Telford schools spent £900,000 on supply teachers
Wednesday 4th August 2010, 10:47AM BST.
More than £900,000 was spent by schools in Telford on supply teachers in a 12-month period, it has been revealed.
The worst offenders were Wrockwardine Wood School, which used 11 different recruitment agencies from April 2009 to March 2010 and spent more than £223,000.
Other big spenders on supply teaching were Ercall Wood, where governors were forced to spend £142,100 in 12 months; Charlton School where £86,115 was spent; and Southall School which forked out a similar figure at £83,833.
At the other end of the scale two schools – St Peter’s Bratton and Church Aston County Infants – did not spend a single penny.
The figures were released following a Freedom of Information request to Telford & Wrekin Council, which said today it was down to individual schools and governing bodies as to how money available should be spent.
But Fiona McEvoy, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “Continually hiring supply teachers is not only disruptive for pupils, it’s also an unnecessary cost for taxpayers.”
Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman David Morgan said: “The council does not comment on individual school expenditure as this is a matter for the governing body of each school to determine.”
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And NO it is not a sweeping statement but many supply teachers are poor quality hence why the bulk are supply.
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Is this a story or another kick at schools trying their hardest to educate the youth of today.
As for Andrews comment maybe a lot of supply teachers do it so that they can manage other commitments in their busy lives
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Alot of supply teachers are also retired and only work so many hours per week, so to say they are not as good IS sweeping statement. But too get back to the story £900,00 is a ridiculous amount of money in 1yr. It would be interesting to know how much was made by the recruitment agency and how much was earnings by the teacher.
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Of course you are an expert on the subject. It IS a sweeping statement and the basis for your comment is no doubt the standard of your spelling which reflects your school experience. And, what do you mean by, “why the bulk are supply”. Bulk of what.
My son is a teacher (full time) and some of his friends are supply teachers. Many opt for “supply” because the salary rates in many cases are better than full time ones albeit. depending on the scale, they should be the same.
It is also not known what is meant by the term “offenders” in this item. Schools are under financial pressure and “supply” teachers enable them not to fill posts which would incur far greater costs with full-time teachers, ie pension, national insurance costs etc. The term “offender” is entirely inappropriate.
It would be more interesting to know how many full-time teachers were not employed as a result of incurring £223,000 for supply teachers but no doubt some of this would also be taken up with filling posts because of temporary leave by full-time teachers for maternity reasons etc, etc.
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Love how people like stewie try and gain the upper hand by picking on a simple keyboard spelling error . Your son may be a teacher but what makes you the expert ???.My school experience was very good really…. only 3 days off in secondary education and 27 years in continual employment and in all those days never ever felt the need to belittle an individual . Now toddle off stewie I am sure your son friends how old are they 10 ? can stick up for themselves.
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Well, I would hazard a guess that I know more about teachers than you do. One thing I learned a long time ago was not to make critical remarks about anyone or anything unless one knew what one was talking about. As for not running people down in these columns, you have done exactly that in this case and your daily comments on these streams do similar as are the past examples of your “education”. Still, it is in order to blame teachers for the failings in one’s own educational prowess – by your reasoning I suppose.
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STEWI STEWI Blame the teachers I say. I can say with hand on heart I never had a teacher who inspired me , I would also say I am in good company on that one if you do your Homework and take a look .
I would also suggest keep the bully tactics to the staff room , in fact the only teachers I hear about who leave the job are the ones being bullied by other staff members.
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‘toddle off Stewie’?
‘never felt the need to belittle an individual’ then you proceed in the next sentence do exactly that!
You’ve got an absolutely disrespectful attitude to anyone whose comments you disagree with on any subject. You’re personally abusive, aggressive and have the unforgiveable cheek to address people in any way you see fit. Was Stuart too difficult for you to spell? In all those years of secondary education and continuous employment did no-one inform you of basic manners and etiquette?
You complain about teachers but you’re no example of how to treat others which respect and consideration.
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Well if we are talking manners here, stewi sorry stuart took it upon himself to put me down via my spelling while debating on a public forum the tactics of a bully, in order to take control and humiliate his victim.
As this is a public forum where people pop in and out they may well talk as though they are writing a letter or in text speak, or slang or whatever they choose. Stewi never considered the poster could have even been dyslexic ,which I am not I just choose to tap it out on the comp at home or I phone the latter a few mistakes can occur but most and I seldom correct but people get the idea .
