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There are concerns over the use of supply teachers to cover sickness absence in Wales, a report has said.

Concerns were raised about the management of absence, impact on pupils’ progress, support for supply teachers and the cost of cover.

The report was released by Audit Wales and schools inspectorate Estyn.

A follow-up report published on November 12 says Welsh Government has tried to reduce the time teachers are out of the classroom, introduced a minimum pay rate for supply teachers and provided better access to training resources.

However, the overall impact of these actions remains unclear, Audit Wales says.

Previously, around 10% of classes were covered by someone who was not the class teacher – most commonly due to sickness and professional development, such as training.

Welsh Government has been trying to reduce teacher workload and bureaucracy – factors that can contribute to stress-related absence – and manage the impact of professional development activities on classroom teaching time.

But while some councils have seen improving levels of sickness absence, overall levels have not reduced since 2013.

Supply teachers and other cover staff now have better access to online training and resources for their own professional development, the report says.

But the potential cost of training and lost opportunities to work and secure income remains a concern.

Since September 2019, Welsh Government has included a minimum pay level for supply teachers in its national agency staffing contract – equivalent to the bottom of the main teachers’ scale, which is currently just under £139 a day.

However, gaps in data make it difficult to say whether the actions taken by the Welsh Government are having the intended effects, Audit Wales says.

Adrian Crompton, auditor general, said: “There have been a lot of important developments since our 2013 report, but the Welsh Government could do more to demonstrate the impact of the action it has taken.

“It also needs to consider whether there are enough temporary workers available to help manage the Covid-19 response alongside preparations for the new curriculum, particularly where there are already known shortages.”

The Audit Wales report also says it is ‘unclear’ if enough supply teachers are available to prepare for the new curriculum for Wales from September 2022.

Meeting the demand for Welsh-medium schools and shortage subjects such as maths and physics may be particularly difficult, it says.

A Welsh Government spokesman welcomed the findings and said: “We’re providing an additional £40 million to schools in response to coronavirus, which will create a number of additional opportunities for supply teachers to support our learners through this year.”