|
Question
1 -
What are your views on whether there is a prevalence in the use of
supply teachers on a planned and unplanned basis?
|
|
No I do
not. I believe that there is in fact a lack of work for
supply teachers as there is a prevalence of unqualified cover
supervisors that babysit classes sometimes two to three classes at
a time in dinner halls across Wales is much more of a concern than
the amount of supply teachers. It is something that makes
life as one of these teachers much more difficult.
They are
supervised so much by these individuals with substandard work left
by permanent teachers that they do not expect to have to work when
a qualified supply teacher takes the class. I always make a
class work and learn despite conditions and lack of resources left.
Many of the issues that inhibit learning in these schools are well
developed before the supply teacher has even entered the building.
As teachers that attends a variety schools we all know the standard
of education offered in particular schools as well as the attitude
towards cover in general for both planned and unplanned
occasions.
|
|
If you believe that
this results in problems (for example, for schools, pupils or
teachers), how do you think they could be resolved?
|
|
A
situation has been created where the first choice of cover for a
lesson in Key stage 3,4,5, is an unqualified person due to the fact
that the schools employ people on a permanent basis. These
unqualified people are usually paid approximately twice as much as
my annual wage as a supply teacher.
There
needs to be a consistency of having well qualified people in charge
of the classes as well as the school taking responsibility and
accountability for good appropriate work of an acceptable standard
being left. Work that is realistic and measurable rather than
the DVD or the impossible concept of making a poster with a
significant lack of information left.
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
1 – This is a key,
urgent problem.
|
§
√
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
§
|
|
Question
2 - What
are your views on the circumstances in which supply teachers are
used for example, the types of classes they cover; the types of
learning activities which take place under the supervision of
supply teachers; whether they are qualified to teach relevant
subjects?
|
|
Supply
teachers are given limited guidance, no essential background
history on children.
I have
been used to fill in for inadequate permanent teachers that are
away from school due to stress. Stressed due to not
completing their work properly and poor standards in teaching.
You will be in charge of a class with some of the notorious
disruptive people in the school with no support, no information as
what to do in an emergency and usually no phone in the room.
There is also an issue of the fact that if any significant
worry is raised with regards to ‘Child Protection’, you
never know who the appropriate person would be to pass on any
sensitive information.
Most
teachers are sent to the schools by agencies for general cover.
I often do not have any idea as to where I am going to be or
what I am going to be doing until 8.30am that very day. I
will often turn up to cover one subject but end up teaching
something completely different. It is very much a lucky dip.
It does not look like any consideration is taken when putting
the right people in the right places. There are also many
people on maternity contracts and long term supply through agencies
rather than through the county, saving money for al apart from the
person doing the work.
|
|
If there are
problems in this area, how do you think they could be resolved?
|
|
Bring the supply teachers
back under the wing of the Government as they do in Northern
Ireland. Where they would be able to distribute a good
selection of teachers to the appropriate places. This would
help with quality control as well as being able to put people with
an appropriate amount of Language skills such as Welsh to the right
places as opposed to what is happening at the moment. All
supply teachers being paid the same would mean that it would be the
best that would get the jobs rather than as it is at the moment
through the agencies, the cheapest.
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
1 – This is a key,
urgent problem.
|
§
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
§
|
|
Question
3 - What
are your views on the impact of the use of supply teachers on the
outcomes for pupils (including any impact on pupil
behaviour)?
|
|
As
said above, I believe that there is so many people in our schools
that are just babysitting with a limited amount of skill and
expectation that a great deal of damage is being done. The
children are intelligent enough to know that in these circumstances
that they can happily do a limited amount of work and cannot
distinguish between cover supervisors and supply teachers.
They then do not have the work ethic when work and learning
is the main aim of the teacher.
