[senco-forum] Cover supervision

From: "Lucy Grimme" <lucy.grimme at btinternet.com>

The situation in our school is much the same as Janice reports.

Theyare paid at scale 4 even although most of them have had little or no 
previous experience of working in school or have qualifictions that would 
allow them to be employed as unqualified teachers wheresas some of my TAs 
have degrees and are paid at best on scale 2.

Add to this the cover supervisors are all being piut onto the HLTA course ,a 
course aimed at career progression for experienced TAs

They are alos being used to cover long term absence and I know that the 
unions are not happy about this.

In the main the kids have very little respect fro them as their classroom 
control and student teacher relationships are at best poor. Instead of 
sitting around in the staff room we have noticed an increasing trend where 
two cover are in a class - doesnt help class discipline though it just gives 
the kids double the target. Shouldnt laugh really but it is quite amusing 
watching the kids run rings round them and then approach the TA for help and 
guidance. Couple of them even try and teach. One even questioned me when I 
tried to correct her over some historical evidence she was spouting to year 
7 - she asked what made me so sure - reply  History Degree - her previous 
job soft furnishings. Enough said.

Some teachers in some departments even opt to cover within faculty even 
although they are on PPa rather than have cover supervisor

If one of my TAs is in the lesson and the teacher knows of absence the Ta is 
usually well briefed and knows what is to be done and teh cover supervisor 
while nominally in charge ends up sitting doing very little annoying 
considering the pay differential.

In theory the concept of a team of in house cover is a good idea it just 
depends on the quality and the training they have been given and also what 
they think the role is.they should know the kids better than supply but if 
tehre is little respect for the students they will get little respect back.

Gaynor

Ours udsed

>From: "Lucy Grimme" <lucy.grimme at btinternet.com>
>To: "WrayJanice Wray" <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>, 
><janrolnick at aol.com>,<senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
>Subject: Re: [senco-forum] Cover supervision
>Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 13:33:00 +0100
>
>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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