A couple of questions about supply teaching - confidence needs boosting!

[swedishmum]

I have an interview with an agency on Monday - not taught full time for a number of years though I've done various bits of work in schools.

Primary or secondary? I'm trained for both. I'm guessing in primary you are given lesson plans? Do you need emergency plans of your own just in case? How about secondary if it's not your subject? When I last worked f/t in a sec school was basically crowd control while kids did worksheet type work and help if you could. Has it changed? Do they still use supply to cover all subjects or do they aim to use cover supervisors for this and offer you subject specific work?

Is it better to use an agency or send cv/letter to all local schools?

Somebody please just tell me it will be worth it! I was really good at my job when I last did it so why has my confidence disappeared?

[swedishmum]

Thanks - we live in a lovely rural area so it's probably worth a trawl round the local primaries in my new smart trousers!

[swedishmum]

What happens about CRB disclosure? I guess if you work for separate schools, they each have to do their own? I have one from dd's school already.

[SqueakyPop]

I actually think primary is harder for supply. You are with the same children all day and are responsible for delivering all the lessons. Lesson plans are no different from what you get in secondary, but you really have to teach the children more rather than supervise them while they get on with silent work. You are also expected to mark all the day's work.

My advice is to get on the books of a well-run secondary school, so that you are on their main list to call each day.

An agency is a good way to get a foot in the door - they will process your references and do a CRB check - and give you a taste of the side of education that you are glad your DCs are not in.

You have to think of what your career aspirations are. Do you want to ultimately return to regular teaching?

Supply gives you the opportunity for a wide range of experience - you take what you want - you can babysit lessons, or you can make a lesson out of what you were left. If you are known in the school, they may be happy for you to teach rather than follow the worksheets that the children were left by their teacher. A few short-term contracts are good too - so that you can do the full job, experimenting with your style and reinventing yourself with each new job.

I did two years of supply and contract work before returning to teaching and I think it was very valuable. Many days were awful, but I had my sights on the ultimate prize - a permanent job in a good school.

[roisin]

At our secondary work left can vary from nothing: you make up something on the spot - to handing out worksheets - to detailed lesson plan/full-on teaching.

We do use CS (I am one) plus regular supply contacts. But we still need agency supply staff from time to time when we are desperate. Supply staff are usually placed subject-specific, but if you are covering a teacher with 4 lessons that day you would get the 5th filled with anything at all that needs doing.

I work in quite a tough school and it is very hard for supply teachers coming in. It's easier for us because we know the students, the staff, and the rules/backup situations, rewards & punishment systems.

If you "get in" with a local secondary and they like you then you can end up getting quite a bit of work. (i.e. If you are reliable, have good behaviour management, leave feedback notes for teachers about their classes, and leave classrooms and resources neat and tidy.)

But generally in secondaries there is not a huge amount of supply about in many areas because of the spawn of the devil cover supervisors like myself

[AbbeyA]

I don't think there is so much call for supply in secondary because cover supervisors are cheaper.
I do primary. I have never worked through an agency. I would advise visiting schools and giving them a CV.
Mostly lessons will be planned (it isn't always easy following someone elses plans)but you have to be prepared for emergencies with no planning. I have a file with ideas for one off lessons.

[AbbeyA]

I work for one LEA and my CRB covers all schools.

[Littlefish]

I would say, don't bank on being left plans at Primary. Make sure you have a small set of pre-planned actvities and resources at your fingertips just in case to get you through the first day.