Teacher thinking of doing supply after first child

[KatReading]

Hi,
I am due to have my first child in March and am thinking of not going back to my current school (I know I'll have to pay back mat pay). We want to move closer to our parents and I'm thinking of doing supply work.
Two questions -

1. How much does supply pay?
2. Will you get a 'contract'? I'm just thinking of a new mortgage.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

I did supply.
I didn't go through an agency but I already had a council employee number etc. I was able to quickly build up some regular school and about half of my week was regular work.
There was no contract, I had to submit my hours and payroll number to each school at the end of the day. I was paid a month in hand. So for example if I did a supply day in January I would get paid for it at the end of February.
The pay was my MPS ÷ 195, so as much as you would get paid for a day of teaching in a contracted job.

I would start by talking to HR about doing it this way, then write to all the schools that you would be wiling to travel to cover and ask if you could come in and meet them, see the school etc.

Thanks so much - very helpful. It's good to know you can go to schools directly. I guess my concern is how I'd get a mortgage without a contract. The pay sounds promising though

That was a few years ago though when everyone just went up the MPS.
Also, remember that you won't get work every day. I was working about 4 days a week. You most likely won't get anything on the first or last weeks of every term.
Also I was very flexible. I'd cover anything from nursery to year 6.

True. I'm a secondary school teacher which may have different limitations. Thanks - lots to think about.

I'm secondary supply. I'm on the books of 3 agencies, and they are all constantly ringing me up with full-time long-term contracts, so if that's what you want, then the work's there. I'm in a shortage subject though - don't know if this is the case for other subjects. Demand depends on area as well. If you don't want full-time, then there's a lot less out there. Pay is 130-140 per day. If you do day-to-day supply, they will try to convince you to do cover supervisor work for 60-80 per day - just politely refuse - it's a con (and you wouldn't earn much if you have to pay for childcare/travelling out of that).

Once you have been earning for a while, you will be able to tell prospective mortgage companies about actual earnings.

Daily supply can be a bit seasonal, but do consider block work. This is where you work several days doing the full job. You can get a reference from it and it can really contribute to your long term career goals.

It depends on your area. Early Years primary here and only 4 days since September and about 14 since I started in April...

I am doing daily supply now, with three agencies and have had plenty of work, usually 4 days a week - not much on a Monday. I am secondary but offered KS2 and have had lots of Primary work which I'm comfortable with. In Primary, you are expected to mark books after school, in secondary, you can pretty much go on the bell.
I get £120 for secondary and £100 for Primary (in which you work a lot harder, doesn't make sense to me).
I am massively enjoying it, after a long time in the same school. It's a challenge in which I am learning a lot.

Not sure about mortgage implications and it's a pertinent question for me too as we hope to move soon. I have been offered the chance to go 'on the books' of a few local primary schools so I may withdraw from agency work when I'm a little more experienced.

Such helpful responses - thanks all. Given me lots of food for thought. It seems you've all had quite different experiences - I guess it depends on where you are what year group you focus on. Thanks again