Secondary School Staff - a few questions for you

[roisin]

1. In a typical month how often will there be a member of staff going home sick during the school day? (i.e. doesn't phone in sick, comes in as normal, but then goes home)

a) Never
b) once or twice
c) c. once a week
d) 2-3 times a week
e) most days

1. If d) happened in your school, what would your SMT do?

1. If students feel ill during the school day, are they allowed to sign out and go home?

a) Very rarely b) Regularly, but closely regulated/supervised c) Frequently

1. When staff are absent is there any return-to-work monitoring/interview/paperwork?

Yes/No

1. Is this carried out by?

a) Line manager b) SMT c) Other (e.g. Admin personnel)

Thank you for your time

1 - not sure, maybe b
2 - would be monitored
3 - yes, but most of our students are bused in, few are independent so usually a parent has to collect them.
4 - yes, we have to fill out a sheet everytime we have missed 1 day. Line manager deals with this

In my last school:

1 b

2 Dunno, didn't happen. But one teacher was notorious for pulling a sickie and he was subject to some investigation.

3 b

4 yes

5 a

I can't say about the whole school.

We are a department of about 14 full time and part time.

1. less often than once or twice a month, quite rare

1. Smt say, you are ill, go home, because the people are usually obviously ill. Civer planner chap gets pissed of if you struggle on, as you pass the bugs around and long term that makes his work harder

1. Parents have to collect if a child goes home early, unless they are sixth formers

1. no

5 N/a

1. b - bit of a guess really
2. I really don't know - maybe give out guidelines stressing that it's hard to arrange cover at v short notice, so don't come in if you think you can't last the day ??
3. b
4. we fill in a form & pass to office. We may get called to the HT for a 'chat' - although I'm not sure how often that happens to be honest
5. b

1 - don't know; probably a couple a month

2 - if it kept happening, they'd have a word - I know that because it happened to somebody who kept feeling ill before particular classes. She was spoken to and, I believe, it was added to her PM targets about being in school consistently.

3 - Only with permission of myself or one of the other Heads of Year; so we get to be aware of which pupils "try it on" and which are genuine.

4 - yes - a quick meeting with the Headteacher.

1. In a typical month how often will there be a member of staff going home sick during the school day? (i.e. doesn't phone in sick, comes in as normal, but then goes home)

a) Never (I think)

1. If d) happened in your school, what would your SMT do? - I suppose they would arrange a last minute cover. But it really would be very rare.

1. If students feel ill during the school day, are they allowed to sign out and go home?

b) Regularly, but closely regulated/supervised

1. When staff are absent is there any return-to-work monitoring/interview/paperwork?

No - unless they have been absent for 5 days in which case they have an interview with the SMT i/c cover. Don't really know what happens at this interview as it is a very recent thing

1. Is this carried out by?

b) SMT - she is an Admin Assistant but considered SMT

1b (there has been a lot of sickness around, and some teachers come in just to plan their cover work, and then get back to their beds asap. It's not like an office job - classes need to be covered, and if you don't know that you are going to be sick, and don't have any text books at home, then it's hard for your head of department to set meaningful work).

2 - not sure. If it is the same member of staff each week, then I'm sure a review is urgent. If it's different members of staff, then it would probably be put down to bad luck. Hasn't happened since I've been in this job.

3a. If they are too ill for lessons, they can go to sick bay. If they are expected to be ill for the rest of the day, parents will be called, but they do not have to pick their child up if it is inconvenient. There is no way the child would be allowed to leave to go home on their own.

1. I don't think this is really applicable to us as there isn't anyone who has been off for such a long time that they need monitoring. We are not big on paperwork.

1. It would probably be carried out by SMT since we are a small school. Line manager just really deals with academic stuff.

Sorry I should have said re: Number 3 - we only give them permission to go home if we've been able to contact a parent.

thank you all so far - very interesting

I'm off to have some tea now: will pop back in later to see if there are any more contributions

Ta,
Rx

Intrigued to find out why you want to know

am off sick at the moment!

