IPPN

Substitute Teachers – What are the options?

Published: 22 April 2021

Covid 19 has presented many obstacles to school leaders in keeping schools open. The demand for substitute teachers is now outweighing supply. Traditionally, an issue that was isolated to certain geographies is being mirrored nationally. The staffing crisis is a time sensitive issue and IPPN is currently seeking to address the issue of substitute shortage with stakeholders. Progress updates, when available, will be communicated to members in e-sceal.

Substitute Teacher Options

SubSeeker (EducationPosts.ie) – A teacher registered with the Teaching Council, regardless of their route of registration, may provide substitution cover at primary level without any implications for the 5-day rule
SET Teacher – A SET may be used as a mainstream teacher and the hours banked
Final Year BEd Students – 5-day rule applies (DE Circular 44/2019, Chapter 1, Section 3)
Class Closure – For H&S reasons, where it is not possible to find a substitute teacher, the BoM may need to consider closing a class for the duration of the teacher’s absence, in line with its Risk Assessment. Boards should seek advice from their patron if they are considering a partial closure due to staffing issues. It is recommended that schools communicate with their parent body the issue of substitute shortage, the efforts being made to secure a sub when required and the implications in terms of H&S where a sub cannot be secured. A Template Letter in preparation for such an eventuality is provided here. All communication will need BoM approval.

Note: DE Circular 44/2019, Chapter 2, Section 4 for further information on sequencing of recruitment

Sub Seeker
The EducationPosts.ie Team have made a number of enhancements to the Sub Seeker service in response to members feedback. If you are unable to source a sub using Sub Seeker, it is critical to log that on the site using the ‘No subs available’ tick box, as this will provide accurate statistics that can be presented to the Teaching Council and the DE as evidence of the scale of the issue in schools.

Have a Question?
IPPN’s Professional Guidance Team is available Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm to provide collegial support and guidance of a non-directive nature. To contact the team, email advice@ippn.ie Tel: 021 4804070

Key Dates (15 April e-scéal)

Published: 15 April 2021

21 April 2021

Date for return of Appendix E – Main Panel Form
Date for return of Appendix D – Clustering of part time SET hours.
Date for return of Appendix G – Application for CID
Date for return of Appendix H – Notification of CID teachers
Date for return of Appendix F – Appeal on staffing allocation
Date for return of Developing School Application

29 April 2021 – Date for return of Staff Planning Document which is being sent to each school
30 April 2021 – Final date for submission of applications to Department of Education (DE) School Transport Section. Note: Applications for school transport should be submitted to the SENO in advance of DE closing date to facilitate transfer of applications to DE by 30 of April. Thereafter any outstanding applications should be submitted to NCSE as soon as possible. NCSE and DE Transport Section will continue to process transport applications as received.
30 April 2021 - Final date for the provision of the In-Person Supplementary Programme. Completed paperwork must be returned to the Department by Friday, 14 May
May 2021 - Publication of Special Class Teacher and SNA allocations on the NCSE website
7 May 2021 - Closing date for submission of applications for Post-Graduate Certificate/Diploma Programme of Continuing Professional Development for Teachers working with Students with Special Educational Needs (Autism Spectrum Disorder) (DE Circular 11/2021)

Input to IPPN’s submission re. the DE Digital Strategy for Schools

Published: 15 April 2021

The DE has asked education stakeholders to make submissions by early May in relation to its Digital Strategy. Given all the work schools have done in relation to online learning, there is an additional wealth of expertise among school leaders as to the needs of schools, that can inform a new Digital Strategy for Schools. The current strategy for 2015-2020 may be a helpful reference. Multi-annual funding, teacher and leader CPD, curricular resources and equity of access are among the items to be considered.

The submission is to be made online and is to be structured as follows. Please send your input for the submission by email to geraldine.darcy@ippn.ie by Friday 23 April. It would be very much appreciated.

Please outline your observations and comments on how the existing Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 has supported the integration of digital technologies into teaching, learning and assessment practices in schools
From your understanding of the current Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, what challenges have school faced in the integration of digital technologies into teaching, learning and assessment practices?
Your comments and observations on the key areas and priorities that should be addressed in the development of the new Digital Strategy for Schools.