Can I pull out of a long term supply job that I’ve accepted for September even though I attended all their reception home visits? How bad would it be ?

[sv96]

Right now I am placed in a lovely school on long term supply and decided to go elsewhere only because I was not offered the year group I wanted again to continue in September. The new job is further from me, so means earlier commute and the day finishes at 3:30 which means extra 20 mins teaching everyday. Also the EYFS classes have their own gardens which means I will be setting up all on my own the night before and the morning before. I also just didn’t get the right feeling from the school?

I am so lost.

The current school I am at also still need someone to cover their Nursery in September and have offered it to me again.

Is it really bad to pull out last minute after attending most home visits and meeting all the children and parents.

Help me out.

Sorry but I think it would be very bad form to do this. Especially as you have done all of the transition visits/parent meetings etc.
You would leave the school in a real mess with term ending in just a few days.

You knew about the commute when you applied surely?

I don't teach early years so not best placed to advise, but all teachers have a certain amount of setting up to do? I do, even in secondary!

Feel for a school- it can be difficult to get a proper feel at interview. If it wasn't awful to the point you turned them down, I would give it a chance.

In short, it would be really bad form and very unfair on the new school to do this. Please remember as well that head teachers talk!

So the school you're in now have you on long term supply in R but you want the N class? Or N in a different school?

How far is the commute?

Setting up in EYFS and KS1 is par for the course - you spend most of your out of teaching hours on prep whereas KS2 teachers can do less prep but spend more of their time marking. That's just the job. Teaching is long hours.

Ultimately yes it's bad form. However, if you're on long term supply and not contracted for a term you presumably can change your mind.

Of course you'll need to set up the outside area, setting up the environment is a huge part of the job in Reception (experienced Reception teacher here). Who sets it up where you are now?

We do our home visits in September but if you've already done them I think it would be especially unprofessional to turn your back on the new school now. Those children and parents have met you. The parents will spend the summer talking about you to their child, helping them to become familiar with your name and get excited about starting school. Yes, you can pass the information on but you put your replacement on the back foot in terms of relationship building. Most importantly, you'll be letting a group of 4 year olds down at a crucial point in their education.

Sorry to sound blunt but it would be incredibly selfish to turn your back on them now. You'd make the new school look bad and disorganised to a whole cohort of new families (not their fault, but parents won't see it like that) and you'll confuse the children. I'm shocked you're even considering it to be honest. You knew what the commute would be when you accepted. You don't accept one role only to see if something better comes along.

Do you work through an agency? You won't paint them in a good light either if you back out now and I'd be surprised if they're supportive of you letting one of their clients down in favour of another. Do your current school know you have accepted a role elsewhere for September? I'm assuming they do as they will have had to release you for the home visits at the new setting. It's quite unprofessional of them too to encourage you to go back on this deal to stay with them instead. I wonder how they'd feel if the boot was on the other foot?

Basically it's a big no for me. Life happens and sometimes things happen out of our control and we have no choice but to let employers down (a sudden relocation, health issues, pregnancy etc, but it would be totally unprofessional to just change your mind because you fancy a different offer instead. Give it a term and if it's really not working reassess but I definitely wouldn't advise pulling out before you've even tried it. You need to help settle those new children in at least
Surely you owe them that after accepting the role?

Don’t be guilt tripped. You’re a supply teacher, you can walk away at any time, that’s the beauty of it. You’re paid considerably less than a permanent teacher, you don’t have their holiday pay or pension BUT you don’t have to be beholden to a school for ANY reason. Just tell them you won’t be joining them and don’t give it another thought.

The kids won't know any different when they get someone else and if you feel sure the new school won't be for you, staying where you are is definitely better than moving on and then possibly leaving the new school anyway.

If you’re on 1 days notice then I don’t see a problem. Schools are very quick to decide they don’t need you anymore. Works both ways.

If you’re on a fixed term contract in writing that’s different - but that isn’t usually the case for a long term Supply Teacher.

I've turned up first day of term twice to be told “Oh, we’ve changed our minds”

Also, I agree with what seashor said.

You don't accept one role only to see if something better comes along

That is one of the joys of supply. You hate it, you walk. It works the other way too - schools have no loyalty to you and will get rid of you overnight. The lack of job security on supply is the whole point. Do what is best for you, OP.

Out of interest, those saying "No" - are any of you on Supply contracts where you do all the job with a huge pay cut compared to main scale, on 1 days notice, no sick pay, no access to Teachers Pension, sacked once you become entitled to your point on the Teachers pay scale....

Your contract with the school is purely a professional contract and you are entitled to withdraw from it if you feel you have a better offer elsewhere. I would have no hesitation is doing this. If the school cannot provide the environment and conditions to hold onto you, that's their problem, not yours.

Ignore all of the comments above about how extra work etc. is part of the course as a teacher. It's attitudes like that that have allowed the government to exploit teachers for as long as they have done. No one in the private sector would ever put up with that, so why should we?

