Covid: Supply teacher shortage could force schools to close

Some schools are at tipping point and could be forced to close because of a lack of staff, the UCAC union warned.

It said self-isolation due to Covid has exacerbated a supply teacher shortage that existed before the pandemic.

Headteachers' union NAHT said high levels of staff absence "cripple" their ability to stay open.

The Welsh government said it is committed to reviewing its current model of attracting supply teachers.

NAHT's director in Wales Laura Doel said problems are worse for subjects such as the Welsh language and in rural schools.

"We are seeing shortages everywhere, even in inner city schools where there are usually more supply teachers available," she added.

"The pressures are twofold. Firstly, there is significantly high staff absence in schools which means there is high demand, and we've also had reports of supply staff reluctant to go into some schools because of high rates of Covid."

The union wants the Welsh government to review measures to reduce the spread of Covid in schools.

Figures from the Education Workforce Council show there are about 4,500 school supply teachers and 8,500 school learning support staff working for 50 agencies.

However, head teacher of Cardiff's Eastern High School Jonathan Angell said he has to call several agencies to get staff.

Currently, about 10% of his teaching and non-teaching staff are off, and he added: "Where we can usually go to supply agencies and say can you send us two members of staff, they're going a) everybody needs two members of staff and b) we haven't got those staff because they are also ill."

Mr Angell said it is a challenge running a school on few staff.

"When you're working your way down through the eighth agency and they're telling you we haven't got any supply teachers, you can see how difficult it is right across Wales and the whole of the UK," he added.

Charmian Burgess, branch manager of Nantgarw-based agency Supply Desk, said she has never been so busy.

"It's crazy at the moment. We start in the office at 07:00, although we're starting to receive more inquiries earlier on because there's such a shortage at the moment of candidates available to work in schools," she said.

"Schools obviously are struggling very much with people being off with PCR tests and Covid-related absences."

Ms Burgess said she often struggles to match who is available to appropriate schools, adding it is a "dire situation" particularly for schools needing Welsh language and science skills.

"Teachers of Welsh are virtually non-existent. They are very much struggle areas and the only way I can see that changing in the next couple of years is to increase training provision through the medium of Welsh," she said.

Other factors affecting availability are fewer teachers leaving their jobs and student teachers having less time available because their university timetables are more intense this year, she added.

Sonia Killip is joining the supply pool at the agency to teach English in Powys after working online during the pandemic.

She said: "The virus itself I think yes (has been a worry) for everybody, but I think now as we've progressed to this point, I'm not particularly concerned about that.

"Obviously I take all my precautions but I think in terms of how it's isolated people and how it's caused people to be perhaps a bit nervous about going back into the world, I think that's been a concern."

Rebecca Williams from the teaching union UCAC said: "Worse case scenario is whole schools closing down because at a certain point if you haven't got enough staff, then health and safety says it's not safe to open the school.

"I would think there are schools who are at that tipping point."

She added Covid has made pre-existing supply teacher problems worse.

"They don't get the statutory pay and conditions, they don't necessarily get sick pay, they aren't allowed to be part of the pension scheme. So really, these are long term problems that have been exacerbated by Covid," she said.

A Welsh government spokesman said it set out in its recent Programme for Government a commitment to review the current model of the engagement of supply teachers.

It wants to develop a "sustainable model" with "fair work at its heart", the spokesman adding: "There are a number of routes in place for schools and local authorities to recruit supply staff, either generally or during periods of increased absence - including recruitment via approved agencies, or directly."