How Employable Am I as a Secondary TA or Cover Supervisor?

[Verbena37]

Hi,
Hoping this is the right place to post this, as opposed 'going to back to work' section. I need some advice from head teachers/teachers if possible.

Until September 2014, I had been a SAHM for 11 years in a very transient lifestyle where we moved regularly. Before having my children I worked in admin.

In that time, I was a voluntary chair person of a preschool, volunteered weekly for two years in a primary school in KS2, including helping a child who had EFL.

I have a science based degree, an Access to Midwfery Diploma, was a trained doula and was a qualified breastfeeding peer supporter in local clinics and the postnatal ward in hospital.

Whilst volunteering at the primary school, I had hoped to start a GTP and had been accepted to train in another primary school but circumstances changed and I couldn't apply.

I started the midwifery degree three years ago but had to stop due to family circumstances.

In the next year though, I really want to go back to work, specifically in a secondary school, rather than primary.m I had thought about geography teaching but with my youngest being 11 and with him having additional needs, I feel training to teach isn't the best idea to begin with....although I wouldn't rule it out in the future.

How likely is it, if I complete the govt. approved Level 3 TA course, that a school would employ me with the above qualifications and experience....assuming I pass the interview like me etc? Is it possible to get a TA job in a secondary school without volunteering do you think?

Thanks in advance.

Thank you CandODad....that's all really useful.
I know it's stressful and very hard work but at the same time, it does sound interesting....especially if you're covering lots of different subjects in the same day.
I'm going to be positive and I'd be happy with £70 for a day without the hassle of planning and marking (I assume no marking?)

In my area supply teachers are paid between £70-110 a day depending on the school/contract/experience/subject but supply cover supervisors about £45 a day.

I'm on a supply teacher group and there are huge numbers of teachers quitting their miserable permanent jobs to go and do supply, so the agencies have a huge pool of people fodder to choose from. They are choosing the cheapest they can (ideally teachers paid on a CS salary, but a CS is next best) and even telling supply teachers that school X who have booked them will only pay them at a cover supervisor rate. You can choose to turn it down, but then you risk having no work at all. Some agencies get (or try to get) teachers to work for a day or two as a free trial-telling them than head teachers want to see what they are like first!

Hmm, so not quite as good as it seems then.

I can only go from my experience and those CS that I spoke to when I was on cover. You simply go to the designated person, get provided with your days timetable and any work they have been given (but nine times out of ten the work was "in the room" or another teacher would be along at the start of the lesson to tell the what to do)
The best lessons to get were Tear 10 or 11 since they had chosen the subject so generally wanted to be doing it and the cover work was usually "they know what they are doing for course work, let them get on with it"

There isn't any marking no and the agency I worked for never tried to pull any promotional crap either. The one issue I had was when a school wanted to pay me to be a cover supervisor but expected me to teach lessons working form a script. I simply asked the agency not to send me there again since I wasn't what they needed (and from what the agency said I wasn't the first to refuse the school) Anyone getting £45 a day wouldn't even be getting minimum wage but all I can say to that is the agency never once tried to drop me from my agreed rate even to the point of if the school only wanted one lesson covering she would often pay me for two to make it worth my while.

Thank you.
That's all really useful info.

Had a look and not many cover supervisor jobs in my area at the moment so will do TA course in the mean time. The TA jobs are a lot easier to find in my nearest city.... dd said I'm not allowed to work in our local secondary with her and DS there.....we'll see about that because I'm not turning down the chance to walk to work and work in a school I went to and know inside out .