Nobody is asking the OP to do extra work - they've only mentioned setting an outdoor area of an EYFS classroom which absolutely is her job. EYFS and KS1 teachers don't necessarily plan lessons to cover the whole teaching day because the children also access provision in amongst whole class teaching and small group work. Setting up and resourcing the classroom (including outside) allowed children to access hands in, practical learning and play.

Nobody would argue that a maths teacher only needs to plan 4 out of the 5 lessons they're going to teach that day. It's their job and they have to do it. It's got absolutely nothing to do with the government and pay!!

Apologies for all the typos - one tired teacher waiting for the holidays...

I've done supply before, yes. Luckily I was always treated with respect, which goes two ways, so personally I couldn't act like this. I understand not every supply teacher is, and if I hadn't been I dare say I would feel differently but personally I couldn't walk out before I'd even tried something, just because a better option has come up. Especially not after meeting the children are parents. As I said though, we're all different.

The pay reflects the short term nature of the supply role. If someone is choosing the supply route they know what they're in for, pay wise. This attitude of you owe them nothing seems quite shitty to me, when the school hasn't done OP wrong, but, as I said, we're all different. OP asked for opinions, that's mine.

This! OP is not being asked to do anything unreasonable or extra. A huge part of the Reception teacher role is setting up continuous provision. I understand if people out of EYFS don't understand this but OP certainly should if they already work in EFYS. There's less planning and marking in Reception, compared to further up the school, but setting up the environment is the main part of the job. I was querying who OP thought was going to do it for her.

It's definitely nothing to do with the government exploiting teachers. It is literally part of the job!

Tell the new school that the old school has unexpectedly offered for you to stay on in the same role in September and so you have decided to withdraw from the role there and apologise for the inconvenience.

There's no point going to work somewhere you don't really want to when you can stay in a job you do want. As supply they can drop you without a second thought so while they might be a bit miffed there's not much they can do. Just let them know asap as they will obviously need to get on top of it.

It’s a long term role not a short term role.

I assumed it to be for a year, as that's the longest I've ever heard supply roles offered for (usually to cover maternity, or to cover a role which hasn't been filled yet for September). Whilst known as 'long-term supply', it's still short-term in nature (ie not permanent). That's what I meant when I referred to the short-term nature of the role.

I was fortunate that my own personal experience of long-term supply turned into an offer of a permanent contract. However, you often get out what you put into these things. If you act like a regular member of staff, putting as much in as you would if you were employed by them, it reflects well on you as a person (despite me agreeing that the pay and lack of job security is rubbish and therefore you shouldn't be 'expected' to work as hard as a permanent member of staff). However, shouldn't have to and shouldn't are too different things. Yes you technically don't owe them anything, but if you go in to supply roles with that attitude, leaving at half 3 only doing the bear minimum then you're likely to remain in supply roles forever.

It depends what OP wants from this. They don't say whether they're satisfied to remain supply or not...

I think we're probably not in as much disagreement as you think. I'm glad you were treated respectfully in your time as a Supply Teacher. In my experience there is an average of 1 or 2 adults per school who are quite happy to openly be rude to Supply teachers. Others are when you are so much part of the furniture they forget you're not permanent. I can factor in children being rude.

I don't think any of us are advocating a "let schools down at all costs " attitude. We are being realistic.

If schools want more certainty with long term arrangements it is within their power to offer fixed term contracts or extend the notice period.

If schools want 1 days notice they need to remember it works both ways...

I personally don't back out of assignments I've agreed to. On the other hand it is not always true that we know our wage in advance. Sometimes you only find out you have been given a terrible rate when you get your pay slip.

(Lesson sorted of learnt - some schools slip under your bad payer radar when you haven't been there for a couple of years)

On long term Supply you have short notice, low pay, and are expected to do all the work of permanent staff. OP has been offered extension of existing placement so probably is as conscientious as you advocate. Current school might not be impressed by sudden departure either.

It depends what OP wants from this. They don't say whether they're satisfied to remain supply or not….

the …… you put there makes it sound like you think being on supply is somehow a bad thing to aspire to. Supply is essential. Treating people as somehow lesser because supply fits their circumstances or simply works for them is just not acceptable. And I agree, there are those in schools who are rude and unpleasant to supply staff as a matter of course - my friend did two terms in a department where the HOD referred to her as ‘the supply’ the whole time.

I think fundamentally what people don’t understand if they’ve never done supply is how things change - I once went for an interview, start date for 6 weeks time was set then the day before I got an ‘oh sorry, we have someone we know wanting a couple of days so we don’t need you anymore’. In the interim, I had turned down god knows how much longer term work. Nothing you can do.

And I got my current permanent position through supply - never left! But I know how fickle it is and it works both ways. You don’t have to stay if it doesn’t work for you.

You have grossly misunderstood my post. I have done supply before, as stated. I most certainly don't think it's a bad thing to aspire to and most certainly don't think supply teacher are 'lesser'.

How you got that from ... I'll never know.

Can you please look at my new post, your guidance would be appreciated!