1- I would guess b.
I have done this twice ( although one time I came in at six and was out by twenty past six!) I think as I tend to get into school very early about six and tbh am not fully awake or aware what is going on until I have had my coffee I could come into work not well but not realise until I am in work. So I could have woken up feeling grotty but thought I need to be in work and I may just be tired so it will go away only to find out later it will not go away and I ill. So the one time I did go home during the day I woke up feeling sick and witha funny tummy so took some maedicationa nd went in as I had a GCSE class to teach only to end up having to run out of lessons to throw up and commit other nameless bodily functions.

2)We have a stric absence procudure so this would be monitored, the member of staff interviewed and warned and a possible disciplinary.

3. Kids have to be picked up, I think we let kids go home far to easily, but I know many colleagues don;t agree with me.

4. we have abck to work interviews with our SMT line manager, however long the absence. It is a meeting where the teacher is asked why they are off, are they well again, perhaps looking at ways at preventing is happening again of theere has been a pattern of illness.

awful typing sorry - have no excuse

1. b I think. Doesn't happen very often

1. n/a

1. b but only after matron has allowed them to go. And they don't get to just go, they are collected.

1. yes- we fill in a form

1. c admin people.

Science Teacher - I'm a cover supervisor, so you could say I have an interest!

It is happening more and more often in our school. I can think of at least 6 occasions (all different people - not one single particular bug though) so far this half term! SMT don't seem to be addressing it at all.

We're geographically somewhat isolated (takes most agency supply 1 hr travelling), which means getting extra supply in at 7.30 am is possible, but at 10 am usually impossible.

Which means the burden falls on anyone/everyone who happens to be nearest.

I wondered what was usual in schools, as in previous employment I've virtually never come across this at all.

Scienceteacher - I am chuckling though at the idea of staff so dedicated they come in to school when they are ill in order to set some meaningful cover work. I've never seen that happen.

We have to set cover work, I have been sat at my computer throwing up into a bucket setting cover work or on other times have nipped in at some ungodly hour so I don't meet anyone and infect them so I can leave cover work although as we live up the road from school dp will drop it in. Unless there is a very good reason there has to be quality cover work with clear instructions on how it is to be carried out.

Setting cover work is so much easier now schools all have computers, email etc. You can send work, with support sheets, letters to pupils explaining what they're to do etc, rather than trying to give info to a secretary down the phone! Some teachers still seem to think that "Make a Christmas card" is appropriate cover work though - grrr!

Not a secondary school( & can't answer from the kids POV as ours are SN )but we have 9 teachers and 30 ish TAs so large staff team, people go home ill around once a monthish

I am the only one who has been off long term this year and its complicated anyway so I wouldn't get a return to work interview. Though I can't remember being aware of anyone else having them in the past.

LOL at complicated
When are you due to go back?

What stage are you at with your HLTA? Do you still have to do 3 days? How many of them have you done?

Have done day 1 & 2 ,3 is first day back after half term then we have until end of March to hand it in! Sue couldn't believe we had so long. Have written Task 1/2/3 & 2 of 4 struggling for ideas for them especially as I have only done 3 day s this year and was off most of the last half term so am a bit out of practice!

Hoped to be back tomorrow but have sick note for a week as had more done in OP than was expected, hoping for next week , otherwise will be after half term.

Am going in tomorrow as my group are being presented with their Duke of edinburgh Bronze award and I am SOoooooooooo proud

That sounds a more realistic timetable. We only had two months from prep day 1 to final submission deadline! Having said that at least we got on and got it over with.

If you want to have a look at my file anytime, you know where I am feel free - to see "what not to do".

Seriously, my assessor told my boss that I's clearly put in stacks of work, and I'd been far more meticulous in detail, annotating evidence and cross-referencing, than was necessary! I wish they would show you a sample "good enough" file on the course so that you have an idea as to what you are aiming for!

Congrats on the bronze awards - hope you enjoy tomorrow!

I thought that about the file too, and I was told my task 1 is just about long enough but she can't read it so can't say if I need more info in it or not I tend to be concise so all my written descriptions are brief

I'm never concise, so didn't have that problem

If you fancy emailing it to me, I would be happy to read it through and give you my opinion as to whether I think you've evidenced the standard sufficiently clearly. (The new standards are on the website, aren't they?)

they are now when we started the course we could only access the old ones!