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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teacher to cover supervisor

30 replies

Confused41 · 06/10/2021 13:35

I’ve been teaching for 15 years and I’m thinking of packing it in. I’m not going to leave until I have something else lined up. Could anyone please help me. I’ve only ever taught, I have never worked outside of a school setting.

I’m thinking doing cover supervisor till my kids are a little older. Any thoughts on this? I know pay will be half but I won’t have to do ridiculous hours I’m doing now such as getting kids to bed at 8pm then staying up till 1:30/2am marking and planning. I feel I’m going crazy. What else could I do in a school without taking all the extra workload home.

OP posts:

NoLongerATeacher · 06/10/2021 13:38

Supply teaching? Salary better than cover supervisor. I’ve just been offered hours as exam invigilator and reader and scribe ( not doing it though!) - obv this is secondary.

Original poster

Confused41 · 06/10/2021 13:41

@NoLongerATeacher thank you. I tried doing supply after my first child was born but found it stressful as I didn’t know days I would work so often had to pay childcare even if I was at home. I’m thinking with cover supervisor I can do fixed days snd know where I’m going everyday.

Are you doing supply work yourself? Or have you left teaching?

OP posts:

StoryOfANewName · 06/10/2021 13:43

Entirely reasonable. In the school setting, how about HLTA? Or receptionist? Cover supervisor is fine as long as they don’t take advantage of you for having extensive teaching experience and ask you to actually plan or mark stuff eg for long-term sick leave of a colleague. But to be honest this could happen with a HLTA too. Have you ever tried supply teaching? Could feel similar to cover supervisor but for slightly better pay.

Alternatively, how about switching to private tutoring? Either after school hours but from home/online (if your children are old enough to supervise themselves) or in the daytime for homeschooled children?

Another small point is you don’t have to stay in a school just because that’s where you’ve always worked. You have transferable skills and are very employable, and could also go back to studying or retrain! There are lots of options, really, but it’s daunting and hard to imagine them when one is ground down, stressed and sleep deprived. Good luck!

StoryOfANewName · 06/10/2021 13:44

(I wrote my post slowly so hadn’t read the above messages about supply when I posted!)

StoryOfANewName · 06/10/2021 13:46

PS I’m an ex teacher, do a bit of tutoring but it’s not my main occupation

MrsTWH · 06/10/2021 13:48

How about something education related? Such as education welfare? Keep an eye on on Jobs Go Public to see what comes up in your area.

With the NTP, I’m sure lots of tutor companies are looking for tutors too.

Original poster

Confused41 · 06/10/2021 13:54

@StoryOfANewName thank you for your advice. That crossed my mind too regarding being taken advantage of once they realise I’m an experienced teacher. I just feel really lost. I’ve been sticking to my job as it’s part time but I cannot carry on like this anymore. I hate waking up and going to work. It might just be my school or it might be teaching in general.

@MrsTWH thank you for advice yes I’ll look into education welfare

OP posts:

Booboosweet · 06/10/2021 14:10

Just one tip re marking - our school uses www.schoology.com. It's amazing for marking. Kids send you pictures of the work or documents and you mark it all online. Saves loads of time and means you're not collecting books.

twoshedsjackson · 06/10/2021 15:33

Why not try supply teaching as a way of seeing what other schools are like? In one of my posts, I had two colleagues who, like me, had originally come in on supply, and left their contact details and a few hints about permanent jobs coming up.
On the other side of the coin, if you end up somewhere that really doesn't suit, there's no agonizing, long drawn out process of serving out your notice.
Either way, it helps you decide whether it's teaching in general, or just the school you're in.

NoLongerATeacher · 06/10/2021 17:28

[quote Confused41]@NoLongerATeacher thank you. I tried doing supply after my first child was born but found it stressful as I didn’t know days I would work so often had to pay childcare even if I was at home. I’m thinking with cover supervisor I can do fixed days snd know where I’m going everyday.

Are you doing supply work yourself? Or have you left teaching?[/quote]
No I’ve left teaching after 12 years and have retired but I was at an excellent school and I do a few hours here and there helping with the lessons they put on for primary pupils when trying to sell the school to them - I enjoy it but it reminds me why I left so wouldn’t do more. Good luck and hope it all works well and that you are happy.

WandaVision2 · 06/10/2021 17:40

As @StoryOfANewName said Another small point is you don’t have to stay in a school just because that’s where you’ve always worked. You have transferable skills and are very employable

I come from a teaching background and quit 5 years ago.

I now work at a visitor centre in a power station. We have school groups visit us most days to learn about the different way of making electricity, how circuits work etc.

I work 9-4 5 days a week on just under £30k. Any planning is done during the working day. I don’t even have to buy my own supplies 😁

It was scary at the time but I’m so glad I made the leap

Howshouldibehave · 06/10/2021 17:42

Is it really half a teacher salary-I thought it was much less?