It
would be easier for me to get work in a school and be paid more as
an unqualified member of staff than a temporary teacher.
|
|
If you believe there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
|
|
There is so much dreadful
work left for children by their permanent teachers in key stage
3,4,5, and no work at all for Primary, that they know that is just
a stop gap piece of work that does not have any relevance to what
they have been studying and does not build on any work learned
previously. Primary is very difficult in the fact that they
expect a stranger to turn up with work that magically fits in with
whatever scheme of work that they are working from. If they
have indeed created a scheme of work for children to complete then
surely they could have cover work available that is appropriate and
build on the work that they are doing.
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
1 – This is a key,
urgent problem.
|
§
√
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
§
|
|
Question
4 - What
are your views on the Continuous Professional Development of supply
teachers and the potential impact of the National Professional
Learning Model?
|
|
There is
no Continuous Professional Development for Supply teachers.
Although I have been in a shocking amount of schools
including five Maternities and countless number of short and
long-term contracts I have not had any CPD in 13 years.
There
have been major changes to the educational structure in Wales that
I have had to teach myself. Piecing together any available
information from random websites. I have had to master The
2009 curriculum (to an outstanding ESTYN level, before being
replaced by a teaching assistant post inspection), Welsh
Baccalaureate, Essential skills Wales, National literacy and
numeracy framework, with no help. All taught with no training.
The changes to the curriculum this year will be equally
disastrous as I have no idea how I am going to be able to gain
access to this years changes especially as we Supply teachers are
all locked out of HWB+.
|
|
If you believe there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
|
|
If the Welsh Government
continues to accept that the schools employ through agencies then
the Government will have to accept that no one will take
responsibility for ensuring these people have the appropriate
training. As stated above I have completed five maternity
periods of work but was still considered as a temporary worker not
important enough to invest in with training. If it is so easy
use and discard staff then there is no incentive for schools to
invest in people.
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
1 – This is a key,
urgent problem.
|
§
√
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
|
|
Question
5 - What
are your views on performance management arrangements for supply
teachers?
|
|
There
are none. Even when I have been covering a maternity/sickness
cover over a number of terms I have never had any kind of
performance management. In fact when the permanent members of
staff of a school were having theirs, I was told there wasn't a
point as I was only temporary. I was the only one in a
primary school looking forward to a full ESTYN inspection just to
be able to know how I could improve the standard of my original
policies, schemes of work having never had any training in Primary.
I gained outstanding. I have also had value added in
every school I have been in, on account of having pride in my work
and love to see children flourish. I also relish proving to
permanent members of staff in a way that is measurable that I am
not a supply teacher because I am an inadequate teacher.
|
|
If you think there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
|
|
There is too
much of a turnover with regards to the pick and mix attitude within
schools of getting a body in the class as shown by the use of
teaching assistants and cover supervisors. I see it every
day. Employing PPA teachers on a permanent basis in some of the
schools mean that all take accountability and quality control of
work and teaching standards. They can get to know the
children, the children get to know you and realise that there is an
expectation of learning and behaviour.
The supply teacher will
usually get the blame if anything goes wrong with the class or the
work irrespective of the quality of the tools, circumstances or
resources left. The school generally does not expect any
issues with the class and usually does not take kindly to supply
teachers giving any negative feedback on the classes. You are
usually seen but not heard.
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
1 – This is a key,
urgent problem.
|
§
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
√
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
§
|
|
Question
6 - Do
you consider that local authorities and regional consortia have
sufficient oversight of the use of supply teachers?
|
|
I do
not believe that the local authority has any oversight with regards
the use of teachers and is equally as clueless as to how qualified
the people in charge of classes in their schools. I have seen
many a teaching assistants in charge of lessons. Having said
this, most of the counties appear to have a preferred agency.
All involved seem to be saving money on the backs of the
person doing the hard graft.
|
|
If you believe there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
|
|
This
service need to be brought back into the county. There is
much that needs doing to balance of this unethical immoral
behaviour with the profit going back to education. This money
could fund programmes to help with literacy and numeracy in Wales
especially in areas of high unemployment. A brief scan of
Companies House shows how much profit is going out of education,
that is if the accounts of the agencies are even based in this
country.
