Supply Work What a Pain!!!

Not wishing to teach a Granny to suck eggs, Eliza but if you are with an agency and shilly shally prevaricate when they offer you work, you may well find you do not get asked again., I agree it is a very good way to get a feel for a school and that can decide you to apply for a vacancy should one arise, OR never to darken their doors again, But you have to get that foot in the door first, so I would do my reseaarch well in advance. In my day however you would have been unlikely to be offered a job as the agency would be entitled to a fee for placing you so it would make sense to approach schools independently, setting out what experience you have, what your subject is and whether you can teach any other subjects with reasonable confidence. That way the school is under no obligation to the agency. Of course on the other hand, if a supply teacher is needed at short notice a school may well not ring round but go direct to the agency. It's a tricky position.

Soutra I have applied to every school in my area and when I do get an answer its just to let me know that if they did have a vacancy it would be advertised in the local rag and I can apply only in that way!!

i even tried to d volunteer work and was told that there was a waiting list what!!!

It is very difficult but I have no intentions of giving up.

thank you for your thought

thank you for your thoughts

Yes Soutra is right - it is too expensive to pay the agency for a full time recruit. They charge something around 15% of the first year's salary as a "finders fee"

Before you can achieve QTS won't you need a teaching qualification Eliza?

There are a great deal of women seeking TA jobs because it fits well with their own childcare needs. Nothing wrong with that but it has meant a lot of people chasing the jobs! Volunteers need managing and organising so there really is a limit to how many one school can cope with.

My DD2 who has 4 yrs teaching experience following her M.Teach QTS and 8 years parenting is currently working her way back to regular teaching by working as a supply,some days as a TA sometimes as a teacher. She has decided to take any work she can so the supply agency offers her as much work as possible. Looks good on the CV.

I think you're very lucky to have got a toe in the door, so to speak, eliza, many with recently-gained degrees aren't so fortunate. Give it time!

I studied Literature as well, Eliza. I can't believe you only had one lecturer. We had about half a dozen.

Dragonfly has a point, or do you also have your PGCE Eliza? Often your teaching practice placement schools will bear students in mind when vacancies occur.

When I did supply, which was usually when we moved to a different LEA, it was a good idea to always take the first opportunity offered in any school. Then you would find out whether you liked the school or not. If not, and they rang you again, you could always say sorry but you were working that day, in order not to burn any boats, or bridges.

I can remember once making a series of excuses to a school with a "certain" reputation aand the conversation went a bit like this:
Me: I've got to get my little girl to school
Them: That's OK you can come in for second period
Me: And then I have to collect her as I have no child care
Them: That's OK you can leave early
Me: And the car's playing up
Them: That's OK we'll pay for a taxi
Me: (faintly) Lovely see you tomorrow then!!
It was a very rough school and while I never went there again, knowing the local school "Mafia" I made sure I acquitted myself well enough - just wasn't free the next time!!

eliza I will pm you tomorrow to talk about TAs - I also trained them for their qualifications. Happy to help, but off to bed now!

Eliza are you hoping to do some further training that will lead to a teaching qualification or are you hoping for a long term position as Teaching Assistant?

There are lots of places in London where you can gain QTS: e.g. Unis, training schools, GTP etc.

As a former headteacher and currently a school improvement adviser with a greater London local authority I am happy to give you any helpful hints if you want to pm me.

durhamjen I think eliza said that her tutor was from the USA. Presumably there were lots of specialist lecturers in the department. Even so, I think it is unusual to have the same tutor all the way through just for a basic BA; you don't usually get continuity with a supervisor until your doctorate.

My neighbour's daughter, with a 2:1 BEd with NQT status, took almost two years to get a permanent full time post, after a series of supply jobs.

I meant QTS. Time for bed.

It took my DD 2 years after getting PGCE to get a permanent position.
But the experience she gained doing supply teaching was invaluable. She learned how to identify a good/happy school and also the opposite.
The last term of supply work she did was in a pupil referral unit and she then realised that she enjoyed special needs, and loves the job she has now.
Eliza every cloud has a silver lining - use this time to widen your experience and just take what opportunities arise.

Do let us know how you get on Eliza, it looks as if there is good advice available and guidance towards getting that foot on the teaching career ladder.

It appears that free schools do not require teachers to have teaching qualifications, though goodness knows what that tells us about their quality of education.

Maybe they work by the premise that all these people went to school so know how to teach!

The same premise which used to ( and still does) drive me apoplectic - namely that everyone has been to school so everyone is an expert. I wonder if brain surgeons suffer in the same way?

That's so helpful thank you so much--no did not have same tutor but the tutor from USA stood out for me, she was soo passionate about literature and all her lecture's were brilliant

Really really need this help thank you all will stay glued to this thread

Thank you

Gove has been off to the States, looked at a couple of exceptional "charter schools" and decided that this is the way education will be improved - let anyone who fancies it open a school and he'll give hem lots of money.

Jess is pointing out a route to use your keenness to teach Eliza
Perhaps look on line for local free schools that are developing in your area an see if they would like you on board. Not sure if they pay the full teacher rates or more..might be a way in for you.
keep us posted!