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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Original poster

How long should a Cover Supervisor cover lessons for?

22 replies

HarrySnotter · 30/09/2018 12:33

I thought I'd ask in here as it seems the most sensible place to ask!

DD's maths teacher has been off sick for about a week and a half now and I believe has been signed off for a further two weeks, possibly longer. DD's maths lessons (Y7) are being taught by one of the Cover Supervisors in school, however, my understanding is that this should not happen 'indefinitely'.

To be clear, the Cover Supervisors are fantastic and I have no issue with them at all, but DD is really struggling with maths and I really feel that she should be being taught by a specialist in the subject, particularly if her teacher is going to be off for another couple of weeks. Is this unreasonable of me?

OP posts:

Cynderella · 30/09/2018 13:06

When CSs first came in, they were only used for the first day until a supply teacher was brought in. Now, we use them for weeks on end to save money. Ours are not fantastic - not great at controlling classes although they do their best and cannot be asked to 'teach', so worksheets and text books all the way.

I think they would all be willing to do more with a bit of training, and their classroom management would be much better if they were properly supported by management.

noblegiraffe · 30/09/2018 13:24

In an ideal world the school would recruit a maths specialist supply teacher for a couple of weeks.

In the real world, schools are struggling to recruit maths specialist teachers for full time permanent roles. It’s entirely possible that the permanent class teacher isn’t a maths specialist either.

However, the cover supervisor may also be a qualified maths teacher taking on this class paid as a supply teacher.

TheFallenMadonna · 30/09/2018 13:28

You can't magic a specialist teacher out of thin air. If it were my department I would probably put a specialist teacher in once a week and use the cover supervisor to cover their class, assuming it didn't involve an exam class, but really, it's incredible difficult to get good maths supply.

Catspyjamazzzz · 30/09/2018 13:33

We probably would leave a CS with year 7 for a while. It would be different if years 10/11 - they would definitely get a maths specialist ASAP.

Original poster

HarrySnotter · 30/09/2018 14:23

You can't magic a specialist teacher out of thin air. No, I do understand that, really I do, but I'm really concerned that she's not actually learning anything (she says she's not).

We had a similar situation last year, when the Head told me that it wouldn't be for very long as they weren't allowed to cover indefinitely, but I don't know how long they are allowed to cover for.

OP posts:

Original poster

HarrySnotter · 30/09/2018 14:25

It’s entirely possible that the permanent class teacher isn’t a maths specialist either. She's Head of Maths, so I hope so.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 30/09/2018 14:29

If it’s the head of maths that’s off, then it’s likely that finding a specialist supply teacher for Y7 for the next couple of weeks is way down the list of priorities.

If it’s an academy, they don’t have to have qualified teachers teaching classes at all.

Northernlass69 · 30/09/2018 14:32

It used to be 5 days for us, then a proper supply teacher would be brought in who had that specialism. Kids are fed up of worksheets after a week.

twoheaped · 30/09/2018 14:35

Our cover supervisors are qualified teachers and are dropped in on their specialist subject if needed. One of ours covered her subject for about 6 weeks last year.
They cover other subjects if not needed in their specialist subject.

MaisyPops · 30/09/2018 14:39

I agree with noble. A missing HOD in maths is a higher issue than whether y7 have a cover supervisor (from a school perspective).

We typically use cover supervisors up to a fortnight but with work being set and monitored by the leadership post holders in the department. Once someone is signed off longer term then the insurance kicks in and we can start getting agency staff (who may or may not be qualified or experienced depending on the subject).

OP you say you'd hope a head of maths was a maths specialist... I wouldn't count on it. I've known people get leadership posts in maths with no more than subject conversion courses from unrelated degrees, many come through from related fields. I also know of an English teacher who was teaching maths to y9 and GCSE classes being taught by former TAs being paid as unqualified teachers.
Sadly, maths is in a dire place for recruitment in quite a lot of schools.

smerlin · 30/09/2018 14:42

Your DD's class will be absolutely lowest priority. If the Head of Maths is away then they will be panicking about Y11,12,13 and absolutely not worrying about Y7. In fact more Y7 classes may lose out if they have to reshuffle the timetable to get the exam classes taught by the remaining Maths teachers. She is only Y7, can't you work with her yourself a bit for 2 weeks or get a tutor (although £££ so may not be possible). She should be registered for Maths Watch or similar with video tutorials.

