Can time spent as cover supervisors/teachers count towards induction?
A – A cover supervisor (even one holding qualified teacher status [QTS]) who is not employed as a teacher cannot count their time spent as such towards induction as, during supervision, no active teaching takes place. Cover supervision is not an effective use of any teacher’s time, and in general, teachers (including NQTs) cannot be required to undertake more than 38 hours of cover during an academic year (Para 72.8.2 of the school teachers’ pay and conditions document). The DCSF will be consulting in 2008 on the proposal that from September 2009, teachers should only rarely cover. However, as with the 38-hour limit, that will not apply to teachers who are employed “wholly or mainly” to provide cover. Where a teacher is employed wholly or mainly to provide cover, the very nature of a cover teacher’s responsibility makes it highly unlikely that such a post might comply with the requirements set out in statutory guidance on what constitutes a suitable post. For example a post must, over