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This figure is completely meaningless without any context. It’s yet another headline for those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
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Look at the root cause, why are support teachers being brought in to schools (in many cases), why.? because too many teachers are having time off sick – no other industry would employees get away with such poor sick records.
I recently could not believe how many teachers I could not see at a parents evening due to them being off sick.
But then again no other industry gives you so many weeks holidays with pay so I am not surprised…!
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But then again not many professions eat into your non-work life as teaching does. How many commentators that trot out the tired “so many weeks holidays” rant regularly work at home every night, work most of Sunday, spend their lunch breaks working, continue working after their contracted hours of work have been done with after school clubs and work during a proportion of their holidays?
In any profession there will always be a minority that take advantage of their employers and colleagues, by taking time off for dubious reasons. Are you telling me that not one of your non-teaching friends has ever “pulled a sickie”?
As an ex-teacher I can vouch for the level of real stress, depression and poor morale that causes staff absences. I’m considering supply not because I’m a poor teacher, in my last post my students achieved excellent results and went on to further their careers and studies. I left because of the reasons stated previously. Supply, for me, is an opportunity to utilise my skills and experience in a way that fits in with my life and other commitments.
Most schools have insurance that covers the cost of supply cover, but only applies to absences over a certain length of time.
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Max ~ A lot of people work way in excess of their contracted hours without the reward of 13 weeks holiday a year.
Teachers are very well paid for what they do.
I get aggreived by the fact that teacher training days are taken in school time, irrespective of the fact that this inconveniences many parents, who probably have to eat into their meagre 4 weeks annual holiday entitlement to cover child care.
Yes, the ’13 week holidays a year’ is a common rant, but it is a justifiably common rant. Two of my neighbours are teachers. They are not stressed, don’t seem to work imperceptibly long hours and massively gloat about their over-long holidays.
Teachers don’t know they are born.
Jules
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Why “offenders”? Supply teachers are not only employed to cover absence through illness. Teachers may be out of the classroom on training courses, subject co-ordinators observe and monitor other staff, Newly Qualified Teachers are entitled to time out of class each week and all teachers are entitled to planning time.
Supply teachers are NOT second rate staff- headteachers that I know would ensure they wouldn’t be employed twice if they were!! Many are re-entering teaching after bring up a family or have chosen to work on a casual basis rather than full time.
By the way, the illustration of a blackboard and chalk heading education stories is way out of date!! How about using a picture of an interactive whiteboard instead?
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youngest sons primary school had 2 pt teachers one had a sick record you should sack some one for and still she is there.
Supply teachers brought in 1 was not permitted back after 3 days due to a large percentage of complaints from parents . Another asked to leave during the day I could go on .
My other secondary school child supply teacher removed for legal reasons and charged with an offence can’t comment on that one to much. Also anyone see panorama the other week . Clear stewi did not
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Its amazing how many people jump on the “bash the teacher bandwagon” without even the slightest idea of how the teaching system works. For example: the government issue funding that must be used for teacher training, which also consists of supply funding to cover the teacher while they are absent from classes. There are also programs that link teachers from secondary schools with primary schools, as a result supply cover is needed and funding is given.
There are also trips and extra curricular activities that take a teacher out of the classroom, again a supply teacher is required. Its all very well complaining without the facts, but as teachers, we can stop all these extra activities and extra learning opportunities. Maybe we can also ask parents to bring up their own children, that would be a novelty.
As for being paid for holidays, i’m affraid you are wrong. Teachers actually get paid for 196 days which is evenly spread out over 52 weeks. Taking into account that teachers spend just as much time at university as accountants, lawyers etc, their hourly pay is somewhat lower than colleagues in other professional areas.
Hope this helps enlighten those that think its all our fault, and to further annoy you, supply teachers are very hard to come by, as most choose their assignments wisely as they dont want to be dealing with constant behaviour problems that should be addressed in the home.
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Nobody bashes teachers if they do they are prosecuted.
They get all forms of criticism, as we all do. They have a problem, they cant seem to take it on the chin ie act like an adult and not like a child in the play ground .
They moan a lot and are known for it . We all are aware we have good teachers and bad the NUT are not aware they have any bad Teachers .
If the job is so bad leave as many employees do do not play I have studied all these years card move on.
