PGCE Student - Questions about supply teaching

Hi all!

I'm currently doing my PGCE Secondary Maths in London.

After graduating I failed to secure a graduate job and decided to try this PGCE. Especially after I heard how much they pay us to get trained!
Anyway now a few months into the PGCE, I've realised I don't want to be a full time teacher. I enjoy the teaching, however the workload is just too much.

I am thinking of doing supply teaching after I finish PGCE and have had these questions in my head for a while now.

Are supply teaching jobs easy to come by?

Do you get enough work as a supply teacher?

How much is the pay?

After PGCE, will I be considered as a qualified teacher?

Thank you!

Reply 1

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by Flying_Man

Are supply teaching jobs easy to come by?

Do you get enough work as a supply teacher?

How much is the pay?

After PGCE, will I be considered as a qualified teacher?

Thank you!

As you are in London and your subject is mathematics I would expect you to get plenty of work.

Pay can be complicated. This should give you some idea.

After completing your PGCE you can supply for up to 5 years. If you don't want to be time-limited you really should complete your NQT year.

Reply 2

Veggiechic6

Sounds like you went into the PGCE for all the wrong reasons.

Reply 3

myrtille

Original post by Flying_Man

Hi all!

I'm currently doing my PGCE Secondary Maths in London.

After graduating I failed to secure a graduate job and decided to try this PGCE. Especially after I heard how much they pay us to get trained!
Anyway now a few months into the PGCE, I've realised I don't want to be a full time teacher. I enjoy the teaching, however the workload is just towo much.

I am thinking of doing supply teaching after I finish PGCE and have had these questions in my head for a while now.

Are supply teaching jobs easy to come by?

Do you get enough work as a supply teacher?

How much is the pay?

After PGCE, will I be considered as a qualified teacher?

Thank you!

Hi,

Most supply teachers work through agencies and they are always recruiting so getting signed up to an agency (or several) is easy. Given that your subject is in high demand, I would suggest only signing up to one or two agencies (they usually charge you for the DBS check so it's counter-productive signing up for too many).

How much work you get will vary, but as Mr M said, as a maths teacher in London, this shouldn't be a problem. Don't get downheartened if in the first couple of weeks you don't get much work - the agency and their schools don't know you yet and there will be more established supply teachers in your area who are their first port of call. However, once you start getting a day's work here and there, you build a reputation and (assuming you do a good job!) are likely to be invited back as schools like consistency, not a different person every day.

I worked as a cover supervisor/cover TA/general dogsbody via an agency before my PGCE. When I first started out, I got hardly any work (0.5-2 days per week) but after a few months I was regularly getting 4 or 5 days per week and had a couple of long-term posts. I am now a qualified teacher and have a permanent job in one of the schools I did cover work for, 3 years ago. So if you think you might want a permanent teaching job in a year or two, it can be handy.

Pay-wise, you need to be careful. A couple of my friends were doing supply work recently, and agencies try to get you to work for less money by offering cover supervisor work. Put your foot down and say no - you are a qualified teacher and deserve to be paid as such. If you accept lower-paid work, they'll keep taking advantage.

After the PGCE you have QTS and are a qualified teacher. There is no limit on when you can decide to do your NQT year. However, there is a limit on the amount of time you can do supply work. If you do supply for 5 years, you will have to stop and find a different job.

If you get a long-term supply post (eg: maternity cover) then schools may support the NQT induction process. However, long-term supply probably won't suit you at the moment as you say you don't want to be a full-time teacher due to workload.

If I were you, my plan would be:
-6 months to 1 year of supply.
-As confidence develops, try to get a long-term supply post or apply for NQT jobs.
-If after doing supply for a while you still don't feel ready to be a full-time teacher, look for jobs in a different sector as you can't do supply for ever.

Reply 4

Flying_Man

Wow, I did not expect such detailed replies.

Thank you so much myrtille and the famous Mr M. :smile:

I really appreciate it.

Yh veggiechic6, I had some experience tutoring maths and enjoyed it very much. So I did have some interest in teaching but just not a dying passion for it unfortunately.

Reply 5

chickenkk

Hey there, i'm not sure if this site will help but i've taken some info from it - www.supplyteachertips.com

In my personal experience i found supply great when i qualified, you're classed as an NQT and you get 5 years after qualifying to complete your induction year to gain QTS. Hope this helps :smile:

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