Background

Since 1 September 2009, all schools in England and Wales have been required to have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that teachers and headteachers cover only rarely in unforeseeable circumstances. To examine how schools had responded to the revised contractual provisions introduced from 1 September 2009, the NASUWT undertook a short snapshot survey of membersʼ experiences of the first term of implementation of the ʻrarely coverʼ provisions as set out in the School Teachersʼ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).

The Survey

An online survey of teachers and headteachers working in the maintained sector was opened and made accessible to potential respondents over a two-week period between the end of December 2009 and the beginning of January 2010.

This report is based on 1,000 responses received from teachers and headteachers working in primary and secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units, as well as centrally attached teachers and supply teachers in England and Wales.

The responses were generally representative of the teaching profession by gender and region. Teachers in the secondary phase were, overall, more likely to respond to the survey.

This report provides an analysis of the issues and trends overall in respect of the implementation of the statutory contractual provisions on rarely cover. Any significant differences identified in the data by phase, gender or region are highlighted in the report.

KEY FINDINGS

Meeting the Statutory Duty

The objective of progressive movement towards a position where teachers and headteachers may be required to cover only rarely for absent colleagues was first set out in the National Agreement: ‘Raising Standards and Tackling Workload’, signed in January 2003. In 2007, the STPCD included advance notice that all schools, from 1 September 2009, should have secured the position of teachers and headteachers covering rarely in cases of absence. This guidance was provided in the 2007 and the 2008 editions of the STPCD.

Since 2003/04, there have been numerous examples of schools where teachers and headteachers have been required to cover only rarely. However, since 1 September 2009, all schools have been required to have consulted on and to have established ʻrobust systemsʼ to ensure that teachers and headteachers cover only rarely for absent colleagues. The exception to this being teachers who have a specific contract of employment requiring them wholly or mainly to provide cover for absence. Each school is required to have in place a robust system that secures the contractual entitlement of teachers and the headteacher to provide cover only rarely and that is capable of dealing with all foreseeable events.

The NASUWT survey asked teachers and headteachers whether they believed that their schools were currently meeting the statutory requirement in respect of rarely cover. Fewer than two thirds (63.7%) of respondents said they believed their school was meeting the statutory requirements on rarely cover. More than one quarter (27.7%) of respondents were convinced that their schools were not compliant with the current statutory requirements, with the remainder not certain about whether or not their school was compliant.

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