When should school look to recruit a permanent replacement when teacher on long term sick?

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I was just wondering how long it is reasonable for a class to go without a qualified teacher.
DD's teacher has been off sick since the beginning of term and the class is being taken by the cover supervisor.
Obviously, we are all hoping that the teacher's health improves and they become well enough to return, but in the event that this does not happen, how long is it reasonable for the school to use a cover supervisor?
Thank you.

Is the 'cover supervisor' a qualified teacher who just doesn't have a class, or literally a 'cover supervisor' who sits there while they do pre-set work? If the latter, who is pre-setting the work?

In a local authority school all classes should be taught by a qualified teacher. This could be a supply teacher, or long term temp. Legally they can't get someone else permanent as the post is already filled.

If this cover supervisor is a TA or unqualified then that isn't acceptable for long term sickness cover, the school are doing it to save money. If it's an academy though they legally can put anyone in charge of a class.

It depends. I am a cover supervisor. But I am also a qualified teacher with over 20 years' teaching experience. There are rules about paid/unpaid sick leave and the school will have to adhere to them. They mat not be able to find or afford a proper replacement teacher if they are still paying the one who's off sick.

It's worth remembering that no school wants to use below par teachers or have inadequate staffing. They will usually do the best they can with the resources available to them.

Who's doing the planning, do you know?

It's becoming very difficult to get supply teachers. They can pick and choose where they want to go.

Many supply teachers also won't take on a long term position as they end up having to do the planning etc.

So it may be a case of 'can't' rather than 'won't'.

Many supply teachers also won't take on a long term position as they end up having to do the planning etc.

Yup. The whole appeal of supply for me is that I breeze in and breeze out. No planning, no marking, no responsibility for results.

The cover supervisor is not a qualified teacher (the school website has each staff member name and qualification).
I don't know who's been doing the planning.
The school is recently an academy so does that mean they can just carry on with the cover supervisor and ta teaching the class?
It's year 1 if that's relevant.

Yep, now they are an academy they can put anyone in front of a class, they don't have to be a qualified teacher.

No planning, no marking

Why no marking? I'd be extremely pissed of, as a teacher, if I came back after an absence and found work in books that had not been marked by someone who was paid quite a lot to be there.

Supply teachers are paid a daily rate based on the same salary scales as all teachers. Many actually aren't paid in line with where they were on the scale due to the 2014 portability changes.

Cover work doesn't need to be marked. Not all work needs to be marked. They are only paid the directed time hours, which usually ends 15mins after children leave. They shouldn't have to work for free without ppa time

Cover work doesn't need to be marked.

Who says?

Well ofsted say that not every piece of work needs to be marked for a start.

When do you suggest they mark? They don't get ppa and are only paid until just after children leave?

I was secondary but never marked or expected cover work to be marked.

From the school's point of view, this is very difficult. A member of staff on long term sick needs to be paid. And the cover/replacement needs to be paid. Most schools use insurance but the premiums cost a fortune if you make a claim for long-term cover. If you replace the teacher then he/she can claim for constructive dismissal.

These things can take ages to resolve. I would be putting energy into supporting your child at home and being prepared to write off this year in terms of school-based education, and perhaps looking into tutoring.

I'd expect work to be flicked and ticked by a supply, but not in-depth pink and purple pen with green annotations etc.

For long term cover in secondary, we paid for planning and marking. Well, we did when we could find a suitable subject specialist . We mostly rejigged the timetable to swap teachers and cover supervisors around classes, TLR holders planned and marked. At one point as Head of Science I was teaching 23 hours a week, plus planning another 45 lessons. Marking, I will admit, was scant.

What is the value of tick and flick?

I was going to say, what is the leaning value of tick and flick?

They ... are only paid until just after children leave?

And since when has any teacher been paid for the out-of-hours work they do? The vast majority take piles home with them each evening - obviously supply teachers can't do that (unless they're returning the next day) but contracted teachers aren't technically paid for their evenings either. It's expected as part-and-parcel of the job, to get what needs to be done, done.

But this is why my school won't employ supply teachers at all, except in dire emergencies. We cover from within.

I'm not entirely convinced of the learning value of three different colours of marking and four different symbols either!

What is the point of children putting any effort whatsoever into their work if they know that no adult is going to look at it, let alone care what they've written.

But on a permanent contract you have more perks- like pay over holidays, sick pay, maternity pay etc. You get PPA time.

I don't see much value in work marked by a supply teacher. They won't be there to follow up any targets, to track progress. And as I said Ofsted don't expect all work to be marked. It should only be marked if it is needed to assist the learning - like setting targets. A lot of supply tea hers do mark a bit. Not in secondary though. I mostly used to bin any cover work when I came back.

marymyatt.com/blog/2013-10-13/should-i-be-marking-every-piece-of-work

www.learningspy.co.uk/assessment/the-fetish-of-marking/

I have no idea what that is Balfe, so not sure if it has value. Sounds a faff. Tick and flick has no value though. Apart from checking work has been done I suppose...

Pay over the holidays, or rather lack of it, is compensated for by the increased daily rate.