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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Teachers are year 12 and 13 getting cover?

27 replies

Northsoutheastwest76 · 18/01/2022 15:07

When staff are off. Just that really. My dd is just having work set on Google classroom. I get this and I am happy with it. But I just wanted to do a straw poll as I am being told o exam years are being prioritised etc etc
Thank you

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CarrieBlue · 18/01/2022 16:49

Never known yr12/13 to get cover, covid or otherwise.

Northsoutheastwest76 · 18/01/2022 19:10

Thank you @CarrieBlue. Exactly what I thought too.

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MrsHamlet · 18/01/2022 21:24

No. Work set online but no cover.
I've offered to take some lessons for a colleague now and we'll make the balance right later - but I can't do them all.

GoodnightGrandma · 18/01/2022 21:26

My DS in sixth form never gets cover. They are given the work to do themselves.

noblegiraffe · 18/01/2022 21:28

No, cover teachers are generalists and wouldn’t be able to teach A-level. The kids are supposed to do the set work independently at my school, as pre-covid.

TracyMosby · 18/01/2022 21:29

They are given work to do themselves. They are expected to be able to work independently in 6th form.

tiredanddangerous · 18/01/2022 21:30

No. They have work set and are left to get on with it.

Siuan · 18/01/2022 21:33

DS teaches Y12 and 13 and he's currently off with covid. He has set work for them (despite being actually ill with covid) but no cover.

twelly · 18/01/2022 21:39

Whilst I agree that by year 13 students should be independent I think in many schools and sixth forms the quality of the work set is appalling. Sadly I feel that some teachers have used covid as an excuse to do as little as possible and are hoping its teacher grades again. The problem is that it isn't across all institutions and yet again means that some students loose out.

noblegiraffe · 18/01/2022 21:42

Don’t be daft.

MrsHamlet · 18/01/2022 21:49

@twelly

Whilst I agree that by year 13 students should be independent I think in many schools and sixth forms the quality of the work set is appalling. Sadly I feel that some teachers have used covid as an excuse to do as little as possible and are hoping its teacher grades again. The problem is that it isn't across all institutions and yet again means that some students loose out.
In how many schools and sixth forms have you had the opportunity to check the quality of the work set?
Northsoutheastwest76 · 18/01/2022 21:52

I was sure my dds school was not an anomaly but it is good to have you wonderful people confirming my suspicions. The whole prioritise exam groups really doesn't work in the real world.
Also thank you to those stilll setting work when ill.

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dapsnotplimsolls · 18/01/2022 21:54

Work set, no cover, pupils expected to go to normal rooms to work.

dapsnotplimsolls · 18/01/2022 21:56

@twelly

Whilst I agree that by year 13 students should be independent I think in many schools and sixth forms the quality of the work set is appalling. Sadly I feel that some teachers have used covid as an excuse to do as little as possible and are hoping its teacher grades again. The problem is that it isn't across all institutions and yet again means that some students loose out.
'it's'

'lose'

Northsoutheastwest76 · 18/01/2022 21:58

@twelly my dd is very happy with the work set. Her teachers are amazingly dedicated but sadly have been hit by COVID and oth chronic illness.
I have family members who are teachers too and they gave always gone above and beyond.
One of my dd has SEN and has had lots of issues pre COVID and is still struggling. The SENCO has been amazing replying to Emails at 11PM at night and the latest one attending meetings on her day off.

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Northsoutheastwest76 · 18/01/2022 22:00

@dapsnotplimsolls my dds school lrt them work in room or at home.

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MrsHamlet · 18/01/2022 22:00

We would be able to prioritise y11 by juggling ks3. Y13 is more difficult due to specialism. We have done it but it involves a lot of moving parts - it's not worth it for a week, to be frank.

BluebellsGreenbells · 18/01/2022 22:04

They are prioritizing those years, but a PE teacher would struggle to teach English literature A Level, and vise versa! It’s is what it is … government state one thing and the reality is totally different.

dapsnotplimsolls · 18/01/2022 22:16

@MrsHamlet

We would be able to prioritise y11 by juggling ks3. Y13 is more difficult due to specialism. We have done it but it involves a lot of moving parts - it's not worth it for a week, to be frank.
Yup. If there's long-term sickness then other arrangements would be made eg cover or supply teacher teach KS3 to free up specialists to teach A level.
Northsoutheastwest76 · 18/01/2022 22:40

I suppose too alot depends on how many teachers you have who can teach the subject. If you only have one teacher who teaches a subject you have limited options. Whereas if you have two you could possibly reassign the other teachers classes for say year 7 or 8 to a supply.

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TracyMosby · 18/01/2022 22:43

That’s not always possible either. Some subjects do not exist in ks3 and 4. Some of the 6th form teachers will only be teaching 12 and 13. So there are no lower school classes to shuffle.

MrsHamlet · 19/01/2022 07:13

Yes. If our psychology or sociology teachers are off, there is no one to replace them.

JuneOsborne · 19/01/2022 07:22

My Ds is at a school sixth form and there is cover.

Perhaps it's the the way the organise it? 2 teachers for each a level and some of the teachers only do A level. My son's maths teacher was off, so they had the economics teacher for one lesson and the other maths teacher for the other lesson.

Epq was covered by someone else when they epq teacher was off.

The wellbeing lessons (yoga in a suit anyone?!) Just gets cancelled.

Algebraicyourleg · 19/01/2022 07:23

In my school, and your off due to isolating/covid - and feel well enough - then it is expected that you teach online with the students in their normal classroom. One of the class log on and join the TEAMs call. With Yrs7-11 a teacher is in the classroom but Yrs12 and 13 then it is expected that they turn up themselves and log on with video. The teacher takes a register of who is there, if they don’t turn up then they get collared by SLT and told that normal lessons still happen.
If a teacher isn’t well enough to teach online then different situations happen for various classes, but in my department we typically swap about classes so each class gets cover work for a lesson or two rather than one class being hit a lot. I’m currently on maternity leave but I’m have covered some lessons, including sixth form, this way when other teachers have been too sick to work.

onedayoranother · 19/01/2022 13:46

Absences haven't been due to covid but broken ankle, lost passport (so had three days longer abroad getting a new one) and other stuff. No cover. Kids go to the class and get on with their work - there's always notes to do!