NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) said its members at Walgett Community College High School walked off the job to protest dire staffing shortages felt since before Christmas.

But a spokesperson from the Department said "there was no walk out".

"Between 8.45 and 9.05 [Wednesday] morning the NSWTF held a meeting, during which students were supervised until school resumed as normal immediately afterwards," the spokesperson said.

"The Department will work with the Federation on any matters raised in the meeting."

They said the meeting's agenda was a matter for the federation, and wouldn't comment further.

However, NSW Teachers Federation Deputy President, Henry Rajendra, said there was a walk out, with teachers running out of patience with the lack of help from the Education Department.

He said the government has known about the serious staffing issues for a long time and yet has done nothing to help the crisis.

"Despite the Department being warned about the problem as far back as September last year, the Department have ignored those warnings and have failed to ensure that the school is adequately staffed with the necessary number of teachers," he told the Leader.

"The government has failed despite repeated warnings. The school wrote to the Department earlier this year calling out for help. Nothing of substance has resulted.

"We are now halfway through the school term and still 11 out of 21 teachers short."

He said the shortages were even more egregious, seeing as the school was part of a group called the 'connected communities schools', recognsied for needing extra government attention for their students "complex needs".

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"That's all platitudes when in effect they've not put the necessary mechanisms or structures in place to ensure the full complement of teachers the students deserve," he said.

"The Department says they value the work of teachers. Well, the inverse is happening. They are starving schools like Walgett of teachers and making them work incredibly hard."

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