A school's outrageous behaviour

[still here]

Sorry, I need to have a rant.

On Monday at 8am I accepted an emergency callout to an unfamiliar school. I knew it would take me at least an hour to get there and warned the agency who reassured me they'd let the school know where I was coming from.

After I'd printed out my route, changed into my school clothes (might have lost me a
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of minutes here I admit but I like to kep htem uncreased), got to the car, checked my route with my map I left at 8.20.

I got to the school at 9.25 - had a pee arrived with the class around 9.30 to an expectant class and TA and one of those unit plans that look like the small print to a credit agreement and are just as hard to comprehend. I also had no access to the IWB as the old chestnut of the teacher having the laptop reared up again. Luckily they had a spare old fashined
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y board so I used that.

I set up a filler to keep the class busy hoping it would give me time but in seconds I knew I'd not be able to fit in the planned numeracy lesson even if I could work out what it shuold be so told the TA sorry, I'll have to use my back up lessons. They had a meaningful multiplication revision type lesson.

My break I had the time to look at the literacy. My TA has been kidnapped by the infants to finish making scenery so I went to the other Y6 teacher to ask where the resources were. I was taken to the
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ier - which promptly jammed.

This mean I had to resort to another revision type literacy emergency lesson. I was reassured by the TA that She'd get the resource ready for guided reading. Lunch came and went and she wasn't around.

So, again I had to improvise.

We managed the planned PE but the French written work lesson couldn't take place because the children had no French first thing (9am). So, on the advice of the other y6 teacher the children did mental maths.

By the afternoon, with no TA and PE (where I was nearly hit in the face with a full sized wooden hockey stick) the class were getting high and I knew they needed a familiar staff face to look stern and note names. I did the best I could - following the schools behaviour policy as best I could.

At the end if the day it had been a tough one but I did my best to keep them contained and doing something meaningful.

I left honest - maybe too honest- notes about the problems with resourcing, my loss of the TA and how it seemed that I was emergency cover for a pre-booked supply. I left
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ies of my emergency cover lessons and a handover sheet.The plans I was given demanded so much detail and resourcing that they were the type of ones I'd expect if I'd been booked ahead.

I told my agency the school was too far for me to go to again on emergency cover and told them my misgivings about the day.

Today I got an email from pay
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telling my my logged in timesheet had been rejected by the school. I rang my agency and it turns out the school hare not willing to pay my agency for my days work because I was 'late' arriving, didn't follow their plans and disrupted another teacher.

I was outraged by the unfairness of these remarks an wish I could name and shame the school.

I did the best I could with shoddy support and materials and don't' recall disturbing anyone at all - unless asking someone for help at break time counts as disruption.

I've decided that I will only limit my emergency call out schools to those I know I can get to by 8.30am in a rush hour. The odd thing is that other schools have just been glad to see me turn up. They've bent over backwards to give support and not minded me doing my own lessons. That school had completely unrealistic expectations of me. It turns out I wasn't a cover to a sick supply teacher. They were expecting someone to do emergency cover. Heaven knows where they though my town was in relation to their school. I even rang on my handsfree from a traffic jam to warn them I'd not get to them until after 9. I left detailed notes and plans, marked and tidied.

Maybe the TA knew she'd ballsed up and hid my notes.

I won't be going back. My agency have reassured me I will be paid for the day (eventually) and that the issues is between them and the school. They don't feel they can tell the school they were unrealistic because they re a client.

What do people think?

[Gnomoospan]

What a crock of S**T! Honestly some people treat supply teachers like rubbish don't they, make sure you fight for the cash and don't go back!!

[NataliePorter]

Is the school in London?
I had two early morning calls one morning. I'd accepted the first depending on if the school would be ok with me being an hour and a half late, i.e., 9.30. In the meantime, received another call, same agency with a job up the road, so could be there for 9. I accepted this and got in shit with the agency as they said I'd been booked on the other one. I listened to my messages and the agent said that the school were really not happy I was going to be so late. As if I wanted to go into that situation!!!!!! Anyway I turned up at the close one and they were so grateful. So sod that school, never go back and make sure you get paid!
I love your description of the lesson plan, they are so like small print.
I've been so lucky with the schools so far. Such friendly helpful staff. I always ask the other staff for help and most of them are bemused as to why the plans left have been so complicated. A few of the deputy heads I know have always said do what you want if you can't understand plans.

