Job Advert: Primary Supply Teacher
Location: Various schools across South Birmingham ( Radius set by yourself of where you can work)
Job Type: Supply (Flexible hours, Full-time or Part-time, Day to day or Long Term)
Start Date: ASAP for January 2025
About the Role:
TeacherActive are seeking enthusiastic and dedicated Primary Supply Teachers to join our pool of educators for schools across South Birmingham. As a Primary Supply Teacher, you will play a vital role in ensuring the continuity of high-quality education for students in the absence of their regular teacher. This role offers flexibility and a variety of classroom experiences, perfect for teachers looking for diverse and rewarding opportunities.
Key Responsibilities:
Deliver engaging lessons in accordance with the national curriculum.
Maintain a positive and inclusive classroom environment.
Adapt teaching methods and resources to meet the needs of all students.
Manage classroom behaviour effectively to ensure a focused learning environment.
Follow school policies and procedures, including safeguarding guidelines.
Provide feedback on student progress to the school leadership team.
Requirements:
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or equivalent.
Experience teaching primary-aged children (EYFS, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2).
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to adapt to different school environments and work with a variety of age groups.
A passion for teaching and supporting children's learning and development.
A current DBS check or willingness to obtain one.
The flexibility required for a supply teacher is crucial due to the nature of the role, which involves working in different schools, classrooms, and with a variety of age groups and teaching teams. Here are some key aspects of flexibility for supply teachers:
1. Adaptability to Different School Environments:
Supply teachers are often required to work in different schools and settings, meaning they must adapt quickly to new environments. Each school has its own culture, teaching styles, and rules, and supply teachers need to be able to integrate seamlessly into these varied systems.
Understanding and following each school’s policies, routines, and expectations, even if they differ from previous schools, is essential.
2. Working with Different Age Groups:
A supply teacher may be assigned to teach across multiple year groups within a primary school (EYFS, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2). Each age group has different learning needs, developmental stages, and behaviours.
Flexibility in teaching methods and approaches is required to adapt lessons and activities to the different needs and abilities of the children.
3. Last-Minute Assignments:
Supply teachers often receive assignments at short notice, sometimes even on the same day. This means they need to be ready and willing to accept placements with little preparation time, ensuring they can quickly prepare appropriate lesson plans and resources.
They must also be prepared for unexpected changes in lesson plans or duties during the day, such as additional responsibilities like covering for lunch breaks or other staff members.
4. Classroom Management:
Every classroom has its own dynamics and group of students. As a supply teacher, being flexible in managing behaviour and classroom expectations is crucial. You must quickly assess the classroom's mood and implement strategies to keep students engaged, focused, and respectful.
You may need to adapt your approach to suit different student behaviours, ranging from high-energy groups to quieter, more independent learners.
5. Willingness to Work on Short-Term or Long-Term Placements:
While many supply teacher roles are short-term (covering for absent staff), some may require longer-term placements. Being flexible allows teachers to take on extended contracts or specific teaching periods if desired.
Long-term supply work may also involve taking on more responsibility, such as attending staff meetings or contributing to planning and assessments, which requires further adaptability.
6. Variety of Teaching Materials and Subjects:
A supply teacher might need to teach various subjects they haven’t taught in a while or may not be specialized in. The flexibility to adapt to new or unfamiliar subjects and be willing to follow existing lesson plans is important.
Teachers may need to use different resources, tools, and teaching styles depending on the subject, school requirements, and available materials.
7. Flexibility in Working Hours:
Supply teaching offers the potential for flexibility in hours. Some teachers may prefer to work part-time, while others may be available for full days or even several days in a row. However, availability can change depending on the needs of the schools and the nature of the role.
The ability to be available at short notice, and sometimes even on weekends for special events or cover work, makes a flexible supply teacher an invaluable resource.
In summary, the flexibility required for a supply teacher means being adaptable to different schools, classrooms, age groups, schedules, and teaching conditions. Being able to adjust quickly and effectively to varying situations while maintaining high standards of teaching and classroom management is key to succeeding in this role.
What We Offer:
Competitive daily rate based on experience.
Flexible working hours – full-time or part-time.
A supportive and welcoming team of educators.
Opportunities to work in a variety of primary schools.
Continued professional development and training.
If you are an experienced and motivated Primary Teacher looking for flexible work opportunities, we would love to hear from you!
To apply, please send your CV to or apply below!
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment. Successful candidates will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS reference check.
All applicants will be contacted to discuss suitability and then invited to register with TeacherActive.
Registration involves an enhanced DBS check, ID checks and will require you to supply good professional references. We pride ourselves on excellent service. We can provide a wide range of opportunities in schools and other educational institutions, with good rates of pay, at times to suit your needs.
Regular external audits have shown repeatedly that our standards are exceptional. We are passionate about finding the right staff for each environment.
TeacherActive is an equal opportunities employer, and operates as an Employment Business in providing temporary or contract job-seeking services