The best supply teaching generally occurs where there is an effective and co-operative working relationship between school, supply teacher and LEA or agency.  

Lack of understanding of the needs or requirements of the other people involved can significantly affect the quality of the cover provided.  And yet most of the problems are easy to overcome.

Supply Teaching: The Essential Guide includes a section for each of the main parties involved - in the hope that this will help improve the situation for all involved - with the result that the pupils will benefit from a much higher standard of cover lessons than so often experienced.

Supply Teachers

School Cover/Supply Managers and Co-ordinators

Supply Agencies

School Handbook for Supply Teachers

Supply Teachers

Have you ever walked into a class to find no cover work has been left?

Are you new to supply teaching?

If you are new to supply teaching, or if you have ever walked into a class to find  no cover work has been left, you could find Supply Teaching: The Essential Guide (£14.99 plus £2.75 p+p) to be an invaluable source of information, advice and ideas.

The Guide is packed with practical suggestions designed to make your supply experience easier and more enjoyable. Written in an accessible style, it contains advice on everything you need to know to help you to be an effective, efficient and, most importantly employed, supply teacher.

For many teachers one of the most valuable parts of the Guide will be the Emergency Activities section. 

Here you will find hundreds of primary school and secondary school activities for almost all curriculum subjects.  These activities need no preparation (not even photocopying), no special equipment or specialist knowledge, so are ideal for those lessons where no cover work has been set and it's down to you to deliver a lesson that is educational, appropriate and interesting.

The Guide includes checklists and templates that can be copied and used when starting at a new school.

Specific issues covered include:

• How to become a supply teacher
• How to find work
• Application forms and documentation
• The law
• Registration
• Timetable
• Class discipline
• People who become supply teachers
• General Teaching Council (GTC)
• Information you need from your employer
• Cover work
• Essential equipment
• Newly Qualified Teachers
• Choosing your agency
• Class lists
• Rewards and sanctions
• Teachers from abroad.

School Cover/Supply Managers and Co-ordinators

Are you responsible for organising cover lessons in your school? 

If so, we can help to make your life easier!

Supply Teaching:The Essential Guide is packed with practical suggestions designed to make the supply experience easier, more effective and enjoyable for everyone involved: you, your supply teachers, cover supervisors and, most importantly, your pupils.

Written in an accessible style, it contains advice on everything you need to know to be an effective cover/supply co-ordinator, including legal, professional and educational issues relating to every aspect of supply teaching.

For many, one of the most valuable parts of the Guide will be the Emergency Activities section. Here you will find hundreds of primary school and secondary school activities for almost all curriculum subjects. These activities need no preparation (not even photocopying), no special equipment or specialist knowledge, so are ideal for those lessons where no cover work has been set and it's down to you to organise a lesson that is educational, appropriate and interesting.

The Guide includes dedicated sections for supply co-ordinators, supply teachers(and cover supervisors) and supply agencies.

The section for the school cover co-ordinator includes everything you need to know about organising cover lessons, employing supply teachers and working with outside agencies.

Specific issues covered include:

• Reasons to hire supply teachers
• Where to find supply teachers
• Helping your supply teacher to help you
• What makes a good cover co-ordinator
• Working with agencies and the local education authority (LEA)
• Working with teachers from abroad
• Dealing with problems
• The law
• Teachers' checks
• Briefing your supply teachers
• Supply teachers' handbook
• Cover work
• Cover sheet
• Cover supervisors

Supply Teachers' Handbook

Are you providing your supply teachers with the information they need to do a good job?

A good handbook can make a significant difference to the contribution a supply teacher can make to your school.  With the right information they have a much better chance of making a valuable contribution to your school from the moment they first walk into a class.

Heather Reid, an experienced supply teacher and author of Supply Teaching: The Essential Guide, stresses the importance of a good handbook and includes a template in the Guide, outlining the information she considers essential. 

If you do not have the time to produce your own handbook we will write one on your behalf.  All you need to do is to complete a brief questionnaire, send us a copy of any relevant school publications and provide a contact name and email address. 

The cost is just £250.00 plus VAT. In return you will receive electronic and printed copies of your school's Supply Teachers' Handbook.

Supply Agencies

Supply Teaching: The Essential Guide provides a valuable insight into the legal, educational and professional issues relating to every aspect of supply teaching.

The Guide is packed with practical suggestions, based on years of experience, designed to make the supply experience easier, more effective and more enjoyable for everyone involved.  In addition to the section for Supply Agencies, the Guide also includes sections for Supply Teachers and School Cover Managers

As such, Supply Agencies and LEAs will find the Guide to be a valuable training aid for new staff within the agency, as well as for new supply teachers.

Using the Guide  will help each party to understand the issues relating to their own role, while also providing an insight into the roles and expectations of the others.

Contents include:

What is a Supply Agency?

Pros and Cons of Recruiting for the Education Sector?

Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)

Maintaining Standards

Attracting Teachers to your Agency

Checks on Supply Teachers

Sample Application Form

Teachers from outside the UK

Contract for Services

Terms of Business

Teachers' Pay

Information to Give to Supply Teachers

Timesheets

Supporting your Supply Teachers

Dealing with Problems

Attracting Schools to your Agency

What a School Expects from a Supply Agency

Information to Give to Schools

Feedback Form

Charges

Permanent Contracts

The Law

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure Requirements 

Government Department Lists

Feedback

"Really practical and helpful advice. I'm working my way through the activities."

"A very useful resource.  Thankyou"    laffingirl, ebay

"Really useful resource"    gordon5618, ebay

"Just what I needed"    whizzy35, ebay

"It ......... is full of lots of useful advice as well as great activities for the lessons that don't need lots of  photocopies.  It will be the first item I pack in my supply bag!"     bigben2468, TES