Is being a supply teacher worth it?
As a supply teacher, you might be under the impression that you won't be as well paid as if you would in a full time role; however, as a supply teacher with an agency like Class People, you will be very well paid for each hour you do work, at very competitive rates!
Supply teachers (whether agency or otherwise) are not covered by the contractual sick pay or maternity pay provisions but may be entitled to statutory sick pay or maternity pay rights in certain circumstances. See the advice on statutory sick pay and rights of pregnant workers in the Agency Worker Regulations guidance.
Supply teachers experience an additional layer of stress due to the nature of the job. Whilst others in your network can plan lessons down to the finest detail for many weeks and months ahead, the demands of a supply teacher can vary daily and each new challenge can be impossible to predict.
The biggest myth which needs busting is that supply teaching is that easier than traditional teaching. This is just not true. A good supply teacher will work just as hard as one who owns their own classroom. The harsh truth is that a supply teacher who doesn't work hard will probably find they don't get much work.
ECTs can undertake short-term (duration of less than a term) supply work for a maximum of 5 years from the date of being awarded QTS.
These skills are: 1) Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, 2) Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by Influence, 3) Agility and Adaptability, 4) Initiative and Entrepreneurialism, 5) Effective Oral and Written Communication, 6) Accessing and Analyzing Information and finally, 7) Curiosity and Imagination.
More than half of teachers in 2022 said their time for planning was significantly impacted due to staff shortages and a host of other reasons. If teachers don't have planning time at school, they have to make up for it at home, encroaching on their work-life balance, which can contribute to burnout.
Yes, in general, K-12 teachers in the U.S make enough money to live comfortably depending on how they are accustomed to living. Other factors include standard of living, geographic location, family status, and saving habits.
How much holiday pay are supply teachers entitled to? If you work full time for a full year, you're entitled to 28 days paid holiday, and employers will usually include the 8 annual bank holidays. If you work less than a full year, or you don't work full time, you'll be entitled to paid holiday on a pro-rata basis.
How much does a Daily supply teachers make in United Kingdom? The average daily supply teachers salary in the United Kingdom is £37,310 per year or £19.13 per hour. Entry level positions start at £33,800 per year while most experienced workers make up to £47,320 per year.
How much does a supply teacher get a day?
Supply Teacher Royal Borough of Greenwich Pay 130 - 140 per day (Salary is dependent on experience, training or qualifications. The minimum experience, training or qualifications required for this position are 6 weeks experience in a similar education-based...
Well-organised
Organising your working life is crucial, and schools will want to hire supply teachers who clearly have everything under control. Great organisation skills allow you to turn up at short notice and set up a class with all your lesson plans and teaching materials ready to hand.

The average salary for a Supply Teacher is £27,755 in London, UK.
Myth: Supply Teaching Is Easy
However, temporary educating is just as challenging, requires just as much effort and often requires a much broader level of skills and knowledge than long-term school staff.
The first year of teaching is the hardest. While being an educator is never without its struggles, the first year is by far the most challenging — pieced together with idealism, confusion, good intentions, excitement, fear, and expectations. But fear not.
In order to become a supply teacher in London, you need some level of qualification. However, the route into how you gain your qualification may not be as black and white as you think; there are many ways to achieve the appropriate skills to allow you to get your ideal teaching job.
- Bring your own resources. ...
- Introduce yourself to everyone. ...
- Ask about the children. ...
- Make yourself familiar. ...
- Find out about routines. ...
- Know your groups. ...
- Have fun ideas for time fillers. ...
- Know your bathroom limits.
They also have the same allotted time, so for example, if a teacher works 15 hours per week they'll get around 90 minutes PPA time. The same applies for newly qualified teachers, as they get the same allotted time as fully qualified teachers. However, supply teachers do not receive PPA time.
However, we highly recommend that you are a member of one. A teaching union or association can be like an invisible safety net. They offer support, information and guidance. They also can provide legal assistance.
The benefit of day to day supply teaching is that you have no or limited marking, no or limited planning and no extra school activities/ meetings to attend.
What are 3 hard skills a teacher may possess?
- Administrative skills.
- Classroom management systems.
- Database handling.
- Google Suite.
- Language skills.
- Microsoft Office.
- Social media.
- Spreadsheet creation and management.
- Develop Effective Working Relationships With Your Students. ...
- Train Your Students on How Learning Takes Place in Your Classroom. ...
- Protect and Leverage Your Time. ...
- Anticipate Your Students' Behaviors in Well-Written Lesson Plans. ...
- Establish Behavioral Standards.
The tension and responsibility that educators like Gillum faced during the pandemic — combined with long-standing issues plaguing the profession, plus the coarsening of debates about classroom control, teacher pay and respect — have caused many to make the tough choice to leave the classroom.
44% of teachers quit in the first five years.
And they don't just quit their current positions - they often leave teaching altogether. This is a much higher rate than most other occupations in the U.S., including those known for high burnout rates, such as police officers.
Nationwide, Teachers have the longest average lifespan of any public employee, according to the Society of Actuaries. Men who teach live on average until nearly 88 years old, while women who teach live on average to be 90, according to a Society of Actuaries study.
