By Richard Johnstone | 17 September 2013
Schools in Wales could potentially save £9m a year if the level of teacher absences could be reduced to the level in England, a report by the Wales Audit Office has found.
An examination of teacher absences undertaken by the auditor general, published alongside a separate report from the Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales, found nearly 10% of lessons in primary and secondary schools were being taken by staff who were not the usual class teacher.
The WAO said maintained schools in Wales spent an estimated £54m on classroom supply cover in 2011/12. This has increased by 7% since 2008/09, due to teachers’ sickness, training and attendance at meetings. Taking account of the increased use of staff from agencies, it is estimated that the number of days’ supply cover rose by 10% over the same period.
Auditors said there was potential for schools to reduce teachers’ absence, and the need for cover, through better management and monitoring of sickness absence. For example, if Wales had levels of absence similar to England, around 60,000 fewer days cover would be required. This would be a potential saving of £9m a year.
As well as having a financial impact on schools, children’s education progress is also hit, the report by the inspectorate for education found. Inspectors found learners make less progress when their usual class teacher is absent and their behaviour is often worse. Teaching by supply staff not employed by the school is often less effective because these staff do not know enough about the needs of the pupils they teach. The disruption is greatest for children aged 11-14, as schools often make an effort to secure better cover arrangements for older children who are about to sit exams.
The WAO’s Covering teachers’ absence report called for the Welsh Government, local authorities and schools to do more to monitor the extent of cover, the quality of covered lessons and the impact on pupils.
Auditor general for Wales Huw Vaughan Thomas said: ‘Today’s report shows the increasing reliance on supply staff throughout Wales.
‘To use supply cover efficiently and effectively schools need to better understand the causes of teacher absence and to develop more effective cover arrangements. These actions will not only save schools money but also have a positive impact on pupil attainment.’
Publishing the education inspectorate’s The impact of teacher absence report, chief inspector Ann Keane said: ‘It is clear that when the usual class teacher is absent, pupils in primary and secondary schools make less progress.
‘It is vital that the impact of teacher absence is tackled to make sure that the standard of education young people receive is consistently challenging so that no pupils are put at a disadvantage when their classes are covered by a supply teacher.’
