The Successful Teacher

This information is based on he West Dumbarton LNCT agreements (Agreement No. 05 Appendix 1) and and the SNCT Handbook.   Main Points From the 1st of April the definition of short time supply changed from being classed as periods of 5 days or less to 2 days or less. In addition to this change there was the inclusion that there would not be any cap to maximum class contact time. Class teachers within a short term period could be expected to teach for the the whole school day. However an additional 10% pay uplift should be added if this is the case. If the short term teacher DOES receive any NCCT (Non-Class Contact Time) within the day then they will not be eligible for the 10% uplift of pay for that day. There are three types of engagement a supply teacher can be offered:

• Supply Engagement
• Fixed Term Engagement
• Fixed Term Contracts

Supply Engagement will be applied when the engagement of work is required and agreed to on a Daily Basis. Teachers employed under this engagement are under no obligation to offer or accept work. This period of work must be of a period 2 days or fewer to be classed as Supply Engagement. If the work is to span of an engagement of 3 or more days then it would move to be a Fixed Term Engagement alongside the the additional details of the Fixed Term Engagement agreements and responsibilities.   Short term teachers are expected to complete the following reduced range of duties specified in the SNCT Handbook (SNCT Handbook, Part 2, Section 2, Main Duties, Paragraph 2.9):

(a) teach assigned classes;

(b) correct work, as part of ongoing classwork;

(c) maintain a record of work;

(d) contribute towards good order in the school;

in addition to the Duties of all registered teachers (SNCT Handbook, Part 2, Section 2, Main Duties, Paragraph 2.1 - 2.7):

1 The duties of staff covered by the SNCT are outlined in this section. This list is not intended to be prescriptive but should act as guidance for the development of specific duties and job remits. LNCTs are required to reach agreement on these.

2 All teachers are required to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and are required to meet and maintain the Professional Standards which are set by GTCS Code of Conduct and to participate in Scheme of Professional Update, in accordance with requirements set by GTCS. Teachers enjoy a position of professional trust and are accountable for the decisions and actions in their professional practice. Teachers should always act honestly, openly and with integrity.

3 Teachers have a responsibility to support the health, safety and well-being of young people in school.

4 Teachers should work in a collegiate manner in partnership with parents/carers, pupils and colleagues across the education community to promote positive outcomes for young people and to raise levels of attainment and wider achievement for a diverse range of pupils. All teachers should promote equality of opportunity and ensure a commitment to inclusive education and recognise and respect the views of young people.

5 The duties of all teachers should be undertaken with due regard to workload and contractual obligations in order to allow them time to focus on their core role as leaders of learning.

6 Teachers will not be expected to undertake the duties generally undertaken by administrative and support staff, but will work co-operatively with all staff to ensure an appropriate distribution of workload.

7 Teachers are required to be members of the appropriate PVG Scheme.

  All of the service under a short term supply contract will continue to count in full towards service for incremental progression.(SNCT Handbook Part 2 Section 1.18-1.23)   Fixed Term Enagements:   The engagement will be classified as Fixed Term Engagement where the appointment of engagement from the outset is known to exceed 2 days or if the short term supply engagement has lasted beyond the single continuous period of cover of 2 days. Where a short term engagement has extended beyond the aforementioned 2 days and becomes a Fixed Term Engagement the previous hours spent teaching on short term supply supply will not count towards the weekly class contact time hours undergone during the first week of the fixed term appointment. The following circumstance can lead still lead to an offering of Fixed Term Engagement:

• If a pattern of recurrent work is identified (E.g probationer cover or where regular cover is required and planned for e.g. every Monday in a term)
• The Head Teacher may, in exceptional circumstances, authorise engagement on a fixed term basis before the engagement extends 2 days. The Head Teacher may be required to justify this decision e.g. in a shortage subject or difficulty obtaining supply cover.
• Where a part time Teacher is engaged for additional days to teach their class.

Teachers under a fixed term engagement will be employed under the same terms as permanent staff in regards to hours worked, duties required and salary point (Pro ratad for part time workers). They will also be required to fulfil the full range of a teachers duties stated in the SNCT Handbook, Part 2 Section 2 Paragraph 2.8:

(a) manage and organise classes through planning and preparing for teaching and learning.

(b) assess, record and report on the work of pupils’ progress to inform a range of teaching and learning approaches

(c) prepare pupils for examinations and where required, assist with their administration.

(d) contribute towards good order and the wider needs of the school

(e) develop the school curriculum

(f) contribute to the school and council planning and improvement processes.

(g) maintain and develop knowledge and skills and contribute to the professional development of colleagues including probationary and student teachers.

and the duties of all registered teachers.   Fixed Term Contract If a term of work is known from the outset to last for over 4-6 weeks then a fixed term contract should be requested through HR Connect in a good time for the individual beginning their contract.  In addition: "Payroll and HR deadlines should be adhered to. Examples of this would be – long term sickness cover, maternity cover, covering secondment, career breaks etc. " (LNCT Agreement No 5: West Dumbarton). The FAQ will give more examples of circumstances where a supply or fixed term engagement or fixed term contact would be offered.  

Frequently Asked Questions

  The answers to the Frequently Asked Questions can be found on page 3 - 6 in the following LNCT online document:  

General

  Q.1      What is the difference between supply, fixed term as processed through timesheets (Seemis / Click and Go) and Fixed Term Contracts that are issued by HR? Q.2      If I know that I require a maternity cover should this be on time sheets or a contract issued? Q.3      How should I arrange cover for Short Term Supply or a Fixed Term Temporary Engagement? Q.4      Why does the type and length of the engagement have to be confirmed verbally and in writing?  

Duties

  Q.5      Can a teacher engaged on a Supply engagement be required to work at parent’s evenings?  

General Pay/Duty/Hours

Q.6      I have a Part Time Teacher, currently on Point 4 of the Main Grade Scale. I may require them to cover classes for one of their colleagues off for 1 day. How should they be engaged to cover these duties? Q.8      I have been covering an absence on a Short Term Supply engagement for 2 days. I have a requirement to extend this cover however the current Supply Teacher covering this is unable to. Will the Supply Teacher who covers the absence for the rest of the week or the following week be engaged as short term or fixed term engagement? Q.11   If I have engaged Short Term Supply to cover 2 days for a Teacher and then at the end of the 2 days I need cover for an additional 2 days for a different Teacher within my School is this classed as one engagement?

Working Hours

  Q.10    What are the maximum hours that can be claimed in any one week as a Short Term Supply Teacher covering for 2 days or less? Q.11    Is this different if they have been asked to cover on a Fixed Term engagement lasting 10 days form the outset? Q.12    Should a supply teacher be given or paid for preparation and correction time?