How does your primary school cover teacher's non-contact time?

[Hathor]

Interested to know other state primary schools cover the half-day the class teacher is out of the class for non-contact time.
Ours is covered by a classroom assistant looking after the class as they do work set by the teacher. Is this usual, or should we expect more?

Classroom assistant should not be providing cover. if this is the case!

Should be teaching cover for sure.

HLTA may be used for lesson cover AFAIK.

HLTA may be used for lesson cover AFAIK.

Will probably become more usual with HLTA's (High Level TA's) and as long as the work is set up the TA should be capeable of delivering it. TA's are also allowed to mark work and run groups - I wouldn't be able to do half the things we do without our TA!

Our school has a qualified teacher who rotates and covers all the classes, but we are very lucky with this.

Some schools use the time as specialist opportunities ie get outside help in to cover, but I think the government funding to support PPA time has now dried up...

What does your DC think?

yes level 4 TAs can look after class.

Should say at DDs' school they have 2 'floating' teachers to cover non-contact time. These teachers are particularly talented in the arts subjects and go in to teach said subjects in place of class teacher. Seems to work really well.

We are in Scotland so perhaps different...?

don't think they're supposed to use TA's for reception and yr1 but older kids it might be ok.

our local school are very good tho and get in a specialist music teacher to cover the teacher's PPA time.

The class is Y3. Don't know what the TA's qualifications are. Are there any guidelines on provision of cover?

The relevat regulations in Reception become statutory in Sept 2008 - a qualified member of teaching staff (with QTS) must be present in Reception at ALL times. If this is good enough for Reception, I can't see why it can't be rolled out to every Primary year group. It's expensive though, as previous posters have mentioned. At the moment our school funds this using regular supply staff - we see it as a strength of our school that we only used qualified teachers to teach our children.

I should say also that I feel sorry for HLTAs; I don't think they get paid anywhere near enough for the job they do, and I think that 14 weeks training is insufficient, compared to 4 years at university.

QTS?

Qalified teacher status. When you first pass your teaching qualification you are an NQT, newly qualified teacher and you have a year basically on probation when you are supported by the school and regularly assessed. If you pass your are given QTS

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Lots of primary schools get in specialist music/ science/ art teachers. I think that is an excellent idea

Thanks. So reception have to have qualified teaching staff but other primary years don't?
Is there any point complaining to the head that it is failing our children (and unfair on the TA) to leave them 10% of their school week without a teacher?
Or would that be just rubbing her nose in the lack of funding crisis? Should we expect anything better I mean?

Speaking both as a teacher and a parent, I would be pissed off. I don't think it would do any harm to make your views known, perhaps to the governing body?

DS does French with a French teacher and PE with a dance teacher or sports coach.

I don't think any of them have QTS. I think they do enhance his education.

specialist PE teacher
specialist drama teacher
specialist music teacher

no pissing about

The DSes school does swimming (TAs and swimming teachers), sport (coaches from local college), singing assembly (taken by Head and staffed by TAs) and interactive story time (TAs). I'm very happy with it.

I am a HLTA and cover lots of PPA at my school. I also cover when teachers are in meetings and sometimes when they are on courses.

I do not have to plan the lessons, the teacher plans for the week and I deliver what they have planned for the class.

I work as a year 1 TA every morning. The only qualification I have is the NNEB. I also cover the class for one afternoon for the Teachers non contact time. This session can sometimes vary to meet both our needs.

i teach in scotland. our ncct (non class contact time) is always covered by another teacher. usually to teach specialist subjects such as drama, pe, music, health etc etc.

i am shocked by english system... on her first week as a TA, my sisterwas left looking after a whole class for a whole afternoon, teaching lessons the teacher had left. this left me totally aghast .

'a qualified member of teaching staff (with QTS) must be present in Reception at ALL times. If this is good enough for Reception, I can't see why it can't be rolled out to every Primary year group.'

I don't understand, how can this be the case?
If NQTs are not allowed in any year group then how can they get QTS?

At DS's school they have a 'float' teacher who covers PPA time, and also NQT time ( I understand they get an extra 10% non-contact time?)

So, the implication here is that I could plan a lesson, and anybody could teach it?

Why did I bother dedicating 4 years of university study to teaching if it's that easy?