Once you accept an assignment we ask that you stand by your verbal commitment. If, however, you are unable to attend the school for any reason, please inform us immediately so that we can arrange a replacement and not let the school down. If you are in a long term position please call the office either the evening before or at 7am as we will need to supply a replacement teacher.

DRESS CODE

We expect our teachers to be appropriately dressed at all times (smart/casual). No Jeans or Trainers should be worn at any time. If a school has a specific standard we will advise you prior to starting the assignment.

ARRIVAL TIME

It is expected that all teachers arrive at school no later than 8.30am. If a school requires an earlier start we will inform you. If you realise that you are going to be delayed you need to phone World Class Teachers immediately. The same applies if you are hopelessly lost!

SCHOOL CONTACT

You will have been given the name of a school contact by your WCT consultant. On arrival please report to this person who will brief you on your timetable for the day.

COVER WORK

In an ideal world, work should be left for you to carry out. However in reality this is not always the case. Primary school teachers should always be prepared to provide lesson plans and are expected to mark the work covered during the day.

In Secondary schools work is generally set. However, should you arrive at a class and no work has been set, write a note, give it to a sensible looking pupil and ask them to take it to the Head of Department or another permanent member of staff. Never leave the class and go in search of work yourself.

Always make sure you have some sort of resources with you to keep pupils busy – USB memory sticks are brilliant for this!

NO TOUCHING POLICY

You must never initiate or encourage any physical contact with a child and that includes patting them on the back. Obviously there are exceptions to this in specific circumstances (for example when someone’s physical safety is at risk) but then it is a matter of common sense.

LANGUAGE

You should never swear in front of pupils but, additionally, slang words and terms or phrases commonly used by some people can be offensive to others. Therefore it is very important to be sensitive to this and avoid colloquialisms.

CHILD PROTECTION ISSUES

To learn about the issues and responsibilities concerning child protection visit the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/childrens-services/safeguarding-children

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

London schools are multi-cultural and the cultural diversity of pupils is celebrated. World Class Teachers has a strong equal opportunities policy – there must be no discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability to anybody.

GETTING TIMESHEETS SIGNED

We handle the timesheets directly with almost all of our schools, so it’s one less thing for you to worry about. In order for this to work correctly, it is essential that you report to the contact given or sign in at the school so they have a record that you were there.

For the odd school that wants you to bring your own timesheet, don’t worry as these will be provided at registration and your World Class consultant will inform you if you need to take a timesheet with you.

At the end of the day, or period of days, at the school make sure that you get the timesheets signed by the appropriate member of staff, and fax or post them to us to arrive by the following Monday.