Essential Job Information
The following information will be of interest to those seeking jobs or, considering a career in education. Teaching agencies and employers of cover supervisors may also find this of value.
• What is a cover supervisor?
• What is the work like?
• What qualifications are needed?
• What is a Higher Level Teaching Assistant?
• How can you find work?
The job title of ‘Cover Supervisor’ is very new in UK schools and it has come about as a result of the governments ‘Remodelling of the School Workforce’ agenda ( see www.remodelling.org )’.
‘Cover Supervisor’, is the job title given to non teaching staff who have been chosen by the headteacher of a school to look after a whole class of children. However, it is also possible for other non teaching staff, such as Higher Level Teaching Assistants to look after whole classes too.
Cover supervisors are usually deemed suitable if they have the necessary training and skills to fulfil the task of whole class supervision. The headteacher of the school will normally be the person who decides if, in their professional judgement that an individual is suitable to be a cover supervisor.
As the role of the ‘cover supervisor’ is relatively new, there are still some elements of uncertainty as to how they are best deployed in schools. Current guidance seems to indicate that cover supervisors should only cover classes for ‘short term absences’ (eg 3 days), however this can change depending upon the specific circumstances. More guidance is given via the ‘Documents’ available for downloading on this site.
Typically, a cover supervisor will work during school hours and in addition
to supervising the class, they will also oversee the completion of set
work and manage the behaviour of pupils.
Working as a cover supervisor can be extremely rewarding but also very demanding. There is a high level of responsibility and although there is always a teacher close at hand if needed, there is a large amount of autonomy.
A cover supervisor is likely to be used for short-term absences of a teacher. These might be known in advance (for example, where a teacher has a medical appointment or is undergoing professional development) or unexpected (for example, absence due to illness.
On a daily basis, cover supervision is more than likely to include:
a) supervising work that has been set in accordance with the school policy
b) managing the behaviour of pupils whilst they are undertaking this work
to ensure a constructive environment;
c) responding to any questions from pupils about process and procedures;
d) dealing with any immediate problems or emergencies according to the
school’s policies and procedures;
e) collecting any completed work after the lesson and returning it to the
appropriate teacher
f) reporting back as appropriate using the school’s agreed referral
procedures on the behaviour of pupils during the class, and any issues
arising.
However, schools may wish to employ staff for cover supervision but on occasions where they are not needed for cover, they might also be released to provide additional support to teachers in classrooms, or to carry out administrative tasks for example. Thus it is easy to see how the role of cover supervisor and teaching assistant can become interchangeable.
The working day is usually during school hours and often, term time only.
Salaries are set locally by schools, usually with guidance from local education
authorities
What qualifications are needed?
There are currently no specific qualifications required for the role of cover supervisor however, cover supervision is a responsible role and so schools will take great care to ensure that all staff have the necessary skills and knowledge before being given charge of a class.
Applicants should also note that, given the nature of the work, it is highly likely that a criminal record check (enhanced disclosure) from the Criminal Records Bureau would be required, to ensure their suitability for working with children.
In general terms, those undertaking cover supervision should:
a) be familiar with the full range of school policies, particularly those
regarding health and safety, equal opportunity issues and special educational
needs (SEN);
b) have the necessary skills to manage safely classroom activities, the
physical learning space and resources for which they are responsible;
c) understand and be able to use a range of strategies to deal with classroom
behaviour as a whole and also individual behavioral needs.
Although some individuals may already have some experience of working
in schools, it is likely that some specific training will also be needed.
It is expected that much of the training relevant to teaching assistants
may also be suitable for cover supervisors. However, anyone who meets the
Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA) standards will, as a matter
of course, automatically have the necessary training and skills for cover
supervision if that is to be part of their role.
There are an increasing number of sources available to help you to identify jobs as a cover supervisor, including our message boards and our free online newsletters (Subscribe Now!).
There are also a wide variety of education recruitment agencies (sometimes known as ‘Teaching Agencies’), who can help you to find work that suits.
Teaching Agencies
There are hundreds of education recruitment agencies nationwide, dedicated to the task of helping to find you work. Some agencies are well known national high street names such as Reed, Select Education, Protocol and Celsian, however there are also many local agencies available too.
The standard of agencies can vary from area to area and it cannot be assumed that a national agency will be any better at finding you work than a local agency. A guide to Teaching Agencies, the services they offer and a comprehensive list can be found at: www.teachingagencies.co.uk
Alternatives to recruitment agencies include:
• Contact local schools directly
• Local jobs papers.
• National jobs papers such as the TES (Times Education Supplement), The
Guardian or, The Independent.
• Contacting your LEA
(Local Education Authority)
• Search online – see Great
links
OTHER USEFUL LINKS FOR COVER SUPERVISORS |
| Links to downloadable documents will appear here when available |