[NuttySupplier]

OMG!
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I think you should inform your Union no matter what the Agency think, just in case... tell them exactly what you've written here (email your local rep?) and give dates/times/names/school contact, so that it's all logged a bit more 'formally' than just with your Agency, while it's still all fresh in your mind.

Write everything down in minute detail... even not having a password for an IWB, let alone the laptop if it needs one, means you are unable to work properly in schools these days... How can you (DfES pay & conditions booklet thingy) 'carry out the professional duties of a teacher as circumstances may require' (para. 56.1) 'under the reasonable direction of the head teacher of that school' (para. 56.1.1) and fulfil 'such particular duties as may reasonably be assigned to him (sic)' without being given time to familiarise yourself with the work set/having a password for the IWB/
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ier/ICT suite/be told where the Fire Exits are upon arrival (bet they didn't do this, legal requirement I'm 99.9% sure!) etc. etc. etc. etc.


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Do you meet other supply teachers on your travels? I really would name and shame in the local area I'm afraid, teachers, esp. supply teachers, put up with sooooo much, whatever's thrown at them, and payment being refused is the most horrific insult... I need to vent now too!!!! Ok, at worst knock half an hour off, but even that is insulting beyond belief when you clearly worked hard all day...

Have been trying to be very professional in case we get a lot of newbies this weekend, want to give a good impression, but this really is outrageous!!

And why the hell are KS2 doing written work in French?!?!?!!
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If they'd not had that lesson, the head teacher's at fault I'm sure, they're ultimately responsible for ensuring the kids are educated properly... they should have taken the lesson... But, probably one of those heads who are frightened of the classroom as they don't know their IWBs from their PPAs! Must be, if they're happy for those unit plans to be left!!!

[danfur]

I am truly
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and disgusted. I cannot believe the nerve of the school. How dare they say they wouldn't pay you because you came late - erm..last minute emergency cover - they're lucky to get someone there at all!!! In my opinion its tough sh*t for the school if you're late to a last minute call - they should insist their staff call in sick earlier if its a problem.

And not teaching their lessons - well if the resources aren't there and the plans can't be followed and the TA is (oh so conveniently in my opinion) re assigned then as long as you teach them something meaningful and relevant then you're doing ok. I agree with Nutty, name and shame them if you come in contact with other teachers and make sure you get paid, you deserve it.

[still here]

Hi all,

Thanks for the supportive words - I needed a shoulder to
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in frustraton on!

My agency have told me I'll be paid but I don't know when. That was my 50th school in 5 years of part-time supply (many have had me back so I can't be that bad!) and I've never been treated like that.

I live near Whistable and have accepted emergency callouts to Gravesend and been welcomed, car lagged and dazed at 9.30 with open arms, sometimes a
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and time out to read through the plans properly.

In this school I didn't even see theSMT. As for the school it's in a village just off the M26...and no, I won't be going there again.

I'm off to iron my other school shirt for tomorrow and will only take schools I like or that are nearby for an emergency callout again.

Cheers,

SH

[NuttySupplier]

Really, the agency should just give you the money when it's due, and then sort it out... if they're that confident you'll get paid...

Have a lovely weekend, and spend a some time thinking about all those other lovely schools and children you've met!

[audrey]

I agree with everything here-absolutely horrific, how dare they treat anyone like that.It is true supply teachers are treated quite badly though. Do stick to your guns though re getting paid. Makes my blood boil to hear of someone being treated like that, supply teaching is not an easy option.
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[still here]

I thought I should let you all know it does look like my agency are being true to their word and I will get paid for that day.

Since then I've had several days in a school - pre-booked and emergency, and these have gone well. What a relief! I plan to only accept emergency callouts if I can get there before 9am or I'm pretty sure the school will not mind me getting there later.

bw,

still here