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TL;DR: Spring can bring a predictable spike in staffing pressure but stability is absolutely doable with a simple plan, clear roles, and fast access to trusted cover. Use the term to tighten your routines, protect safeguarding, and keep learning consistent even when people are off.
Spring term often brings a rise in pupil absence compared with autumn, which can create knock-on pressure for staffing, routines, and continuity. DfE pupil absence (autumn & spring term 2024/25)
Across England, overall pupil absence in 2023/24 was 7.1%, which remains a meaningful operational load for schools when you translate it into daily cover decisions. DfE pupil absence (2023/24)
Teacher absence also continues to sit above pre-pandemic patterns, so “we’ll cope on the day” planning can quietly become the norm — until it breaks. DfE School workforce in England (Reporting year 2024)
If you want stability during Spring Term Absences, aim for “known options” rather than “perfect cover”.
Build a 3-layer cover plan
Make the plan visible
Write it as a one-page playbook: who decides, by what time, and what the default choices are for different absence types (teacher, TA, DSL/deputy DSL, key SEN staff). Keep it shared with your office team and phase leaders.
Schools get caught out when the cover solution is fast, but the role expectations aren’t clear.
In England, “specified work” is defined in law, and teaching (as specified work) must be carried out by qualified teachers or others who meet the requirements set out in the regulations. Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003
The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) also sets expectations that affect how cover is organised and how staff are deployed. STPCD 2025 and guidance (valid from 1 September 2025)
If you use agency supply teachers, the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) apply after the qualifying period and can affect pay and conditions — so it’s worth making sure your process is consistent and documented. DfE guidance on Agency Workers Regulations and supply teachers
Where support staff are covering, unions stress the importance of having distinct, documented cover and PPA policies, and a written system of supervision where support staff are required to deliver specified work. NEU: HLTAs and cover supervisors
Practical move: put role boundaries into your daily cover sheet (e.g., “supervision only” vs “teaching”), not just into a policy folder.
When the day is under pressure, safeguarding and routine are what keep the school calm.
“Keeping children safe in education” (KCSIE) is statutory guidance for schools and colleges in England, and all staff must understand their safeguarding responsibilities. KCSIE (GOV.UK overview)
The 2025 version confirms it is statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education and applies from 1 September 2025. KCSIE 2025 PDF
What this means in practice
Attendance work lands best when it’s consistent, supportive, and rooted in clear expectations.
The DfE’s report on tackling absence highlights common features in schools that improve or sustain attendance, including listening, understanding barriers, and providing support alongside strong expectations. DfE: Securing good attendance and tackling persistent absence
Ofsted also signals that attendance matters and has set out how it aims to be fair to schools while still recognising the scale of the challenge. Ofsted: Improving school attendance (blog)
Persistent and severe absence patterns are also linked to widening disadvantage gaps, so stability work is not just operational — it’s equity work too. EPI: Breaking down the gap (17 March 2025)
Practical move: keep your attendance messaging calm and consistent, and focus your team on removing barriers (communication, early help, SEN pathways, pastoral check-ins), not just chasing percentages.
If your goal is “same lesson quality every time”, you’ll burn out staff trying to achieve it. Aim for consistent learning experiences instead.
The EEF sets out mechanisms for effective professional development that support changes in teacher practice and pupil outcomes. EEF: Effective Professional Development guidance report
A practical approach that works in real schools
Stability during Spring Term Absences doesn’t come from heroics — it comes from a simple playbook, clear role boundaries, and routines that protect pupils even when staffing shifts. If you build your cover plan in layers and keep safeguarding and learning routines consistent, your school can stay calm, compliant, and focused on what matters.
Use repeatable lesson structures and ready-to-teach resources that any competent cover adult can deliver. Prioritise consistency in routines, behaviour expectations, and task design over trying to perfectly replicate the usual teacher’s style. If pupils recognise the flow of learning, the day stays calmer and more productive.
Create a short standard briefing that covers safeguarding, behaviour routines, medical needs, and how to get help. Keep it the same format every time so your office team can deliver it in under five minutes. A consistent briefing reduces risk and improves classroom control.
Set clear thresholds for what gets paused or simplified when absences cross a certain level. Use a layered plan so internal cover is not the default solution every time. Protect key roles (safeguarding, SEN, behaviour leads) from being constantly pulled into ad-hoc cover.
Only use class-splitting as a last resort and keep it structured, short-term, and predictable for pupils. If it becomes frequent, it can damage routine, behaviour, and learning continuity. A better approach is having pre-planned contingency groups and work that pupils can complete independently with supervision.
Write a one-page cover playbook: who decides, by what time, and what the default cover options are for common scenarios. When decisions are standardised, the day runs more smoothly and staff stress drops. This also reduces inconsistency for pupils.
