I have not managed to get my first teaching job 2 years after qualifying

Are you only applying in your home area? You might have to be prepared to either travel further or move.

I knew someone who couldn't get a job and moved to Spain to work in an English speaking school there. She married a Spanish man and is still there over 20 years later.

As a previous poster said, ECTis now 2 years long, which means a whole day of cover plus extra support and mentoring. My daughter’s boyfriend is in a very similar position to yourself.
However the biggest reason I believe, is that schools can rarely afford class TAs these days and they need more experienced teachers to be able to handle difficult classes with high SEN needs and no help. It’s fair on no one.

I think there’s shortages in some places and not others. Are you on the supply teacher network on Facebook? Some people on there are saying their school gets a thousand applications for a job.

I’ve been on supply for a few years now. A few weeks ago I covered for a teacher who was interviewing for an EYFS job. It’s a lovely school and they got six applicants. They decided to interview them all and two didn’t show up. (I only know all this because the applicants were coming into the classroom to teach a lesson).

If the advert says “visits to the school recommended”, are you booking in a visit even if you have been there on supply?

I work in school HR, it’s not just about the application form. If you make a good impression at the visit, that’s gets you higher up the short list. I’ve been asked to call up people who have come for visits, when they then haven’t put in an application form as they liked them so much,

Also, keep applying for any vacancies that have unusual time of year start dates. The competition will be less.

It's a complex one but thought partly it's the population and partly the effect of various initiatives in the past.

https://educationblog.buckingham.ac.uk/2020/07/29/why-are-schools-in-london-so-successful-by-barnaby-lenon/

Depends where you are. In Central Scotland it’s hard to get a permanent job in primary and I know a few who have just finished their probation year and are now unemployed. It seems very unfair and a difficult situation to be in. Supply is the way to go, while you keep working on your applications. Good luck

Where are you applying @theirt5?

There is a decline in pupil numbers in areas of London for instance, so teachers will not be replaced.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/admissons-watchdog-saves-falling-rolls-schools-from-closure/

Lambeth is one of the worst affected boroughs in the country on falling rolls, with 1,000 fewer children starting at primaries than a decade ago.
The borough predicts it will have a £23m deficit across its 68 maintained schools by 2026-27. Government data forecasts that unfilled primary spaces will rise to 36.9 per cent in the same period.

Swathes of primary schools across the country have already closed over falling rolls, especially in London where a falling birth rate and an exodus of families has led to a collapse in pupil numbers.

What do you mean 'all the teachers'? What a strange sentence.

It's definitely the case many people are leaving and not enough come into the profession, but it also depends on the area and subject. Some places have fewer schools and fewer vacancies. Secondary struggles a lot more than primary with retainment than primary as well.

If you are not even getting interviews, then the issue is your application/personal statement. Maybe there are mistakes in your letter.

Years ago TES had a wonderful paid service where they would go over your application and correct it and give feedback to improve. Such a shame this no longer exists, but maybe there are other places that do something similar.

The previous secondary sch I worked for was now. To be very “rough”. We struggled to fill posts

Many schools go directly to supply agencies for short term contracts - in my school we currently have 3 such staff. If the permanent teacher doesnt return the supply would be offered the job (if they are doing well already)
Ask your supply agencies about longer term contracts.

Interesting. I thought all the teachers were leaving and the profession was in crisis! Maybe its very area dependent?

Have you got a a good final report from any teaching placements? I used quotes from this to back up my comments in my application and it was positively commented on by a school that offered me an interview.

A bit off topic, but given there’s such a problem recruiting decent teachers in London, how are school results in London typically higher than the rest of the country?

I know of two recently graduated teachers who had to supply before getting teaching jobs. One was made redundant after a year (managed to finish her nqt though so that's one good thing) as the school was reduced in size and it was a toss up between two temps as to who had to leave. She now works as PPA cover as she's not managed to find anything else.

The other is an ect and has applied to several schools in a broad area and has only had two interviews. She's found a lot of schools specifically state they don't want ects and the ones that do allow them get inundated. She's really defeated knowing she'll have to start the next academic year supplying as well as she's not managed to pick up a teaching job.

The shortage is definitely in secondary because they tend to ask for two specialisms and a lot of people don't have two subjects they're willing/able to teach. When my school puts out a position (I'm a TA by choice. Teaching just didn't suit me in the end) we get a good 30/40 applicants. They interviewed 5 people for the last job that went up and sent 3 home after their lesson - they didn't even get to the formal interview part of it all 😨 it's brutal tbh!

Primary schools are closing due to falling roles, so recruitment is tougher with more teachers than vacancies.

It’s not unusual, but don’t give up. What is your specialism? Would you consider secondary?

If you’ve only got 1/15 interviews then your application isn’t working. Is there someone at a school where you’ve done supply who would have a look for you? Are you getting good feedback from your supply?

poss chat to your agency too about wanting something longer. Have you completed your ECT this way?

I think I’d also want a reason for your supply other than ‘couldn’t get a job’ as it does raise questions.

happy to look at your application if you want to DM me. (Regularly hire staff, always get an interview for applications)

What are your parameters? Where I am that would be very unusual for an ECT.

You've only applied for 15 jobs in two years? That makes me trend towards you being too picky about where your applying.

Have you asked anyone to critique your applications? I've recently become involved in recruiting, and I was surprised at how poor some applications were. Good people who just didn't put across a good case for employing them.

That's horrendous, the poor children stuck with a lazy/unkind teacher.
I'm intrigued which one was appointed, I'm kind of hoping the lazy one?

If you’re not getting invited to interview, it would suggest a lack of strength in your application. Have you got someone who could look at it for you to give some advice?

I think primary is quite competitive depending on area. If you are someone who is not willing/unable to move this might be restricting you.
Regarding supply, do you go to the same schools/get invited back? Where I work they generally try requesting the same people as they have got on well in the school. However this doesn't necessarily lead to a job as it does depend on the day who else turns up and sometimes the candidates who have been supply have an overconfidence and make silly mistakes.
Has someone looked at your personal statement? Are you fully selling yourself? You have to really upsell yourself and not be shy about your achievements.

15 applications really isn't that many. By comparison I work in a jobcenter in Denmark and I have teachers on my caseload. They hve to apply for 2 jobs every week.

The areas that are struggling to recruit are coastal areas not too far from London. This is because teachers can earn a few k more up the road due to the london or outer london weighting. Think King’s Lynn, Yarmouth etc where schools, including little primary schools, are struggling to hire permanent staff. If you’re willing to move, then you’d be more likely to get a job there.

My best friend got a job this year after her probationary year (Scotland) there was enormous competition however, one thing like 100 applications. She’s an exception I think.