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
1 – This is a key,
urgent problem.
|
§
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
√
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
§
|
|
Question
7 - Are
you aware of any local and regional variation in the use of supply
teachers and if so, are there any reasons for this?
|
|
There
is misuse of supply teachers all over Wales. I have seen
people having to drive in excess of an hour and a half away from
certain areas as they have started charging by the hour, not
including lunch. They are then trying to boost their wages by
claiming petrol back as their wages are so poor.
I
have also seen schools take on newly qualified teachers on a
temporary basis, telling the teacher it is with the prospect of
being taken on at the end of the year. They are then given
notice in June/July and replaced in September with more newly
qualified teachers. Feeding the amount of inexperienced
supply teachers and ensuring that the children are always being
taught by an inexperienced teacher on a rotational basis.
|
|
If you believe there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
|
|
Data needs to be collected
from schools on an annual basis with regards to the amount of
teachers taken on by these schools, what point in the scale they
are on, whether they are temporary or permanent and turnover of
teachers. A simple points system for the school could help
illustrate the balance of cost v’s experience.
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
1 – This is a key,
urgent problem.
|
§
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
√
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
§
|
|
If you believe there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
|
|
|
As has already been said,
instead of having multiple independent databases of teachers
willing and able to work. One database would improve access
to schools for Welsh medium teachers better all round for supply
teachers and children. More permanent PPA teachers in Welsh
speaking schools would also help.
|
|
|
How significant is
this issue? (Please select one option)
|
|
|
1
– This is a key, urgent problem.
|
§
√
|
|
|
2 – This is a problem
that needs to be addressed.
|
§
|
|
|
§
3 – This is a minor problem
|
§
|
|
|
4 – Not a problem.
|
§
|
|
|
Question
10 -
If you had to make one recommendation to the Welsh Government from
all the points you have made, what would that recommendation
be?
|
|
To tackle
the massive issue of unqualified people in charge of the classroom.
It would
appear the whole debate into supply teachers is a moot point.
How are the pupils going to get a higher standard of teaching
if they are still being taken by individuals that are not meant to
do any more than watch them. How will that cover supervisor
cope for example with a day such as I had last Friday when I had
been left with no work by any teacher, did not have access to their
exercise or text books and was put in non-specialist room and
hall?
The
damage will be done whether conditions are tightened/improved for
the common supply teacher as they are only a percentage of the
teaching time of these children. Would it not be wise to
consider about clamping down on the amount of teaching time taken
by unqualified people. I was personally replaced (having
gained an outstanding) by a teaching assistant on a permanent basis
as soon as Estyn had finished its job in a school. There is
very little said in the reports made by The Wales Audit Office,
Estyn, The Public Accounts Committee about Cover supervisors.
A headmaster is not going to openly admit that this happens
in their school as they have a 'brand' to protect. It is only
when management do not consider a person to be important enough to
warrant hiding these practices that you are able to see the true
state of Education in Wales. What I see is what you
get.
I do not
feel that the mistake of forgetting about supply teachers when
setting up the HWB can be ignored, as explained below.
|
|
Question
11 -
Do you have any other comments or issues you wish to raise that
have not been covered by the specific questions?
|
|
A
complaint was made to the HWB department of the national assembly
in December of 2014 with regards to the inadequate service given to
supply teachers and later after a response with my Assembly member.
It has subsequently been forwarded to the Education Minister.
Had I realised that there was an enquiry being held into
supply teachers I would have most certainly have responded at the
same time as contacting the assembly with regards to the HWB.
Since accidentally finding put about this enquiry I have
asked all supply teachers that I know if they were aware of it.
No one that I have met whilst being on the school circuit has
been even remotely aware of any review into supply teachers.
How is this possible?
