Impact of improvements to supply teaching still unclear, report

The impact of action taken to address concerns around the use of supply teachers to cover sickness absence in Wales remains unclear, an Audit Wales report says.

A report in 2013, by the public sector watchdog and Estyn, raised concerns about the management of absence, impact on learners’ progress, support for supply teachers and the cost of cover.

A follow-up report published today says the Welsh Government has provided better access to training resources for supply teachers, responded to concerns about the national agency contract – including a minimum pay rate for supply teachers – and has tried to reduce the time teachers are out of the classroom.

However the overall impact of these actions remains unclear, Audit Wales says.

Previously it was found that around 10 per cent of classes were covered by someone who was not the class teacher, most commonly because of sickness and professional development.

The Welsh Government has been trying to reduce teacher workload and bureaucracy, factors that can contribute to stress-related absence, and manage the impact of professional development activities on classroom teaching time.

But while some councils have seen improving levels of sickness absence, overall levels have not reduced since 2013.

Supply teachers and other cover staff now have better access to online training and resources for their own professional development, the report says.

However, the potential cost of training and the lost opportunity to work and secure income remains a concern.

Since September 2019, the Welsh Government has included a minimum pay level for supply teachers in its national agency staffing contract, equivalent to the bottom of the main teachers’ scale which is currently just under £139 a day.

Gaps in data make it difficult to say whether the actions taken by the Welsh Government are having the intended effects, Audit Wales says.

Adrian Crompton, auditor general, said: “There have been a lot of important developments since our 2013 report, but the Welsh Government could do more to demonstrate the impact of the action it has taken.

“It also needs to consider whether there are enough temporary workers available to help manage the Covid-19 response alongside preparations for the new curriculum, particularly where there are already known shortages.”

The Audit Wales report also says it is ‘unclear’ if enough supply teachers are available to prepare for the new curriculum for Wales from September, 2022.

Meeting the demand for Welsh-medium schools and shortage subjects such as maths and physics may be particularly difficult, it says.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We welcome the report’s findings, including recognising the improvements we’ve made to training resources, supply teacher salaries and workload.

“We’re providing an additional £40 million to schools in response to the coronavirus, which will create a number of additional opportunities for supply teachers to support our learners through this year.”