You complain about the schools, lab/tory/ guvs , lack of funding , poor parents , unpaid work, stress , excessive hours it seems it has to be on a teachers CV. In fact I watched a new teacher interviewed the other week she had not started her first week and she moaned we are not paid enough ?? your career choice flower.
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Why is it so hard to get a teaching job in Shrewsbury and why have we teachers who have been the schools for decades most of them since leaving teacher training college after their own schooling?
The answer is that the job is very well paid compared to other publiic service workers, the hours fit in with family life unlike other jobs and some teachers are able to fit in second jobs also.
Ironically the best teacher at one of our secondary schools was not liked by the other staff because he had worked in another field prior to teaching. He knew a bit more about the real world of work outside of schools and was very popular, good at being a teacher and had a second business that he ran.
People seem to forget that most of us know or are related to a teacher and have children so we do know what the job is about.
The NUT does a good job hiding the salaries of this particular sector and I sincerely hope that the Tories will address that anomaly.
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I wonder if calling someone a flower could be classed as adult behaviour, perhaps Andrew wishes to return to the playground.
I do agree that there are some terrible teachers out there that are just hanging on until retirement. They are at the top of the scale and fully protected by the unions. This gives the rest of us a bad name and these teachers are usually the first to complain about change.
Eva you are quite correct when you say that teachers get paid well compared to other public sector workers. However where do you draw the line when refering to public sector workers as this includes all possibilities. There are a lot of public sector workers that do not incur 12000 pounds worth of debt while pursuing there education to become a professional in there chosen field. There are other public sector workers such as doctors that incur even higher education costs and are rewarded very well for their service.
Having chosen teaching as a second career and taking a pay decrease to do so, it is annoying that the public perception of us is as it is. I start work at 8:00am and teach till 3:15, run clubs during my lunch hour and after school sports till 5:00pm, i’m often in school discussing students progress with colleagues until after 6:00. Marking and planning takes another couple of hours in the evening and i’m not complaining, I’m having a blast because I know that tomorrow another hundred faces will light having learned something new. When these students leave they won’t have the same bigoted views as many of their parents, FLOWER!!!!
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Oh ok miss, mizzzzz, mam, Flower, oh do you think it may cause the poor girl stress?? how much is that going to cost us?.
So what if you work hard? we all do, but do not feel the need to tell all at every public/media event.
You all seem to think you are doing us all a favour your paid to do it, and if you are not happy as clearly some are not call it a day and go .
As for should I return to the play ground well more fun is to be had in the staff room .
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The comparable workers in the public sector are local govt officers, planners,environmental health, highway engineers,occupational health,nurses a whole myriad of professional workers and yet you as a teacher compare yourself with a doctor or lawyer!
Doctors and lawyers training takes 7 years to complete not a degree and then teaching certificate. That is the same as the 4 years it takes to train as a degree level nurse or the other types of professions mentioned.
In most careers any extra training in order to obtain more pay has to be done in your own time.
Certainly jobs in the schools that are easier to work in are getting harder and harder to get. A very large number of younger members of my family and many of friends children are training for this as a career.
I know how the marking ends up taking so long, because it is done in the evening whilst watching the news then apparently took two hours to do! Heard it all before!
BTW BAM BAM, I did not refer to anyone as anything botanical!
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Teacher training – that’s a really good example of wasted money..!
Why is it that after having two weeks end of term holiday a further day (or two days) is necessary for ‘Teacher Training’ – why can’t teacher training take place during the two weeks off.?
It’s also interesting why every teacher is on teacher traing…!
This is the profession that Mr Cameron should be targeting with his cuts.
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Well Eva, that’s told me hasn’t it. I am so pleased that you regard teachers below that of doctors and lawyers, If we are not held in the highest regard, entrusting the educational and social development of your children, then perhaps we should allow any government officer or, highway engineer to come into the classroom.
A teaching certificate, thats a good one, 4 years at university plus another year for the “teaching certificate” oh I also forgot the extra year for the masters degree. Oh, silly me I also forgot the doctorate, now is this done in my own time or while at school, or maybe while i’m at home watching the news, after all I am a teacher and I don’t do much.
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And the reason these people are paid more than a teacher ? ? is why in your opinion . And yet you are all aware of your average salary before training for the job .
