Teachers have biggest impact when they are working in class with their pupils.  However, from time to time, teachers might be away from their class as a result of:

• regular release from class to complete other work in school;
• planned absence for training or other events;
• sickness absence including personal circumstances.

Regular release from class to complete other work in school includes:

• every teacher must be released from class during the school day for 10% of their working week to complete planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) work.  At Fielding we release teachers together to work as a team, so that they can learn from one another and share the workload.  When teachers are released for their PPA time, our specialist teachers for PE, Music and French teach the class. Typically this is equivalent to a morning or afternoon every week.
• teachers in their first year after qualifying, must also be released for an additional 10% of their working week to focus on a personal programme of professional development.  At Fielding, newly qualified teachers use this time to attend courses, observe other teachers in class and/or complete their own research.  This time will usually be covered by Miss Bhatti or Mrs Begum, Cover Supervisors, who teach work left by the class teacher.  Typically this is equivalent to a morning or afternoon every week and may vary day or session week to week.
• teachers who are also school leaders must be given a 'reasonable' amount of time to complete their additional leadership role.  Assistant Head teachers are released from class for a morning or afternoon each week.  Year Leader and core subject leaders are released from class for a morning or afternoon every other week.  Their classes are taught by a specialist teacher or cover supervisor, who teach work left by the class teacher.

Planned absence for training or other events is managed by:

• if the teacher is a school leader, their release time is rearranged so that it matches the planned absence, reducing the amount of time that a school leader is away from their class;
• if the teacher is not a school leader, their class will be taught by a cover supervisor, who teaches work left by the class teacher or by an agency teacher.
• use of agency teachers is kept to a minimum so that pupils are taught by known adults in school who know our pupils, our expectations and follow our routines.

Sometimes teachers become unwell or personal circumstances mean that they are unable to work.  For the first 2 days of any unplanned absence we aim for pupils to be taught by someone they know and/or who has been involved in the planning and preparation of learning:

• Reception classes are taught by an Early Years Educator, who is a member of the Reception team.  They teach work planned by the year group team.
• Year 1 or 2 classes are taught by a cover supervisor if they are available.  Otherwise, an agency teacher is used. Wherever possible, the agency teacher is known to our school.
• Year 3-6 classes are taught by a cover supervisor if available. Otherwise, the class is split between other classes in the age group.  This means that children continue to receive high quality teaching input, albeit in a slightly larger class.

If absence persists beyond 2 days, an agency teacher will usually cover the class.  If absence becomes long-term, a cover supervisor will usually become the class teacher.