Supervision and Substitution

A guide to the S&S Scheme for second-level teachers in Ireland.

Supervision and Substitution Scheme

A Supervision and Substitution Scheme (S&S) operates in schools to allow for:

  • the supervision of students during breaks and before and after school
  • substitution to cover certain categories of teacher absences.

Operation of the Supervision and Substitution Scheme is set out in the ASTI Supervision and Substitution Information Leaflet 2014.

All teachers must participate in the S&S scheme (except for those who were eligible to, and chose to, opt out by February 28, 2014).

Teachers’ S&S commitment

  • Teachers are committed to provide a maximum of 43 hours supervision and substitution per year (pro-rata for job-sharing and part-time teachers).
  • S&S duties attract no additional payment
  • As well as timetabled supervision duties, teachers agree to be available to substitute for timetabled class periods per week. Teachers working more than 17 hours per week must be available for 5 periods; teachers working between 12 and 17 hours must be available for 4 periods per week; teachers working up to 12 hours per week must be available for 3 class periods.
  • The maximum time that can be assigned to substitution and supervision per teacher each week is 3 hours. Of this time, 1.5 hours must be for substitution duties, the other 1.5 hours must be used for both substitution and supervision duties.
  • A teacher may agree to undertake S&S duties for more than 3 hours in a particular week on the request of the principal. Any additional time worked above the 3 hours will be reckoned towards the total annual commitment.
  • Where, in any given week, a teacher is not called upon for substitution, the unmet yearly commitment remains but is subject to a maximum delivery in any future week of 3 hours.

Use of S&S and S&S rota

The principal should consult with teachers in deciding on the timetable for S&S duties.  Supervision duties should first be timetabled over the course of the school year. Residual hours available after the timetabling of supervision will be available for substitution.

The S&S scheme can only be used to cover for certain categories of teacher absence, including uncertified sick leave and teachers’ absences due to other approved school activities (e.g. games, competitions and other extra-curricular activities). From 2014/2015 school year, S&S can also be used to cover the first day of each absence due to force majeure leave and illness in family leave.  

For procedures on usage of hours and the drawing up of the S&S roster, see the ASTI Supervision and Substitution Information Leaflet 2014 and Circular 0042-2014 Rostering of Supervision and Substitution.

Supporting documents

*Previous to the Haddington Road Agreement (July 1, 2013), the S&S scheme was optional and attracted a payment.

NOTE: The current circular was written in the context of schools operating 40 minute class periods. As some schools have now moved to other arrangements including one-hour long class periods, there is a lack of clarity in the system on how to adapt to devising substitution roster arrangements in keeping with those set out in Circular 0042/2014.

The following motion was passed at ASTI Annual Convention 2023.

What this motion seeks to do is to clarify the time demands of the S&S scheme for teachers in schools operating other arrangements such as one-hour classes. Teachers are expected to deliver the same amount of time as agreed and outlined in the circular. ASTI are pursuing this matter with the Department of Education and other partners with a view to having the Circular amended.

MOTION 30 - CONDITIONS OF WORK
That the ASTI seek to have the wording in Circular 0042/2014, Appendix 1 Agreed arrangements for the creation of the substitution roster PRELIMINARY WORK BY PRINCIPAL (Part 1 a, b, & c) amended from the current wording:

Calculation of the number of substitution slots to be filled: The Principal calculates the total number of substitution slots to be filled, based on the weekly class period commitment of the teachers who have not opted out of S&S duties, as set out in Circular 0006/2014:

a. Each teacher working up to and including 12 hours class contact per week = 3 class periods
b. Each teacher working more than 12 and up to and including 17 hours class contact per week = 4 class periods
c. Each teacher working more than 17 hours class contact per week = 5 class periods

To the following:

a. Each teacher working up to and including 12 hours class contact per week = 120 minutes
b. Each teacher working more than 12 and up to and including 17 hours class contact per week = 160 minutes
c. Each teacher working more than 17 hours class contact per week = 200 minutes

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Downloads

  1. 0042-2014 Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2016 (Haddington Road Agreement) Rostering of Supervision and Substitution 15 May 2014 657kb