There is no legal limit for cover and so few schools are out of the academy /free school system these days anyway.

Original poster

HarrySnotter · 30/09/2018 14:52

If the Head of Maths is away then they will be panicking about Y11,12,13. It's a middle school, so only Ys 5 - 8. I know I'm looking at it from a parent point of view but I can't afford a tutor for her and I'm working such long shifts just now I don't know when I'd fit in the time to help her myself.

I do understand what you're all saying, I'm just worried about her.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 30/09/2018 16:10

The other thing is that the person who would be organising cover, shuffling teachers etc would be the head of maths. This will be falling to other people in the dept who have much fuller timetables.

Has the school got mymaths/hegartymaths logins that she could use to keep up?

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 30/09/2018 16:29

Cover supervisor in a MAT academy here. Prior to academisation, I would have tried to get a maths specialist (as rare as unicorn poop and physics teachers) to cover all the teacher's classes after a week. Now, the head will rejig timetables to cover priority classes (sorry op) and either me, or another teacher with room in their timetable will have them. I taught year 7 geography for half a year last year. I was given sow and resources and I got on with it. Year7 in most subjects I'd be comfortable with long term, exam groups no. (I'm qualified btw)

Cauliflowersqueeze · 30/09/2018 16:33

The problem is that if the teacher is only signed off for one week or 2 weeks then by the time they have got in and interviewed a specialist supply teacher (assuming there is one - massively unlikely) then the teacher could be back. If they are signed off for 6 weeks, say, then it’s more manageable. If it’s every week “one more week” then it’s really hard.

ScottishG · 30/09/2018 23:17

Cover supervisor here in a large secondary. I am not a qualified teacher but have maths A -level and plenty of classroom experience. In the situation you describe, I would probably be asked to cover your daughter's class for a few weeks. The work would be set for me, but I also have access to Mathsbox and other resources. The alternative is a supply teacher who is probably not a maths specialist and doesn't know the school. It's not an ideal situation but any half decent cs should be able to manage a year 7 class and support them through the tasks they have been set. If that doesn't seem to be happening it may be time to contact the school.

Holidayshopping · 01/10/2018 07:54

I presume by qualified, you mean you’re a qualified teacher?

If so, does it annoy you that you’re doing pretty long blocks of teaching for a CS wage? I had thought CS were just there to cover odd lessons for s/t absence.

Schools are in such a muddle trying to do everything on the cheap

noblegiraffe · 01/10/2018 09:02

If our cover supervisor did a long stint in their own subject they would be paid supply rates for those lessons.

Holidayshopping · 01/10/2018 09:32

That’s reassuring to hear, Noble.

MaybeDoctor · 01/10/2018 17:49

It all sucks. It really does. I remember the TES forum warning about this when TAs first came in and thinking that it would never happen. Oh how wrong I was...

Does anyone think that rates of teacher absence are higher than they used to be? I rarely remember my own secondary teachers being ill.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 01/10/2018 19:21

*I presume by qualified, you mean you’re a qualified teacher?

If so, does it annoy you that you’re doing pretty long blocks of teaching for a CS wage? I had thought CS were just there to cover odd lessons for s/t absence.*
I did my my pcert, but didn't go for qts. Basically, I'm a bit older and the thought of the work that teachers have to do-after school, before school, weekends etc just wasn't for me. I'm happy to come in, deliver and go home. No, I don't get a teacher's wage, but I have a life and the remnants of my sanity.

Catspyjamazzzz · 01/10/2018 19:33

Sometimes if CS have done longer stints covering (and do some planning etc) we might pay them unqualified teacher rates.

With the news about teachers pensions contributions jumping so much then this is going to get so much worse. The money has to come from somewhere.

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