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.

Anyway, we're derailing the thread with this.

In answer to the OP's question, "when should school look to recruiting a replacement," the simple answer is that they can't "replace" a sick teacher, and even if they could, it's extremely hard in many areas nowadays to recruit anyone at all, let alone someone good quality.

It's illegal for any temporary worker to have holiday pay added to daily rate. A supply teachers salary is worked out as 1/195 of a teacher's salary.

Yes, you cannot "permanently replace" a sick teacher unless they are dismissed or resign. You can theoretically employ a supply teacher, either on a rolling basis or, if the absence is already known to be lengthy, for the duration of the sickness absence. Assuming there is a good supply teacher available and willing to work under the terms offered.

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.

No marking because I am a cover supervisor. My subject is MFL but as a cover supervisor I effectively babysit classes for any subject. I turn up, might supervise maybe a GCSE chemistry class, a yr7 drama class and a yr 9 English class. And then be called in a week later to cover completely different classes. That's how short-term cover in secondary schools works! Of course I don't do marking! I see them for one lesson.

...and am definitely not qualified to mark GCSE chemistry or physics as I gave them up in year 9 .

Agencies are not bound by STPCD and often do not pay X/195.

Exactly TheFallenMadonna so often they are paid much less. When I looked into supply, one agency said most schools will no only pay cover supervisor rates of £90 a dag

I'm talking about primary, which is different. (This is the Primary Education section, after all).

Actually, schools can dismiss teachers or indeed any member of staff, on grounds of ill health, by effectively agreeing that the employee cannot do the job. If the school is concerned about the long term health of the teacher, they can ask the teacher to see an Occupational Health Physician and open up a dialogue about fitness to work. This can be over a long period of course, but the school does have an obligation to the children regarding the teaching they receive.

As a parent I would not be happy with this school and would expect my child to have an appropriate teacher asap. In primary though, schools usually do have qualified teachers they can call in to cover. They are effectively class teachers in primary and are not called cover supervisors. Insurance will pay for another teacher but not indefinitely and if a teacher is in/off over a period of time, there is normally a qualifying period for each sickness before the insurance kicks in each time.

This school appears to be using a floating member of staff for the class but they must resolve the absence of the sick teacher because they have a duty to the children (and the budget) and the internal member of staff may be needed elsewhere.

So far this week, there has been a different person taking the class each day. One of these is a cover supervisor, but I don't know the other two.
Is this the sort of thing you'd expect the school to let you know about?
I don't want to ask as the teachers health really is none of my business and I wish her well, but would like to know if it's likely we'll get a permanent solution if she is unable to return.

The problem may be that they simply can't , there are several schools around here who don't have enough teachers to cover the classes as it is, so finding someone to cover temporarily may be a big problem , recruitment is a big issue

I would expect some communication from the school though

It's only been a few weeks! I am hoping you mean long term supply rather than a permanent replacement. That would happen I would imagine if she is signed off for an extended period. If someone hands in short term notes, it is hard to plan for the long term.

Eolian - I effectively babysit classes for any subject.

Perhaps local child minders could be an affordable option?

But that is what cover supervisors in secondary schools do every day, MumTryingHerBest ! It is standard procedure! The school can't hunt around the county for a spare chemistry teacher when their usual one just phoned in sick at 8a.m.

Obviously, if the school have three cover supervisors working that day due to staff absence (not unusual), and one of them is a linguist and one is a scientist, they will give the linguist any languages lessons etc. But mostly you just get what you're given. I turn up, am given the register and the work that's been set and I go and supervise them doing it. If it's a subject I can help with, then I help of course! But the main skill required is crowd control tbh.

And I'm not sure most childminders would be happy about supervising a classroom full of 32 rowdy 15 year-olds they've never met before. It's not a lot of fun.

Eolian But that is what cover supervisors in secondary schools do every day

I'm not doubting what you have stated.

Out of interest, are cover supervisors paid about the same as child minders?

Eolian And I'm not sure most childminders would be happy about supervising a classroom full of 32 rowdy 15 year-olds they've never met before. It's not a lot of fun.

Plenty of people do it on a volunatary basis - scouts, guides etc.

voluntary - rather

Teachers are entitled to up to 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay for sickness (depending on their service). If the teacher is handing in 2 weeks sickness then the school can only plan for those weeks. And a doctor signing someone off is, rightly, or lying concerned with the person's health and not the employer.

If a teacher knows they will be off for am extended time they can get supply. But a lot of schools aren't doing that as they are saving money. There is far less demand for supply teachers anymore. In terms of removing someone on ill health capability, that is a long process, involving the school proving that the person is not well enough to work. It's only been a few weeks.

It's not ideal, but schools have no money, they are trying to save everywhere. You could raise it with school, but they may not know what is happening week to week.

MumTryingHerBest in this environments the teenagers are there voluntarily. Not the case at school. I was assaulted twice in my last year of teaching, and sworn at on a daily basis. Secondary teaching is not like scouts or guides.

TuftedLadyGrotto Secondary teaching is not like scouts or guides.

Do you call this teaching?:

But mostly you just get what you're given. I turn up, am given the register and the work that's been set and I go and supervise them doing it. If it's a subject I can help with, then I help of course! But the main skill required is crowd control tbh.

But the main skill required is crowd control tbh and this is a massively under rated skill! I take my hat off to supply teachers who can keep a classroom orderly in a strange school with unknown students who can be resistant to say the least. It is so much more than babysitting!

but would like to know if it's likely we'll get a permanent solution if she is unable to return

No, its not likely, there are no where near enough teachers for every class in the country to have one, there is a short fall of many tens of thousands,

anyone who actually wants to teach had the pick of the jobs back in June, and are set up for the year right now.

it is possible the school is looking for a long term supply teacher, but as other posters have said, realistically, who'd want it?