To apply for two jobs at the same school?

[DrSeuss]

Posting here for traffic. I am an MFL secondary teacher with twenty years experience who recently left a permanent post as the pressure and workload were severely impacting on my family as well as my health. I have been doing supply, which I enjoy. I am also a qualified TESOL teacher.

Two jobs have come up at a decent local school. One is a Level 3 TA specialising in English as a Foreign Language, one is a Cover Supervisor. If I go for both, does it look odd? Am I lessening my chances for both? Cover supervisor pays far more than TA but the lesser salary would be enough for us combined with DH's income. I would prefer to be a Cover Supervisor but would be happy to be a TA. Either would allow me to just teach, which is what I want to do and enjoy, not endless paperwork, targets and marking!

Any thoughts?

No reason at allwhy you shouldn't ; sometimes people who don't get the job they apply for are offered a different one, or advised to apply for it; it saves on paperwork (!), the school knows you are committed and sometimes it saves on interviews. Make it clear that you are applying for both, with the reasons why; good luck.

I would apply for one and when you take your application in mention to the head you would be happy to be considered for both.

Are you looking at primary or secondary? (Just being nosy so don't feel obliged to answer)

Personally I would worry that it looked a bit unfocussed/scattergun/desperate and lessen my chances of be interviewed for either role.

Do you have any idea of the culture of the school? Is there much overlap in the person specification? (I.e. are they likely to be precious about the supposedly unique skill set required for each role or pragmatic and flexible?)

Why don't you phone the school and sound them out? I wouldn't wait until you get to the interview for one job and then to ask about the other job.

Both applications have a deadline of tomorrow at noon, hence a decision being need today. They are both support roles.

I'd go for both.
Good luck.

I have applied for 2 jobs at the same school and I got one of them. They have me the one that they felt I would be best at. My friend has just fine the same. She also got one of them. If anything it shows flexibility :) good luck. Teaching is so life consuming isn't it!?!

Thank you everyone for your advice. Rang them, they have no issues with me applying for both. They also have no problem with teacher applying to be a TA. They finished by saying that there is also a part time MFL job that hasn't been in the TES yet.

Do you want another teaching job? If not you need to make it clear on interview that although of course you will be using your teaching skills, you are happy to work in a support role for now. I wouldn't touch shitty MFL with the shitty end of a shitty stick. Remember, as a part-timer you will still be subject to the same old Ofbollocks, hoop jumping for bollocks and bollocky targets marking and assessment.

Flossyfloof, what makes MFL so shitty?

Can't agree with the assessment of my subject but in answer to your question, no, not really. The weekends without marking and prep are bliss! I can make a liveable wage from the TA job, a more than comfortable wage from the cover supervisor post. Told the deputy head that my reason for leaving previous job was impact on family life with young kids. She said she totally understood, she had a small child for whom she has far less time than she would wish.

I don't think it is the mfl part that is shitty but the teaching and a rainforest of paperwork shitty, ofbollocks shitty, targets shitty, hoopjumping shitty...

teacher or ex teacher floss?