School pays sixth formers to teach

A Buckinghamshire school is paying sixth-form students to teach younger pupils, it has been reported.

Chalfonts Community College in Gerrards Cross has pays 24 students £5 for 50 minute lessons, according to the Bucks Free Press.

The substitutes must be taking A-levels in the subjects they are teaching and have achieved "fantastic" results, says head teacher Sue Tanner.

She also told the paper: "They are not teaching, it is more like babysitting, they are just coming in and sitting there to cover."

According to the head teacher, the programme is not about saving the school money, but providing children with a good education.

Mrs Tanner said that a lack of quality supply teachers had caused her to implement the scheme.

However, teachers' union NASUWT has slammed the revelations.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the union, said: "This is a staggering state of affairs."

He also said that he found Ms Tanner's claims that there is a lack of good-quality supply teachers "simply unbelievable and unacceptable".