Can I work as a supply teacher forever?

[dunkingthedonut]

Hi posting her for traffic

When you gain QTS can you work in supply forever and never get a contacted job as a teacher. I know there will be many people here who would advise against it. I was just curious if many people did it.

Don't see why not if the work keeps coming in. Not sure how you would deal with pension and other financial bits though.

Maybe look into tutoring as well if you're not keen on the usual classroom teacher role.

It could land you some awkward questions at interviews though, should you decide to go for a standard role at any point. But it would also give you lots of experience in managing behaviour in a variety of contexts and settings.

My friend is. She’s older and a single parent, when she qualified she decided to do supply so she could choose when she works. It’s only been 2 years but she enjoys the flexibility.

Of course you can....Depends how career driven you are I guess...as you would not likely to able to progress much as a supply teacher

Don’t you need to pass your ECT probation period first? Used to have to do NQT year within 5 years of PGCE

If you don’t want to get involved in management, promotion to deputy head, head etc.. then yes, it has advantages, too.
Pick your days. If you want/ need a day off you take it.
You get to know your schools and if there’s one you don’t like you don’t go back,
If there’s a school you really like and you make sure they know it you’ll get asked back.
You don’t get involved in petty nastiness of staff rooms.that goes on in some schools.
No subject responsibilities. Very rarely get dragged into parents evenings unless you’re doing a long stint.
I did 1 and 2 term stretches at schools, several schools where I went in for a day or few days, special needs schools. I loved the freedom of doing supply.

@OnceuponaRainbow18

Don’t you need to pass your ECT probation period first? Used to have to do NQT year within 5 years of PGCE

The OP does say once you have QTS.

You don't officially get QTS until you've passed your NQT/ECT year successfully.

You can do your ECT year working via a supply agency but it has to be placements of a certain length, not day to day supply.

Well you can but
No teachers pension
No promotion
No movement through pay bands- so you may stay on an ECT rate forever

I know someone who did for many years (male English teacher). He was very glad to avoid some of the endless paperwork and have the option of a week off in term time if it saved a fortune for a particular holiday.

He had no dependents though.

I think you get QTS prior to doing your probation years dont you? Don't some of the training schemes give you QTS without the PGCE?

I was already teaching (post 16) when I did a PGCE that was designed for those already in post and have a QTS certificate. I think I was still supposed to do NQT years despite already being a teacher but had kids. So I don't quite know where I stand or how I find out.

I also thought there was a limited amount of time you could do supply for (there used to be)

Yup the get into teaching wesbite suggests you get QTS as part of your degree/training

Whilst there is no definitive figure regarding the length of time a recently qualified teacher
can take to undertake their NQT year, it is recommended that the Induction Period should be
completed as soon as possible. There are however, limitations around the length of time for
which recently qualified teachers are permitted to work on short-term supply.
Recently qualified teachers can undertake short term supply for a period of 5 years after
being awarded QTS (i.e. their graduation). Periods of a full term or more can be counted
towards the induction period so most people will complete the equivalent of a full year's
induction during this 5 year period.
If a recently qualified teacher takes a year or more out after graduating, this is deducted from
the 5 years allowance for short-term supply. For example, if a person takes 3 years out after
graduating and then starts some supply work to refresh their skills before applying for a more
permanent post, they would only have 2 years left (of the 5 years post-graduation period) to
work on short term supply.
If a recently qualified teacher does not teach at all for 5 years following graduation then they
will not be able to undertake short term supply and will have to find a permanent post
immediately.
In such a situation and in view of having such a long period away from teaching, a recruiting
head teacher may consider that this NQT may be ‘out of touch’ with the latest developments
when compared against more recently qualified candidates. It is therefore advisable to
spend about 6 weeks undertaking some volunteering within a school to update yourself

You have to pass your NQT year within a certain amount of time, but after that you can if you want.

I spent most of my time on supply as there was a shortage in my subject, took on too many students then demand for jobs dried up and I was stuck in a popular region with few opportunities.

I did my NQT year across two schools on longterm supply. Not ideal but good immersion into the real world. I did a mix of casual supply and longer term covers and enjoyed the variety.

Terrible for pension though. It may be different now, but I was starting just before Cover Supervisors were created and that hit demand for supply teachers. Then budgets were cut a few years later and teaching conditions undermined, again hitting supply. The temporary nature worked for me in my 20s and allowed me to go travelling. As a solo income it would be unreliable. I also only just qualified for Maternity Allowence for two children.
In a couple of years when childcare is out of the equation, I'll probably return to supply as it's a better work/ life balance than being embroilled in permanent school life. These days I wouldn't be working up to MPS6, and there's no guarentees I'd be paid that again. Last time I spoke to my old supply agency, it was £10 day/ £50 week less money than I was paid in 2010.

