[senco-forum] Cover supervision

From: Janrolnick at aol.com> Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 17:12:33 -0400> To:

If cover supervisors are used as 'teachers' I'm sure this is against 
regulations and job descriptions.  Could it be that they are being paid on 
the unqualified teachers scale because they have appropriate qualifications 
or experience?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "WrayJanice Wray" <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>
To: <janrolnick at aol.com>; <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 10:41 PM
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Cover supervision

We are a large comprehensive.
Before the employment of cover supervisors we used some regular supply 
teachers who were excellent - they knew the school well and actually 
'taught' the cover work.
Now we have 4 cover supervisors - 2 initially and then they employed 2 more. 
They are cheaper than supply teachers.
Not all the school rounds here employ cover supervisors - we are one of the 
few.
They are only supposed to hand out the cover work and supervise the class.
However, one is being used to 'teach' English as there were 2 people on long 
term leave - this I think is totally unacceptable - cheap teaching by the 
back door - unqualified people playing at being teachers.
At first I was approach (as SENCO) to see if I wanted to be in charge of 
them in some way but I refused because it is against NUT policy.
They are liked by teachers in some ways because they take the burden of 
cover and exam invigilating from them.
Currently, they seem to spend a lot of time sitting in the staff room 
checking their e-mails and practising their Italian. I complained to the 
Head who said they are supposed to be deployed into faculties to do admin 
work, display etc - but this doesn't often happen.
I have complained to the Head; when my department is at full stretch trying 
to give SATS students the readers/scribes they need and there are people, 
being paid more than 2 of my T.A.s, sitting doing nothing in the staff room 
and I have made my views known and am not very popular.
One of our deputy heads couldn't understand my feelings - they are educated 
people he said - they could teach as well as anyone else - So, I replied - I 
can go into Sainsbury's and say 'Any educated people ere ? COme and teach in 
my school.' Ridiculous.
So, no, I don't like them - children aren't sure who they are - they seem to 
give the impression they are teachers - some children run rings around them 
and whenever they cover my classes (small groups of 10) the children seem to 
do hardly any work at all.
If you are going to employ them - think hard about it.
Could I use them for T.A. type work - well, yes I suppose I could but it 
would not be reliable support because they are sometimes used to cover 
lessons more than at other times.
Obviously other people will have very different views from me.
I have 2 senir T.A.s who took the higher pay scale of H4 and do act as cover 
supervisors when the teacher is away in a lesson where I deploy them - they 
know the students, the work and what to do - they work closely with the ICT 
and maths departments and 'team teach' with those staff. Maybe if cover 
suprtvisors were attached to a faculty and really got to know what was going 
on............who knows.
I think I am against them in principle
Janice Wray
Secondary SENCO Herts

> From: Janrolnick at aol.com> Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 17:12:33 -0400> To: 
> senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk> Subject: [senco-forum] Cover supervision> 
>  > I am interested to know how other people usecover supervisors. Do you 
> employ > them for that role alone or do you use TAs on an as needs basis? 
> What is the > best way to do it?> > > Many thanks> > > Janice Rolnick> > > 
>  >
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