St. James’ Catholic High School

Policy for the Use of Supply Teachers

MISSION STATEMENT
St James’ Catholic High School aims to promote a Christ-centred, caring environment, where individuals develop their full potential, and achievement is celebrated.

St.James’ can legitimately expect that every supply teacher will possess the same range of professional expertise, exhibit the same professional attitudes and demonstrate the same level of professional responsibility as all other members of their teaching staff.

How St.James’ can make most effective use of supply teachers

Like any new member of staff, a supply teacher working at the school for the first time needs the right information to help interpret an unfamiliar situation. Similarly, even a regular supply teacher needs to be brought up to speed in a number of respects.Supply teachers will be given a five-minute briefing from a senior member of staff at the start of the day. The following types of information will be given:

About the school

• An up-to-date map showing how to get to the school and where to park
• A legible plan of the school, or that part of it in which the supply teacher will work
• What arrangements there are for having lunch at the school
• The timings for the school day: what time to arrive; times of lessons; breaks and lunch time; end of school day
• The codes for any security doors that the supply teacher will use
• Arrangements for duties at break and lunch time (it seems reasonable not to require supply teachers to perform duties on their first day at the school)

About work in the classroom

• A standard sheet completed by the regular teacher(s), indicating the work to be done. It is helpful to include a brief statement about the objectives of each lesson, rather than simply a description of what the pupils should do
• Arrangements for registration and assemblies
• What the pupils should do at breaks and lunch time
• Classroom routines - do pupils line up outside the classroom?; how are requests to go to the toilet normally treated?; what is the signal for silence?; should the pupils use books or paper?; should homework be set?; if marking is required, what conventions should be used?
• Arrangements for photocopying: ID number etc.
• Where to find basic resources

About the staff

• An invitation to use the staff room and an explanation of the arrangements for tea and coffee etc.
• The name of (and how to contact) the senior member of staff who will answer queries and provide help
• The names of immediate colleagues.
• The names and roles of learning support assistants and adult helpers
• The procedure to be followed in the case of an accident.
• The role of “on call”.

About the pupils

• The names of all the pupils who should be present in each lesson; how to report absences
• The school's policy for managing behaviour: rewards and sanctions
• The details of any grouping by ability: setting, groups within classes
• Brief details of any pupils to watch out for, whether for medical, behavioural or special educational reasons

Evaluation and feedback

Those employed at the school for a period of a term or more are subject to the school's policy for performance management.

A short debriefing session for supply teachers at the end of each day is available with the head of department. This enables them to report on any particular successes or difficulties, and to inform the school about the behaviour and progress of classes and individual pupils.

Induction and training

"It is essential - and long overdue - that the training given to supply teachers is of the same high standard as for other serving teachers."
Green Paper: Teachers - meeting the challenge of change, 1998

It is recognised as good practice for schools to include their regular supply teachers in staff meetings and training events. Supply teachers need to be informed of the school-based events in which they are invited to participate, and of their entitlement to training in general. Similarly, supply teachers are responsible for requesting information about training and for contributing fully to they events in which they take part.  

Policy approved - September 2003
Date of review - March 2009