Professor
When you are looking for the best-paid teaching jobs for your area of interest or specialized skill, then you may consider working as a professor in a college or university. A college professor prepares course material, teaches students in a classroom environment, and grades student work.
Rank | State | Overall cost of living rank |
---|---|---|
1 | New York | 49 |
2 | Massachusetts | 47 |
3 | Connecticut | 43 |
4 | New Jersey | 40 |
Teachers may add a psychology or counseling certification and become career counselors. Some teachers can even make more as education consultants. A career change out of teaching may just be diving deeper into the world of education.
This means your agency is responsible for providing you with the same basic pay and conditions you would receive if you were employed directly by the school. Of course, this covers pay but also includes the same basic lunch breaks, hours of work and paid time off too.
Speaking on BBC Point West's Evening News, The Supply Room's Director, Joe Birchenall shared that while supply teachers have always been in high demand, Covid has certainly exacerbated the problem, stretching an already very-strained work force.
Do supply teachers pay tax?
Your employer is responsible for sending the tax on to HMRC. When you are paid, you should get a pay slip setting out your pay and tax. At the end of the tax year, you should get a form P60 which sets out the total amounts paid to you and deducted from you for the previous tax year.
- Harris Federation. 3.7 £37,346per year. 93 reviews41 salaries reported.
- Falkirk Council & Falkirk Community Trust. 4.0 £37,292per year. ...
- Holland Park School. 3.6 £36,369per year. ...
- Clarus Education. 4.8 £36,210per year. ...
- Brampton Manor Academy. 3.4 £36,181per year. ...
- Show more companies.
Yes, if you have two or more employers, you can claim SMP from each of them providing you satisfy the qualifying conditions for each job, see above. The same applies if one or both of your jobs is agency work, casual work, 'Bank' nursing or supply teaching.
Although joining a supply teaching agency isn't a necessity, many substitute teachers couldn't imagine doing their job without one. If you're a new supply teacher, choosing the right teaching agency is one of the most important decisions to make.
- Your own travel mug/cup.
- Whiteboard pens.
- Snacks.
- Stickers.
- Resources printed and ready on a USB.
- DBS information and driving license or a form of ID.
- Water bottle.
- Website login information.
You must have qualified teacher status ( QTS ) to take up a teaching post in England in a: maintained primary school. maintained secondary school. maintained special school.
Supply Teacher Salary
Pay is usually more within London. Supply teachers earn relatively well when considering the hours worked, while permanent teachers will be paid the same regardless of extra hours put in, extra-curricular activities and taking work home.
- Arrive Early. If possible, arrive at the school early. ...
- Check Your Duties. Take some time to ask about the children you will be teaching. ...
- Check Class Routines. ...
- The Name Game. ...
- Be Firm But Fair. ...
- Don't Be A Mug! ...
- Bring Your Own. ...
- Fun And Fillers.
Supply Teachers, or Temporary Teachers, undertake temporary contracts to teach in different schools in different locations. Just like permanent Teachers, Supply Teachers have the same teaching responsibilities including teaching students, grading their work, and providing feedback on their academic performance.
If a Supply Teacher is unwell, they may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. To qualify you must meet the following criteria: Be classed as an employee.
What are supply teachers called?
A Supply Teacher, or Substitute Teacher, covers the role of a permanent Teacher. Their primary duties include carrying out the absent Teacher's lesson plan, consulting with parents and maintaining records of student progress.
As a supply teacher, you're expected to mark all work from the lessons you've taught unless you're told otherwise. It would be unfair to expect the permanent class teacher to mark work from a lesson they weren't even present for.
As a supply teacher, your work schedule varies depending on the supply teaching job. When you teach primary pupils, your work hours run from 8.30 am and 4 pm, but you have to work extra hours to mark classwork and prepare for future classes.
In order to address the deterioration in teacher-to-student ratios, supply teachers are swooping in to fill any shortfalls, thus assisting the education system in trying to reach its goals. As a result, supply teaching roles are more valuable and in-demand than ever.
A manageable workload – teaching full time often involves putting in extra hours. But if you're a supply teacher you get to go home at the end of the day – you won't be overwhelmed with paperwork or marking and you won't have to attend parents' evenings. That means you can just get on with the job you love – teaching!
Which teaching subject is most in demand? While specific needs vary by institution, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are subjects that are always in high demand.
Supply agencies are creaming off substantial profits at the expense of schools and the taxpayer whilst employing teachers on the cheap. Many supply teachers have left the profession simply because they don't feel valued or respected for the work they do. These are urgent matters that the Government must deal with.
They also have the same allotted time, so for example, if a teacher works 15 hours per week they'll get around 90 minutes PPA time. The same applies for newly qualified teachers, as they get the same allotted time as fully qualified teachers. However, supply teachers do not receive PPA time.
How much holiday pay are supply teachers entitled to? If you work full time for a full year, you're entitled to 28 days paid holiday, and employers will usually include the 8 annual bank holidays. If you work less than a full year, or you don't work full time, you'll be entitled to paid holiday on a pro-rata basis.
A supply teacher teaching 195 days is entitled to the same annual pay as a teacher teaching 195 days. Their holiday pay is wrapped up in the daily rate.