Most Monday absences get solved or missed on Friday afternoon, well before the 7 AM phone call. The cover you secure depends on how well your school prepares before the weekend, including teacher bookings and ready-to-use lesson plans.

But Friday afternoons leave little room for delays. Casual Relief Teachers (CRT) often fill their diaries early, and office staff head home by late afternoon. With limited time to arrange cover, schools face added pressure when Monday absences remain uncertain. Francis Orr understands these challenges and focuses on short-notice school staffing.

To help you prepare, this guide covers how to build a call list, compare last-minute relief teacher booking options and organise class notes. You’ll also learn what your front office needs before Monday, so read on.

Friday Afternoon Is When School Staff Absence Planning Succeeds or Fails

Good school staff absence planning starts the moment a teacher mentions a Monday medical appointment or a sick child. A Friday warning gives your office time to arrange cover, while a Sunday night message leaves fewer options before the first bell.

The earlier your school contacts available CRTs, the better its chances of filling the vacancy before the weekend. Once a teacher accepts another school’s booking, they’re no longer available for yours.

Securing cover is only part of Friday’s preparation. The absent teacher also has time to leave lesson plans, identify students who need extra support and organise reading groups. These arrangements become harder once the school closes for the weekend.

Before the final bell on Friday, check your team has these items covered:

• Record known Monday absences and confirm teacher bookings.
• Keep backup CRT contacts ready for unexpected absences.
• Prepare lesson materials and classroom notes for visiting teachers.
• Brief front office staff on Monday’s staffing arrangements.

These checks give your team a starting point if another teacher calls in sick on Monday morning.

Emergency Teacher Cover: Building a Relief Teachers List Schools Can Call on Monday

Even with Friday’s preparations underway, your school needs reliable backup contacts. Emergency teacher cover depends on having an updated contact list and teachers familiar with your school. Many CRTs mix substitute teaching with other work, so your list needs regular updates.

Below, we’ve set out five Friday actions that build that list. Each one keeps it working through the term.

Checking Recent Casual Relief Teacher Availability Before the Weekend

CRT availability changes each week as teachers accept contracts, travel, or take study leave. Send a short message on Friday to check who’s available on Monday and which year levels they prefer. This gives teachers time to respond before the weekend and helps you avoid a last-minute search.

The replies help you identify who’s available for Prep and who prefers senior classes. Record these details in a shared sheet so office staff can find suitable teachers quickly on Monday morning.

Keeping in Touch With Relief Teachers Who Already Know Your School

A teacher who already knows your bell times and staffroom codes needs less handover. That’s why it helps to stay in touch with your regulars throughout the year, even during quieter weeks.

In practice, a quick thank-you email after each booking keeps your school front of mind. You’ll notice the difference when a regular walks in and starts the roll without asking a single question.

Sharing Job Posts Through a Booking App or Agency on Friday

Booking apps and agencies let you send job posts to many CRTs at once. Post Monday’s gap on Friday with the year level, subject and start time, so the right people apply.

Since these platforms handle staff and school information, check how they collect and use personal details before signing up. The Australian Government’s privacy guidance explains what to look for in a privacy policy. Also, choose a service that confirms bookings by email or text, which gives your office a clear record.

Preparing Teaching Resources and Class Notes That Are Ready to Go

A relief teacher needs enough material to teach each lesson without contacting the absent teacher. Prepare worksheets, lesson instructions and links to any digital resources they’ll need throughout the day.

Even with those materials ready, lessons don’t always go as planned. Keep a spare activity for each block, such as maths task cards or picture books. These help CRTs manage technology failures or early finishes.

Briefing Front Office Staff on Monday Morning Phone Calls and Yard Duty Swaps

Front office staff take Monday’s first calls, so brief them on Friday about every absence and who’s covering. Give them the teacher’s name, arrival time and any duty swaps you’ve made.

With that brief, admin can sign the teacher in, hand over a login and point them to the right room in minutes. Anyone who’s worked at a school front desk knows the 8 AM rush leaves little time for last-minute confusion.

Which Last Minute Relief Teacher Booking Option Works Best for Your School?

Once your relief teacher list is ready, you’ll need to choose how to book available teachers. The best last-minute relief teacher booking option depends on how often your school needs cover and how much time staff have to arrange it.

Each of the three options below suits a different kind of school. Match the “Best For” column to your situation first.

Option	How It Works	Best For	What to Do on Friday
Direct call list	The office rings CRTs you already know	Small schools with steady regulars	Confirm two available teachers for Monday
Booking app	You post a job, and CRTs accept it	Schools covering several absences at once	Post the job before lunch
Staffing agency	The agency finds and vets a teacher	Schools with no list or a sudden gap	Send class details and a start time

Direct lists work well when your regulars are available, but it’s useful to have another option when they’re fully booked. For urgent gaps, short-term staffing for schools offers an alternative when your usual contacts can’t provide cover. Keep the agency’s contact details handy so your office knows who to call on Monday morning.

Sharing Practical Tips With CRTs So Monday Teaching Runs Smoothly

With a teacher booked, the handover notes determine how the day goes for students. Experienced Australian teachers will tell you the first hour sets the tone for everything after it.

Walking into a new school is easier when CRTs come prepared. Before Friday ends, add these three details to the handover folder to help the CRT settle in and manage the class.

• Behaviour Expectations: Clear class rules and your reward system help the visiting teacher keep normal routines. Include details about two or three students who need extra support on page one for easy reference.
• Where Everything Lives: Pencils, spare paper, first aid and the PE shed key can eat into lesson time if nobody says where they are. A simple classroom map helps the teacher locate these items without losing lesson time. Ask the absent teacher to check it before leaving.
• Simple Feedback Notes: A short end-of-day form lets the teacher report what they covered and what went wrong. Leave a printable template in the folder, then read it on Monday afternoon and send a thank you back.

Each feedback note helps you spot missing information or unclear instructions in the handover folder. Use those comments to update the notes before the next booking, so future relief teachers arrive better prepared.

Get in Touch Before Friday and Lock in Your Monday Cover

Monday staffing problems are easier to manage when schools have reliable CRT contacts and clear arrangements for unexpected absences. A regular Friday check gives office staff time to address gaps before the weekend.

With these steps in mind, set a recurring Friday reminder to check absences, confirm cover and update class notes. Share it with your admin team so the routine stays consistent during busy weeks.

Francis Orr offers relief teaching support for schools facing short-notice absences. If you need help planning your Monday cover, we’re here to help.