What if I need Cover?

Inform Alison Lamb by emailing the information to the cover admin account as far in advance as possible (preferably as soon as you know about the intended absence) - please ensure the date of absence appears as the email subject - and at least 5 working days before the cover is needed. If you are unable to get to work through illness or other unforeseen difficulty, please phone the direct dial number to Alison which is 01245 245709 as soon as possible ( before 8am for illness) and leave a message on the answer phone.

How do I leave work?

Please complete a COVER WORK FOR ABSENT STAFF sheet for EACH of your classes (copies of these are kept in the staffroom) place in this folder in the stack of trays in the staffroom (Except for Science where the work should be left with the Technicians). If the absence is unforeseen, please contact your Head of Department and suggest suitable work for your classes: it is then the HoD’s responsibility to ensure work is in the folder. If you are completely unable to contact your HoD work can be emailed to the cover admin account cover@cchs.essex.sch.uk

On all occasions of planned absence, work must be set for classes and should be left in your personalised folder in the stacking trays in the staffroom. If you are going to be off for more than one day you may wish to use additional folders for subsequent days. Whilst trying to meet the needs of the students, please try to ensure cover work requires minimal teacher intervention. It should not be assumed that students will need to work in silence.

• Please ensure that there is sufficient work to keep the students occupied for the duration of the lesson.
• If detailed instructions have to be given to the students in the lesson, please duplicate these so there are enough copies of the instructions for each student to have their own.
• Ensure there are sufficient resources e.g. enough photocopies for everybody, enough textbooks.
• Make it clear what should happen to the work at the end of the lesson - whether work should be handed in, carried on for homework, left with students etc.
• Give the name of a person to contact in case the covering staff needs any further support (this would normally be your head of department, but could be an experienced colleague who works close to the covered lesson)
• Please leave work for each lesson separately in the cover folder
• If work is left with the class, in the classroom or with a technician; please leave a copy in the cover folder so the covering staff know what should be done.
• Please ensure that on your return you check, empty and remove the cover folder from the stack. Leave the empty folder in the rack next to the stack.

For staff covering the lesson

• Take the information for your lesson out of the folder (science lessons will be with the technicians) and leave the folder in the staff room tray.
• Complete the attendance register. It is best if this can be completed on sims.
• Complete the relevant sections of the Cover Work for Absent Staff sheet
• Return any paperwork to the folder in the staffroom.