Supply teachers are dreadfully badly paid, and its a grim job for anyone, much of the pleasure in teaching is in forging relationships with kids and seeing them progress, both denied to you as supply teacher. If it was like medicine where you got paid 3x plus the rate for regular teachers it might be worth it but you get paid peanuts, no holiday or sickness pay, constantly have to work out how this days school works etc etc
I can see why some chose to go there at particular points but i really would not recommend training with a view to becoming a supply teacher.

I did it for 8 years. I don't think it's a sustainable way of life, especially if you don't have a partner with a steady and secure income.

Although daily rate is alright, there is no holiday pay so there at least 13 weeks a year where you will earn nothing. No sick pay. No pension. And the occasional (and sometimes not so occasional) dry spells.

It can be quite isolating, as you don't have colleagues of your own but are in a workplace where everyone else does. Some schools will treat you terribly.

And there is very little job satisfaction in it. You don't build relationships with the kids, you don't really make a difference or see the results of your efforts. I would find myself really hoping the phone wouldn't ring because there was just no point to the work I was doing, though obviously I needed the money. I even started developing anxiety around my phone ringing (last minute phonecalls, not knowing where they would send me, not knowing what to expect, or if I would find the school or if there would be parking etc etc etc) and I'm not an anxious person. I don't think - really long term - it is good for mental health, as it is too unpredictable, too isolating and with no sense of accomplishment.

Supply can be a nice breath of fresh air for a short while, or after you retire - but a 40 year career as a supply teacher? You would have no professional progression or pay rise and at the end of it you wouldn't even have a pension. The lack of a contracted income can also make it hard to get a mortgage - and possibly even to rent. It becomes a very stagnant way of living while at the same being completely unpredictable. Meanwhile everyone else around you has stability, colleagues, career progression, a sense of professional accomplishment and can do things like buy a house or get their bathroom redone because they are not having to save up to get through 6 weeks enforced unemployment (and because the bank is willing to take a chance on them).

Like I said, I worked on supply for 8 years. The first couple of years were fantastic - and much needed after leaving an awful school - but the novelty wore off eventually and I am so much happier in a permanent job (though I have moved into a pastoral role - even after 8 years away, I knew I was never going to be a full time teacher again).

You should discuss it with a financial advisor, particularly with regards to your pension.

I don't think the daily rate is good anymore. When I used to supply it was great, we'd get paid a proper rate to make up for holidays and pension but it is awful money now as everything seems to be through an agency. If you are happy with that go for it.

I enjoy being part of a team and building relationships but it's what suits you best that's important

I'm not sure what you're asking. Once you have QTS (usually at the end of a PGCE or BEd) you can take on short-term supply teaching for a maximum of five years. After this point you would have to complete the ECT induction period and would need to find placements of at least one full term at a time, with one or more employers willing to support you through your induction.

If you have QTS and have completed NQT / ECT induction then you can continue with supply indefinitely but as pp have said you need to make your own arrangements for a pension, sickness and maternity pay, etc. It would be wise to have more than one income stream, e.g. tutoring, examining etc.

@DdraigGoch

You should discuss it with a financial advisor, particularly with regards to your pension.

Why?

I suppose one of the issues is also professional development.
Teaching changes.
New ideas come as well as new ways of teaching. Keeping up with all that, being observed, getting feedback and developing your practice would be important.

Yes but you wont get paid for holidays, given there are about 12 weeks holidays for teachers that's something you might want to think about.

Ughhhh supply

No pension
No pay for sick days
Awful pay
Unreliable
Blamed for everything
Being called The Supply

I wouldn’t!

I did supply work for 3 years in my 20s. The main advantage was getting to go into several different schools and experience different ways of working snd age groups. Having some days off and a bit of flexibility was good.

However, there were lots of disadvantages, and I was employed by the LA so still moved up the pay scale. This was pre agencies, HLTAs, cover supervisors, so much more work.

I even started developing anxiety around my phone ringing (last minute phonecalls, not knowing where they would send me, not knowing what to expect, or if I would find the school or if there would be parking etc etc etc) and I'm not an anxious person. I don't think - really long term - it is good for mental health, as it is too unpredictable, too isolating and with no sense of accomplishment.

This was true for me too. I started waking up at the crack of dawn dreading the phone ringing.

I do supply these days, but not through an agency, and only in 2 schools (mostly just in my local school where my dc go) which I know well. It has its advantages (no marking, no planning, no pastoral responsibility, can take days off etc) and I now know the kids pretty well, which helps a lot.

However... it's not exactly stimulating, you get no continuity and I'm pretty fed up with it. Unfortunately nobody will give me a proper teaching job because I'm UPS3 but haven't taught more than very part time since 2004! Unfortunately there are lots of younger, cheaper teachers out there with more solid recent experience.

I did supply in between temporary contracts for years. It worked really well and I enjoyed it. But it was stressful not knowing how much I would be earning.