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Question
1 - What are your
views on whether there is a prevalence in the use of supply
teachers on a planned and unplanned basis?
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The use of supply
teachers is very common, and I would imagine that all schools use
them almost on a daily basis. If teachers are on a course
then that use is, of course, planned in advance, but, with illness,
supply teachers are commonly called in the morning.
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If you believe that this results in problems
(for example, for schools, pupils or teachers), how do you think
they could be resolved?
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If a school deploys supply teachers wisely it is
not a problem. We do not usually use supply agencies; rather,
we use the same supply teachers all of the time. We have a
personal list that we use on a daily basis. These teachers
have either been students at our school, have retired after
teaching at the school or have been recommended by another school.
In addition, we also have two lesson supervisors who take
lessons on a daily basis.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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3 – This is a minor
problem
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/
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4 – Not a problem.
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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?
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We are not
concerned about this at our school. Our lesson supervisors
are, in the first instance, used to look after the subjects in
which they specialise. We try to use teachers in an effective
manner; for example, if a linguist is unwell, we employ a supply
teacher who previously taught French and English. A former
physical education teacher is used when there is illness in the PE
department and a former design and technology teacher when there
are problems with subjects such as woodwork, design and technology
and construction. We adapt to the demand. If a teacher is
away on a course, it is the responsibility of that teacher to
assign work for the class – this work is given to the deputy
or the relevant head of department. If illness is the reason
for the absence, work is expected to be assigned for the second day
of absence. With careful planning, there is no problem. We
also periodically observe our supply teachers to ensure that they
are appropriate for the position.
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If you believe there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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These problems can be resolved by adopting the
strategies outlined above.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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§
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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§
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3 – This is a minor
problem
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/
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4 – Not a problem.
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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)?
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I am not of the
opinion that the use of supply teachers, when appropriate, affects
outcomes for pupils. The school must ensure that this does
not affect pupil behaviour, too. Staff must be supervised
closely to ensure that the use of supply teachers is not a
problem.
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If you believe there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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Again, by keeping a close eye on the issue,
there is no problem. Plans must be made beforehand to ensure
that appropriate work is left for the pupils. If a supply
teacher is deployed at a school for a longer period of illness, it
must be ensured that appropriate standards are maintained.
This is ensured via observation and offering relevant
support.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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§
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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§
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§
3 – This is a minor
problem
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4 – Not a problem.
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/
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Question 4
- What are your
views on the Continuous Professional Development of supply teachers
and the potential impact of the National Professional Learning
Model?
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It is very
important that supply teachers have an opportunity to participate
in continuous professional development. We ensure that they
have an opportunity to attend any courses held at the school and we
also observe them on occasion.
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If you believe there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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Supply teachers need to be treated as members of
staff at the school.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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§
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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§
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§
3 – This is a minor
problem
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4 – Not a problem.
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Question 5
- What are your
views on performance management arrangements for supply
teachers?
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I do not see any
problem with performance management arrangements for supply
teachers. This is an opportunity for them to develop
professionally.
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If you think there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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This may be a problem if the teacher works in
several schools. Guidance must come from the teachers
themselves.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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§
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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§
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3 – This is a minor
problem
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/
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4 – Not a problem.
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Question 6
- Do you consider
that local authorities and regional consortia have sufficient
oversight of the use of supply teachers?
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Certainly not.
Many agency supply teachers are not fit for purpose. This is
a particular problem with Welsh-medium schools. We had to
turn to an agency recently for someone to teach science, for
example. However, even though the agency said that the scientist
was able to speak Welsh, his Welsh was not of an appropriate
standard for the school. Regional consortia and local
authorities have no current plans to monitor this.
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If you believe there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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There are certainly problems in this area.
Local authorities and regional consortia need to ensure that
they keep a close eye on the agencies and staff working within
them. The amount of money made by agencies from supply
teachers is also appalling.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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/
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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§
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3 – This is a minor
problem
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4 – Not a problem.
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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?
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No, I am
not.
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If you believe there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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§
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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§
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3 – This is a minor
problem
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4 – Not a problem.
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Question 8
- Do you have any
views on supply agencies and their quality assurance
arrangements?
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Certainly, I do
not believe that supply agencies ensure the quality of staff in
their care. Even though we do not use agencies regularly,
from the experiences that I have had, I have never seen anyone from
an agency coming to visit a member of staff at the school. I
also feel that, as noted previously, the way that agencies exploit
their staff is appalling. The contracts are often unfair and
many teachers do not realise what it is the small print in terms of
being released from their ‘contracts’.
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If you believe there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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Again, agencies need to be fairer to their
staff. They need to ensure that they demonstrate quality by
monitoring and managing the staff performance.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This is a key, urgent
problem.
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§
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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/
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3 – This is a minor
problem
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4 – Not a problem.
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Question 9
- Are you aware of
any specific issues relating to Welsh medium education? If so, what
are they?
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Again, as I noted
previously, getting hold of people to teach in the medium of Welsh
is a problem. From our experience of using agencies, they
have very few Welsh speakers appropriate for our use. Even though
they are identified as ‘Welsh speakers’, their oral
Welsh and, certainly, their written Welsh, are not sufficient for
them to work in a Welsh-medium school. Many of them have also
not taught their chosen subject through the medium of
Welsh.
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If you believe there are problems in this area,
how do you think they could be resolved?
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It is a very difficult problem to resolve as
there is a shortage of teachers in several relevant
fields.
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How significant is this issue? (Please select
one option)
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1 – This
is a key, urgent problem.
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/
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2 – This is a problem that
needs to be addressed.
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3 – This is a minor
problem
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4 – Not a problem.
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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?
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It must be ensured that agencies are accountable
to local authorities and that quality assurance takes
place.
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Question
11 - Do you have any
other comments or issues you wish to raise that have not been
covered by the specific questions?
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No.
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