig at a non-Western culture - in fact I can think of several European countries this could happen in). And 2) they have you over a barrel because there's no alternative nearby.

I don't think we can give you advice to change the school. I highly doubt the school wants to or even could change.

I think if you want help from MN by far the best option would be to say the city and country you're in because you would be surprised at how many of us have lived/worked/born/educated outside the SE of England

Pressed post too soon --

-- and you would be surprised at the good advice and brainstorming we can do if you tell us your location.

I don't what to say where I am - it will identify the school and therefore the teacher straight away.

Just knowing that other schools can and do do things differently is helpful. Thank you.

Yes other schools CAN do things differently but as we don't know where you live most of the advice here probably isn't applicable.

I'm not sure why advice isn't applicable?

Surely a private school can staff itself however it wants? So legal obligations to sick/pregnant/absent staff are met at the same time as ensuring continuity and high standards for kids and a stable working environment for the rest of the staff.

I expect that being in the private system means that there will be little national law protecting the education of my kids in terms of minimum standards. I'm unsure how employment law protects the staff still in attendance but the rights of the absent teacher to be absent are not in dispute. They are doing nothing wrong.

Because in UK in state schools teachers can't be used for cover. There has to be a qualified teacher teaching etc. In other countries or in private schools this might be different.

In UK you cannot employ someone permanently to a post that is already filled, even if that person is on long term sick. The post can only be filled temporarily with the understanding that as soon as the sick person returns they are out of a job. Therefore these posts can be hard to fill.

Would teachers on free periods never provide cover, even on a temporary basis?

I don't know where you are OP, but where I teach, planning time is mandated. I must have a certain amount of time non-contact as part of our agreement. It's not actually as simple as getting someone one their planning time (please don't use the phrase 'free period', it's not free, it's non contact time) and any principal would be in pretty hot water with the union if they tried to take away that mandated time.

Thank you, I understand. Times must have changed since I was taught in a UK state school - existing staff were definitely used for cover for the odd day, longer term was always supply.

Also in the kids old (private) primary back in the UK, short term absence was definitely covered by existing staff, either senior staff or co-curricular staff who did not have timetables as full as the main class staff. I'm not sure if that is unusual/exceptional - hence canvassing other experiences.

Then the school isn't providing adequate cover for the absent teachers. You should take this up with this school or think about changing schools. The school are charging for a service they should provide it IMHO. It's the school management who should provide adequate cover and alternative arrangements which are acceptable.

Is it an English International school or just a private school in your country? (I know English International schools are private, but not sure how to explain it differently)

I've taught at an English International school in Europe and finding cover for sick teachers is tough as we all came from the UK for our contracts, had living accommodation provided, etc. So not like the UK where there are lists of supply teachers or agencies we can contact.

It's an English international school.

My feeling is that there should be enough slack in the system (enough teachers/senior staff employed with enough free periods) to be able to cover in the short term when staff are absent (as staff needing to be off is a fact of life, something all employers should plan for).

It appears they employ the bare minimum staff, then whenever anyone is off there is a huge knock on effect on the service provided and on the remaining staff. I'm particularly cross as it took months for them to deal with the same situation last year and they appear to have learnt nothing from that experience, which was also highlighted by many parents as inadequate.

Believe me, I'd move the kids if I could. I'm not able to home-school either else I'd have looked into privately employing a tutor.

Times must have changed since I was taught in a UK state school - existing staff were definitely used for cover for the odd day, longer term was always supply.
Since 2009 the agreement is that teachers aren't required to cover for colleague except in exceptional unforeseen circumstances (usually called rarely cover).

Because in UK in state schools teachers can't be used for cover.

Not strictly true...

KittyVonCatsington teachers in state schools can offer lyrics be used for cover in "unforeseen circumstances" so cannot be made to do regular cover for planned absences. Teachers are perfectly within their rights to refuse to do this. It should also only be rarely, so maybe once or twice a year.

If teachers agree to do it more often then they are allowing a school to break their contractual conditions.

In an academy if employed on an academy contract then they can do whatever is in the contract.

Rarely cover

The Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG), also known as the Social Partnership, has written to local authorities setting out the basis on which the provision that teachers should rarely cover for absent colleagues should be implemented from 1 September 2009.
The National Agreement on 'Raising Standards and Tackling Workload' signed in January 2003 provided the basis for work by schools to create time for teachers and headteachers to focus more of their time on teaching, and leading teaching and learning, including through:
• progressive reductions in teachers' overall hours
• changes to teachers' contracts, including — in 2004 — a limit on the amount of cover for absent colleagues that teachers and headteachers could provide
• new arrangements for deploying support staff.
The National Agreement included an objective that teachers should only rarely cover and, in 2007, schools were advised that they should expect to achieve the position in which teachers only rarely covered from September 2009.
The WAMG letter and accompanying documents set out the basis for implementing 'rarely cover'. The letter describes the changes that will be made to the STPCD and accompanying guidance to give effect to it. These changes remain subject to the normal consultation that is undertaken for the whole of the STPCD prior to its formal implementation.
<a class="break-all" href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091003102615/www.teachernet.gov.uk/doc/13538/Rarely%20coverSTPCD.PDF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091003102615/www.teachernet.gov.uk/doc/13538/Rarely%20coverSTPCD.PDF

If other members of staff are contracted and paid to teach a specific number of lessons, why on earth should they cover for someone else who is off work? Besides, it is perfectly normal in the UK to have classes of 30.

It doesn't sound like the school is considering changing their policy, so you either put up with it or vote with your feet, I guess.

I'm not sure why advice isn't applicable?

Because even within thr UK there are 4 different education systems and such a range of schools (LA, academy, voluntary aided, faith, free school, private) that advive is specific to that sector.

E.g. If a teacher is under their teaching allocation in a school which follows the burgandy book then they can be used for cover in the extra time that isn't PPA. Whereas in a private school staff can (and often are in my friends' experiences) be used to cover.

So without knowing the information it is almost impossible to give advice.

Does the school rely on its reputation? Could you threaten to go public about the drop in standards? Could get nasty but it's a weapon in your arsenal...

"E.g. If a teacher is under their teaching allocation in a school which follows the burgandy book then they can be used for cover in the extra time that isn't PPA. " if a teacher is employed under School Teachers Pay and Conditions (Burgundy Book) Rarely Cover applies.