What to expect from the transition from supply teaching to permanent teaching

Moving to a permanent teaching role from a supply teaching position is a challenge, but so are all the greatest opportunities for career growth.  

There are some stark differences between working in a school permanently and working on a supply basis. As a supply teacher, you’ll often be in a school anywhere from six weeks to a year, without a permanent contract. You’ll get lots of experience in different schools, but you will be on the move.

Working as a permanent teacher can provide a greater sense of continuity. You’ll be able to spend more time planning classes as you’ll be there for the long haul. 

Supply teachers often make the transition to permanent roles as the next step up the ladder. There’s also strong demand for teachers, as secondary schools’ advertised vacancies have increased by 14 per cent compared with pre-pandemic levels. Below, we’ve outlined what to expect from the transition so you’re all prepared for the big move!

When you transition from supply teaching to permanent teaching, you’ll need to focus more on building relationships with teachers and students. As a supply teacher, you might only be working for a few weeks, with less chance to build deep connections and rapport. However, as a permanent employee of a specific school, you’ll need to make sure you’re providing the best support to your colleagues. 

This means asking questions, offering to help and listening in meetings, particularly if you’re a new teacher. You’ll also need to build further trust with your colleagues and students due to the permanent nature of your position. During your transition from a supply teacher to permanent, make sure you’re going the extra mile to get to know everyone at your school!

As you move from supply teacher to permanent teacher, you can expect more opportunities for training and to further your career development. You’ll have a greater role to play in the staff team in the school. 

Working as a supply teacher often means you’re there to help ease the pressure in a school caused by a shortage of teachers, which can be a great learning experience. However, you’re unlikely to receive long-term training opportunities from your superiors due to your shorter tenure. So, when moving to a permanent role, make sure you’re ready for the new challenges and learning opportunities that will be thrown your way. 

One of the key things you can expect when making the transition to a permanent teaching role is more consistency. Many supply teachers will have grown accustomed to the variety of moving to different schools. Rather than having a good knowledge of each class built over a long period, supply teachers must adapt to new environments and situations. 

When moving into permanent teacher roles, you’ll need to adapt to your newfound stability. This means spending extra time getting to know your students, planning out the year and scrutinising the school calendar carefully so you know what’s coming up. Overall, you’ll have more routine as a permanent teacher and greater job security.

Teaching Personnel is a specialist teacher recruitment agency. We have a dedicated and passionate team of consultants who are experts in recruiting the best professionals for teaching roles across the UK, so schools can perform at their best! 

We connect candidates with both supply teaching jobs and permanent teaching jobs. If you want to take your career forward as a permanent teacher, contact our team today and browse through our jobs to find the perfect role for you.