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I am not complaining about my salary Mr Finch, or that aof the teaching profession if I was in the job for that reason alone, I would not be here. The reason for this thread was the expenditure concerning the hiring of supply teachers. You have taken this opportunity to vent your anger at the teaching profession. May I also add that the frustration you show is not based upon fact, but personal judgment and hearsay. I must appologise for not being able to provide you with adequate information that may have changed your bigoted opinions.
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Good grief you really do equate yourself with doctors and lawyers!
I am very sorry BAM BAM but doctors, lawyers architects are all far more qualified than teachers so you might as well accept that fact.
Of course very rarely teachers go on and complete Phds etc but it is not necessary for the job.
Those with that level of qualification like my brother in law who was in research as a theoretical physicist but lost his job in the 1970 cutbacks, went into teaching maths because he did not want to move abroad. That being the only alternative at the time, except to work for the new open university as some of his colleagues did.
My sister a psychiatrist was always jealous of his working day as a lecturer and the long holidays he had.
Nurses, planners, highway officers, surveyors, arboriculturalists take degrees and then invariably further qualifications in areas they wish to work. They would not be too confident at having a teacher try to do their job either!
Doctors and lawyers initial training takes 7 years but then they never really stop studying and have to have massive insurance cover against litigation.
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Well Eva, actually I do equate myself to Lawyers as I am a qualified lawyer, a member of the bar. I would never equate myself to that of a doctor, my brothers a doctor and he studied much longer than I. I wanted to be a lawyer, but when qualified and working in the field, it was not what I thought.
You will be amazed at the differentiated backgrounds of teachers. They come from all walks of life, admitting to say that there are those in the profession that are completely institutionalised and have no experience of the real world. A lot of these have very arrogant views regarding the work load and the profession in general.
The public ask, why dont we do all this training in our holiday time. Simple answer, we have a contract for 196 days, we get paid for 196 days. The government implements new strategies and tells teachers that they must be trained, eg differentiated instruction, cross curricular ICT etc, etc. Most teachers I know dont like being out of the classroom as it is too disruptive, creates more work and can be a waste of school resources. Until we can explain to our government that there is no quick fix to the GCSE pass rate and sending us on courses that have limited meaning in the classroom, then I think I’m still going to fighting a losing battle with the sceptics of our society. Thanks for reading.
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And they take a pay cut to become a teacher? sounds like a waste of uni time and student debt to me .
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Sounds like your education was also a waste of time Mr Finch as you don’t appear to be able to bring any critical thinking to your arguments and just feel able to bash teachers without understanding the profession.
One small point – who do you think educates the future doctors, lawyers, architects etc and provides them with the knowledge required to do their job? Oh that would be teachers then.
And no I am not a teacher – but I do train doctors as part of my current work. I know the importance of a good basic education and know who provides that.
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Time to modify this profession, they live ancient ideas – times when women stayed at home and the man went out to work.
Times have changed, modernise them, work for eight hours (at least) a day, anty traing to take place on non school days, reduce the number of holidays and unpaid sick – does this sound like many other professions…?
Oh, and are they still only a final salary pension..?
That’s value for tax payers money..
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Having read the comments in the above article, If some of the people who have made the comments are teachers, then I feel sorry for the children that they are teaching, because the spelling and the explanations in the paragraphs and thelay out of the englsh language is appalling, and as for being adults,and the way they express them selves, well then there is no hope for the children they are teaching.
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Ah, i read about this a few weeks ago. A lot of people who had an unhappy time at school due to such things as poor performance, bad hygeine, unpopular with the girls or just generally unliked by the other children tend to go on and vent their frustrations at the teaching profession later in life as they still can’t come to terms with their own dissapointing school days.
This is a perfect example..
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[If we are not held in the highest regard, entrusting the educational and social development of your children, then perhaps we should allow any government officer or, highway engineer to come into the classroom]
If a professional local government officer or highway consultant decides teaching is a better option then they may well end up in the classroom. You seem to forget that a degree in most subjects can be developed towards the teaching profession and whether those who do end up teaching are actually good at it, varies.
What it is not clear is why the teaching profession sees itself as so hard done by and why out of all the public service sector paid for by our taxes it is the only profession that is allowed to keep it’s salaries hidden.
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TEACHERS!!!!! The most over paid profession there is. It is the only profession where you can have a product [children] for 12 years, and turn them out as rubbish at the end, and not get the sack for it.
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