South Lanarkshire has completed its first school session employing a network of permanent supply teachers, each allocated to a specific pool of primary schools, and the idea is spreading.

A group of headteachers and education officers drew up a set of guiding principles for the scheme and briefings were held for all the authority’s primary heads, explains education support officer Jessie McPherson. The day-to-day management was left to each cluster to allow them scope to organise cover according to local needs.

One cluster initially thought the fairest solution was to apportion time according to the number of classes in each school. A small school of three or four classes would be entitled to the services of a supply teacher for one day a week, whereas a larger school with eight classes would have an allocation of two days per week. Schools would be able to call on the services of their cluster supply teachers on other days should they be available.

On reflection, however, it was agreed that smaller schools deserve the same allocation as larger schools since they have the same curriculum development needs and large schools have more non-teaching staff to provide cover if necessary. So all the schools in the cluster were apportioned equal supply teacher time.

Other clusters came up with variations to suit their needs.

In times of exceptional need clusters can “borrow” supply teachers from each other, if they are free, and draw on the authority’s conventional bank of supply teachers.

It was agreed that the permanent supply teachers could be used in a variety of ways to benefit individual schools if they were not required to provide cover. They could, for example, assist with curriculum development or put to use any special skills or interests they may have, such as music or art.

Although the scheme is innovative and potentially an effective solution to the shortage of supply teachers, it has thrown up minor snags which require modification.

One problem raised is how probationary teachers who join the supply scheme after graduating will fare when being evaluated for their final probationer’s report after two years. How will they be assessed in classroom management, planning and other essential aspects of classroom teaching when their experience will consist of short-term cover or working alongside another teacher in a variety of situations? This is a very different scenario from assessing a probationary class teacher who has consistently experienced all the elements required for evaluation.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland, which monitors the probationary service, is concerned about this but Ms McPherson says that aspect of the new provision is being monitored and will be reviewed with input from probationer teachers.

“This situation is no different for probationers who are on temporary supply, covering schools all over an authority on a short-term basis,” she says. “In the South Lanarkshire initiative, cluster cover teachers provide cover for a small number of schools, allowing them to build up a better knowledge of the schools and their pupils.

“Probationers have also been given the opportunity to share their views, both positive and negative, as part of the probationer support offered within the authority. Some clusters have devised strategies to ensure probationers have access to the full range of experiences required by the GTC for full registration.”

As the scheme progressed through its first year, another problem came to light. What happens when a cluster supply teacher becomes lodged in a long-term cover assignment?

In seeking a solution to this potentially common situation, the authority has decided to employ more supply teachers for long-term supply cover, thus freeing the cluster supply teachers to do the job for which they were employed.

Despite teething troubles, the initiative is a success. Ms McPherson says:

“Many of the early problems have been ironed out and examples of good practice shared among clusters. A wide-ranging evaluation and review has been undertaken as part of a council best value review of absence cover. This has involved seeking the views of all stakeholders and although the review is not yet complete, detailed guidelines on cluster and area cover have been drafted and will go out soon for consultation.”

The concept of permanent absence cover has been extended this session to secondary schools in South Lanarkshire. Cover staff are allocated to the council’s four geographic areas, with each secondary being used as a base school for cover staff.

The core subjects of English, maths, science and social subjects have the most cover, though other subjects are included to a lesser extent. If the scheme proves successful, consideration can be given to extending the range of subjects covered.

Teachers who have worked on a temporary basis for some time have welcomed the opportunity to be employed on a permanent basis.

Other councils are now recognising the potential benefits of South Lanarkshire’s precedent, and Midlothian and West Lothian are among those advertising for permanent supply staff, for primary and secondary cover in the former and for primary cover in the latter.