It does
appear that the setting up of the HWB and the inability of supply
teacher to be able to gain training, access for resources or for
class use is a major oversight. Even in the National Digital
Learning Council report it advises that all teachers be given
access to the technology. It would have cost a considerable
amount less in consultation fees had the managers in charge of the
project simply asked people such as myself with a practical working
view from the bottom. I would have suggested for them to
attach the HWB login to the individuals' unique teaching number for
traceability instead of the impractical linking to the registers of
schools, especially as there is no system-administrator in based in
many of these schools. I would dearly like to know how the
Government intends for the 'new deal' to work if these many
teachers are literally locked out of the system? Any multi
million pound initiative would not work without some margin of
common sense behind it especially as it has also been extended with
more millions of pounds being spent on it.
Why is it
that we can only take some of the work available in schools yet
take all the blame for when things are deemed unsatisfactory in
education. There are many times that I have been put in a
position where I have had to pick up, sort out, fix, get results
and disappear as if I have never been, just in order to hide the
inadequacy of the permanent member of staff.
How does
it help that the education committee sanctioned a collection of
data over survey monkey aimed at the service provided by supply
teachers when it is clear that they are not the only providers of
this service. Who is to say that the majority of these
children were taught by the cover supervisors. I personally
do not know who teaches my child although I do realise that it is
not always the class teacher. In my opinion, this question
could only have been conceived by an individual with limited
knowledge of the system. If these people are not exclusively
the carers of these children during lesson times then how could
they get all the blame? It has also not been helpful that
these statistics have already been used in the media by journalists
that have used this data in order to stigmatise the supply teachers
further. Would this data hold up to official or legal
scrutiny? We teach children to consider all variables when
producing a questionnaire with the aim of a true unbiased
survey.
As
agonising an existence as it has been, it only occurred to me a few
summers ago when listening to the Children's Commissioner for Wales
talk on the radio about his concerns for children in poverty in
Wales and what the definition of poverty was, that I realised that
I was a person technically classed as a being in poverty. I
find it interesting that the recommended pay rise for Assembly
members' by the Independent Remuneration Board is more than my
annual wage. I am deeply concerned about gender equality and
deprivation in education, but how does a person in poverty that
works under the conditions that I do help people that are also
under that same poverty line. I am shut out from professional
development, cannot utilise any of the experience that have in my
head or my hands due to my status, and cannot access further
education even though newly qualified teachers are able to read a
masters for free with approximately 12% of the experience in
practical terms that I have had. I cannot work for anyone
that is able to make a difference as many educational foundations,
trusts, bodies expect experience in research, not practical
experience in the field. We are in limbo.
I would
dearly hope that someone has the strength of character to be able
to make the right decisions. As were it not for the charity
of others I would the mother of a child in utter poverty and
degradation, simply because I care about children's education and
love teaching. There are far too many people all the way up the
ladder taking their share out of the supply teacher both
figuratively and financially, leaving very little left, and I
anticipate for quality of life purposes that I will not be in this
profession for much longer. Neither could I condemn any other
prospective individual to the profession of teaching. Working
as a supply teacher cannot be described as anything other than an
introduction to personal financial annihilation.
I do not
need training in the Bradford factor to be able to work out the
patterns of absence that I am called in to
cover as I have
had to anticipate these patterns for a number of years just in
order to balance my budget. I usually get paid a limited
amount if at all between the months of June, July and August.
September, a few days if I am very lucky as you have get a
few days’ pay into the system before the payroll closes
mid-month. Last year it was one day. October, a few days more
although November has a week that is lost due to the Half term
holidays. The payroll of December is only worth approx. two
weeks due to it being closed early for Christmas. In effect,
you only have two weeks’ worth of money to the pay the bills.
In reality it is only approximately five months wage of the year
that you can depend on and holiday pay is also limited. A
small percentage of the days wage for every day worked. It is then
taxed.
I believe
that teaching as well as education and learning should be inclusive
not exclusive which is certainly incredibly far from the truth.
Transparency is not found in abundance in education.
|