Cover Supervisor
What is a Cover Supervisor?
The job title of ‘Cover Supervisor’ is very new in UK schools and it has come about as a result of the governments ‘Remodelling of the School Workforce’.
Working as a cover supervisor can be extremely rewarding but also very demanding. There is a high level of responsibility and although there is always a teacher close at hand if needed, there is a large amount of autonomy.
A cover supervisor is likely to be used for short-term absences of a teacher. These might be known in advance (for example, where a teacher has a medical appointment or is undergoing professional development) or unexpected (for example, absence due to illness.
On a daily basis, cover supervision is to include:
a) supervising work that has been set in accordance with the school policy
b) managing the behaviour of pupils whilst they are undertaking this work to ensure a constructive environment;
c) responding to any questions from pupils about process and procedures;
d) dealing with any immediate problems or emergencies according to the school’s policies and procedures;
e) collecting any completed work after the lesson and returning it to the appropriate teacher
f) reporting back as appropriate using the school’s agreed referral procedures on the behaviour of pupils during the class, and any issues arising.
What qualifications and experiences are needed?
You will need to hold a degree or have a teaching assistant qualification or both. In general terms, those undertaking cover supervision should:
a) be familiar with the full range of school policies, particularly those regarding health and safety, equal opportunity issues and special educational needs (SEN);
b) have the necessary skills to manage safely classroom activities, the physical learning space and resources for which they are responsible;
c) understand and be able to use a range of strategies to deal with classroom behaviour as a whole and also individual behavioural needs.
Although some candidates may already have some experience of working in schools, it is likely that some specific training will also be needed. At Key Stage Teacher Supply we endeavour to provide the necessary professional development and training to our candidates.
For further information please contact your local branch.
