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Cover officer job simulation

Cover the absences before the bell

“Cover the absences before the bell” is a cover officer job simulation on FinderK.

You work at Brookfield Academy, an original fictional company, and complete 3 assignments in about 50 minutes.

It is for anyone who wants to practice cover officer work. No previous work experience is required.

Role
Cover officer
Industry
School administration
Level
Early career
Time
About 50 minutes, 3 assignments
Access
Included in Plus
Created by
FinderK

Three teachers are absent and the cover list must be on the staffroom screen by 08:30. Build it within the cover rules, tell the people affected, and deal with the change that comes at lunchtime.

Read the full brief

You are the cover officer at a secondary school. Three teachers are absent today, nine lessons need cover, and one of them is a Year 11 chemistry practical the science department badly wants to keep. You build the cover list from the staff records and the cover policy, tell the deputy head and the head of science what you have done, and handle a late change before period 5 with the options and costs the policy allows. Automated checks confirm your counts and saved work; your judgement is reviewed against the standard for the role.

What is Brookfield Academy?

Brookfield Academy is a fictional secondary school in Sheffield with 1,100 pupils aged 11 to 16 and about 75 teachers. A cover officer arranges supervision for classes whose teacher is absent, under a cover policy agreed with staff. This case runs on Thursday 19 November 2026. Times are local and amounts are in pounds.

Who do you play?

You are the cover officer in the School office team.

You arrange cover when teachers are absent. You may allocate cover supervisors up to five lessons a day and teachers in free periods that are not PPA time, up to three cover lessons a half term. You may never use PPA time, give cover to an early career teacher or exceed the limit. Supply bookings, combined classes and any exception need Rebecca's approval.

What will you do?

  1. 1. Build today's cover list

    20 minutes

  2. 2. Tell Rebecca and Farid

    15 minutes

  3. 3. Fill the gap in period 5

    15 minutes

Which skills will you practice?

Which work tools will you use?

  • Mail
  • Office documents and spreadsheets
  • Calendar
  • Chat

Who will you work with?

  • Rebecca Thornton, deputy headteacher
  • Farid Rahimi, head of science
  • Ifeoma Chukwu, senior cover supervisor
  • Abena Osei-Bonsu, PE teacher

These coworkers are fictional. They may make mistakes, so compare their suggestions with the evidence.

Frequently asked questions

How long does “Cover the absences before the bell” take?

About 50 minutes, across 3 assignments. When the time is up, you get 10 minutes to round up and submit. Pausing stops the clock.

Is “Cover the absences before the bell” free?

No. It is included in FinderK Plus. With a free account you can also do it without grading.

Do I need cover officer experience?

No. No previous work experience is required. The listed level is early career.

What do I get when I finish?

You get feedback on each assignment you submit. Completing all required assignments earns a completion certificate. It records participation and is not professional accreditation.

Is Brookfield Academy a real company?

No. Brookfield Academy is an original fictional company made for practice. Its coworkers may make mistakes, so check their suggestions against the evidence.

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