There are few sectors as important as the education sector. Our nation is only as strong as the next generation. After all, they’re the future. But whilst many of the plaudits (rightly, of course) go to permanent teachers, there never seems to be much shouting for supply teachers. Well, we’re here to change that!
The Education Landscape Needs Supply Teachers
The education sector is no stranger to being under significant strain, but in this post-pandemic environment, those pressures are arguably even greater than ever. According to the National Foundation for Educational Research, teacher vacancies have almost doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels. And who’s left to fill those positions, we hear you asking? Yep, you guessed it – supply teachers.
Teachers are also leaving the country in large numbers to work abroad, and it’s thanks to the efforts of supply teachers that the school system still functions as well as it does. Because supply teacher positions can be both short- and long-term, schools are not only looking to fill last-minute positions with supply cover but are looking to resolve longer-term vacancies, too.
Filling the Gaps, Ensuring Continuous Education
One of the most critical aspects of education is that it’s continuous. A good curriculum is an uninterrupted curriculum, and whilst a change of teacher might disrupt things slightly, it’s still preferable that the learning continues as planned, day by day, with the help of a supply teacher.
It’s no easy thing to suddenly drop in with a brand-new group of students and pick up halfway through a syllabus. But supply teachers? They make it appear seamless. Teaching is a challenging enough role at the best of times, but throw in that element of unpredictability that supply teaching brings with it, and wow. Frankly, we don’t know how they do it!
The Education Bucket is Currently Leaking
Imagine the educational ecosystem as a plastic bucket, the sort you might give your child to play with in a sand pit. Messy, we know. Well, if you were to put water into that bucket at the minute, you’d find it leaking all over the place and getting your floor soaked. Not ideal. Supply teachers are like corks for that bucket, plugging the gaps but also doing so much more.
Because it would be a disservice to say that all supply teachers do is stop the leaking. In many cases, supply teachers improve the structural integrity of that bucket, offering organisational skills and an element of calm to what is usually a chaotic situation.
When a supply teacher comes in, the water in that bucket goes from sloshing about like a savage storm, pouring out of the holes and careening over the sides, to a mill-pond level of calm. And it’s not an exaggeration to put it like that, either – that’s how influential a supply teacher can be. Okay, no more bucket analogies, though. We promise.
Example: An Unexpected Illness Strikes
Suppose one of your school’s permanent teachers is suddenly forced to take an extended break from work because of an unexpected illness. In that case, understandably, routine will go out of the window, shattering the pane in the process. In its place, it’s all hands on deck and panic stations activated, trying to find a makeshift workaround that compromises student learning as little as possible.
When that frenetic, firefighting mode is activated, a school and its teaching become more vulnerable. Supply and cover teachers are used to that disruption; they understand that they’re coming into an abnormal situation and are prepared for that. A good supply teacher will reinject routine and stability into a school setup. Panic over. Normal service resumed.
The System Needs an Element of Flexibility Baked in
In an ideal world, the number of teacher vacancies would be significantly lower than it is now. But even if the education sector were running as optimally as possible, which sadly it isn’t, then it would still need some flexibility as there can be everything from those unexpected medical emergencies we mentioned above to short-term termination of employment, and much more in between.
Bend, Don’t Break, and Withstand the Storms
That flexibility comes in the form of supply teachers. You want there to be a little bit of give – a bit of elasticity in the metal so that the system can bend and wiggle a bit without it giving way altogether. You want that flexion so that if there’s an unexpected shock to the system, it can absorb it rather than shatter.
Even the best, smoothest-running education systems still need to expect the unexpected. You can have the most beautifully constructed skyscraper in the world, complete with endless polished marble and designs from world-leading architects, but if it can’t even stand a slight breeze, then there’s a problem.
Supply teachers fix that problem and enable schools to withstand even the fiercest situational storms. If we didn’t have an incredibly talented pool of supply teachers available here in the UK, our children’s education would be much poorer for it. So, here’s to all the supply teachers out there – and if you’re reading this, a massive thank you for all that you do.
Looking for a Supply Teacher Role?
If you’re looking for your next fantastic supply teaching opportunity, look no further because we’ve got you covered! Check out our wide range of supply teacher positions. Whether you’re after primary or secondary teaching and whether you want a short- or long-term role, our goal is to help you achieve yours.
