Suspending “specialist” subjects like PSHE and music may be needed as schools face soaring staff absence this term, the Ofqual chair has warned.
The suggestion is one of several “exceptional, emergency timetable changes” put forward by Ian Bauckham as a way of coping with high staff absence due to Covid-19.
Mr Bauckham, who is also chief executive and director of the Tenax Schools Trust, sets out his suggestions in a “case study” published on a Department for Education portal for headteachers, seen by Tes.
While high absence levels can be managed up to a point, he writes, “a point is also reached where resources can be stretched too thinly and alternatives, however undesirable, become necessary”.
For example, specialist subject teachers may need to be redeployed in order to reduce pressure on staffing this term, Mr Bauckham says.
Specialist teaching suspended
He writes: “In cases where a specialist teacher rotates between classes to teach subjects that sometimes include for example PSHE, RSHE or music, it may be possible temporarily to suspend the teaching of that subject and use that teacher to teach classes whose normal teacher is absent and unable to teach remotely.”
Practical subjects normally taught in smaller groups for health and safety reasons may need to be taught in bigger classes with a more theoretical focus, to allow schools to prioritise GCSE and A Level students, Mr Bauckham continues.
This might involve “collapsing six groups of 20 in a practical subject into four groups of 30 with a theory rather than practical focus to curriculum delivery”, he suggests, adding, “this might release staff capacity to support elsewhere in the school, including to prioritise provision for exam cohorts”.
His suggestions come the day after the DfE advised heads to consider merging classes to ensure pupils remain at school during periods of high teacher absence.
Live streaming to merged classes
Mr Bauckham says in some cases, teachers may need to stream live lessons from home to more than one class at the same time, including those in another part of the school, or to a different school in the same trust.
In this scenario, he recommends:
- Adult supervision in each classroom where pupils are accessing the remote lesson
- Where this is impossible, combining classes “in a suitable larger space, such as a school hall, perhaps using examination desks”
- Focusing on revision/consolidation
work, or starting a new topic or unit for all classes concerned
Year groups to prioritise
Mr Bauckham also says school leaders will want to consider which year groups should be prioritised for “as routine a style of delivery as possible”.
“Classes preparing for public examinations, as well as some with SEND and early years, will be amongst our own priorities,” he writes.
Mr Bauckham was made permanent chair of Ofqual last year and also chaired the government’s Initial Teacher Training (ITT) market review.
His case study says he is “very conscious that there is no right answer in all circumstances, and different school and trust leaders will have different approaches which are at least as valid as those suggested from personal experience here”.
An Ofqual spokesperson said Mr Bauckham had not written the piece as part of his work at the regulator.