Written question WQ83788

Supply teachers play a vital role within the school workforce and are engaged by schools to undertake a wide range of roles that are critical to the delivery of education across Wales.

Under the Staffing in Maintained Schools Regulations, school governing bodies have responsibility for ensuring that they have an effective workforce in place, appropriate to the needs of the school and its learners. This includes the deployment of supply teachers, who can be engaged for various lengths of time to cover different temporary roles.

Whilst there will always be a need for supply cover, there is also a need to ensure that the teaching workforce has the support and capacity to provide the best quality teaching for our learners. Through the Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards programme, up to 1,800 FTE additional fixed term staff have been placed in our schools – many of whom were recruited from the supply sector. The NQT induction scheme has placed an additional 400 newly qualified teachers in schools this term.

These initiatives enable headteachers and governing bodies the flexibility to recruit temporary staff via alternative routes, if they wish. However, it is for headteachers to use their professional skills and knowledge to ensure the most effective deployment of staff throughout their schools; including arrangements for supply cover.