Cover Manager

Employment Status:              Permanent

Full Time/Part Time:              Full time

Grade:                                     Kent Scale E

Salary:                                     £27,852 - £29,716 per annum , Actual salary for 40 hours Per Week, 39 Weeks per year (plus INSET): £26,245.36 - £28,001.83

Hours:                                     40 Hours Per Week (Between 6:30am-3:30pm/7:00am – 4:00pm with 60 minutes break unpaid)

Term-Time/All Year Round:  Term Time Only

Start Date:                              ASAP

We are looking for to appoint a well organised and enthusiastic Cover Manager who will be responsible for organising the daily allocation of cover arrangements for staff absences.

You will liaise with the cover team and external agencies, when required, to ensure that the agreed lesson plans are delivered efficiently and effectively in line with the curriculum.

You will need to be a strong communicator, liaising with various stakeholders to ensure school events (trips, opening mornings etc.) are covered accurately.

The successful candidate will have strong time management skills and be proficient in the use of MS Office, in particular Excel. Experience with Arbor would be beneficial but is not essential as full training will be provided.

You will need to be able to remain calm under pressure as the role can be very fast paced. This role will also include line management of the Cover Supervisors.

The cover team are an essential department within the school. They both cover lessons at short notice and from time-to-time take on longer cover assignments. They have to confidently carry out lessons which cover the entire curriculum, from English to Science and Music to DT.  The cover team need to be able to work closely with Heads of Departments and SLT to ensure our students receive an excellent learning experience.

The cover team currently has 4 members of full-time Cover Supervisors who work across the two campuses.

Main Duties will include:

• Dealing with daily phone calls from staff notifying their absence.

• To plan and arrange the daily cover for all absent staff to ensure all necessary cover arrangements are in place.

• To produce the daily cover email and inform staff of their cover when necessary.

• To liaise with supply agencies to arrange bookings, processing timesheets and invoices.

• Maintaining the cover diary.

• To ensure that cover is provided as efficiently as possible and that Cover Supervisors are deployed before teaching staff or external supply agencies are approached.

• To maintain regular communications with the HR team in respect of staff absence to ensure that staff absence reporting is accurate.

• To be responsible for the line management of the cover team.

• To be responsible for the signing in and ID checks for all external supply, arranging Arbor and network access.

• To act as the main point of contact for any queries in relation to cover.

• To create and adapt rooming schedules when necessary (i.e. for exams and other events that necessitate room changes).

• To maintain the cover inbox ensuring all events/trips are entered into the system and are covered effectively

• To supervise the subject work that has been set and issue appropriate directions and ensure the students remain on task.

• To respond to any questions from students about appropriate processes/procedures to adopt.

• To process planned personal leave forms and communicate with HR where necessary.

Application Closing Date: Monday 5 January 2025, 9am

Shortlist Interview Date: Tuesday 13 January 2025

Early applications are advised as the School reserves the right to appoint at any stage during the application process. 

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post. As this role involves 'regulated activity' with children the successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure application.  Employment will be conditional upon the College being satisfied with the result of the Enhanced DBS check and the outcome of all other checks.  

The School will also carry out a check of the Children's Barred List on the successful applicant. Applicants should be aware that it is unlawful for the School to employ anyone to work with children if they are barred from doing so, and it is a criminal offence for a person to apply to work with children if they are barred from doing so. 

This role is also exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask shortlisted applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.