Pinkflask · 06/10/2021 17:47

I’d never be a cover supervisor - it’s a ripoff for the wages and you’d get totally used when they found out you were any good. If I’m going to be screwed over I at least want to be paid well for it!

I had a job I hated after 13 years - left that and did supply. Got a few weeks at a college which I loved! Went back to school teaching for a year as the college didn’t have a job for me, HATED it, totally hated it, then got a job at another college and phew! It’s like night and day. Love teaching again, love the students and my colleagues, no Sunday night dread and got my UPS3 pay without even asking for it.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 06/10/2021 17:48

Secondary TA is around £10k and a cover supervisor about £13k where I work but your outgoings are substantially lower although so are your pension contributions.

lazylinguist · 06/10/2021 17:50

As @StoryOfANewName said Another small point is you don’t have to stay in a school just because that’s where you’ve always worked. You have transferable skills and are very employable.

I wish this were universally the case. I've looked for jobs outside teaching, find virtually nothing suitable at all and have had no success at getting any of the few I have found. I have a strong academic background and 25 years' teaching experience, but don't feel I have the specific skills that many other jobs require.

I do cover (ad hoc) at 2 secondary schools (and some other self-employed/private teaching. Cover teaching lacks the pressure and overtime of normal teaching, but it also lacks many of the upsides!

I love the sound of your job, @WandaVision2, but have never found anything similar. I'm an MFL teacher.

Original poster

Confused41 · 06/10/2021 19:04

Thank you all. I did see a college job a while ago but stupidly didn’t apply as I thought I wouldn’t get it. I really regret it. I know I have to get out of this school. I’ve made myself ill doing all the late nights and stress. My kids don’t deserve a stressed out mum. I wish I could leave my work at the job and not constantly think about what I have to get done

OP posts:

LorenzoVonMatterhorn · 06/10/2021 19:07

A friend of mine went from teacher to cover supervisor and is absolutely taken advantage of.

Also, another friend went from teacher to business manager, but her original degree was business.

LorenzoVonMatterhorn · 06/10/2021 19:07

Business manager in a school in case that wanst obvious.

Lillyofthe · 06/10/2021 19:10

Op I was a secondary school teacher for 12 years. Head of department.
Decided I needed a career change.
Since leaving I've had 3 jobs, the first two education related (assessment) which allowed me to move into a university setting.
I had to really work my arse off even though I was well qualified and take a pay cut in my first non teaching job. I am very lucky as my job now involves dealing with clients, businesses and I get to travel a lot of the world (not in a pandemic) meeting clients and having events in some amazing venues. I could never imagine this would be my job. Not bad for an ex religious studies teacher.
It's absolutely possible. I sometimes work 9-5 or if it's out of hours it's due to events or travel - which I either get paid for or toil.
I never dread Sundays
I never have to prep and mark on Sundays
I have a life
My clients don't argue with me or get their parents to complain about me.
Teaching will forever make me grateful for the role I now have.

Vancouverorbust · 06/10/2021 19:11

@Booboosweet

Total spam. Clever spammer trick to put a full stop in after the .com to avoid detection

Its a US site!

Of course they dont and anyone who knows anything about UK education would know that 1 teacher cant just use any random system and that anything that allows pupils to upload needs to be treated with caution.

Vancouverorbust · 06/10/2021 19:12

@LorenzoVonMatterhorn

Business manager in a school in case that wanst obvious.

For which you need to be an accountant, HR specialist or at a minimum hold SBM qualification. The days or promoting someone in admin to this role are long gone

Vancouverorbust · 06/10/2021 19:13

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime

Secondary TA is around £10k and a cover supervisor about £13k where I work but your outgoings are substantially lower although so are your pension contributions.

opposite here- same rate but TAs work longe hours. Cover supervisors only paid when in a lesson.

Squareteabags · 06/10/2021 19:25

Hello, I changed from teacher to cover supervisor after around 15 years of teaching. I would never go back.
I can leave in the afternoon with no marking, preparation, reports etc to do. I have my evenings and weekends free - it’s bliss! I even have energy to do a club at lunch time.
Of course the school will try to take advantage, but as long as you immediately tell them it is outside your job description to prepare, mark etc then it should be fine. Both times this has happened to me, I agreed to the extra work if I was paid as a teacher with 15 years of experience. They soon found an NQT t do the work.
Check that the school you are considering working at is supportive of cover supervisors, as you don’t have the usual opportunities to develop good relationships in the class (secondary) to avoid behaviour issues - most schools will have good systems of support in place.

User5827372728 · 06/10/2021 19:28

The cover supervisors in our school get almost abused!!! I would never do that!!

Squareteabags · 06/10/2021 19:28

Pay around £18,000 by the way.

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