Some teachers decide that they no longer want a permanent position in a school and may turn to supply teaching. Others may qualify as a teacher and go straight in to supply without having worked in a school employed full time.

There are many advantages of being a supply teacher but there are some disadvantages too.

A supply teacher will often find that their role varies from school to school and often even from class to class meaning that sometimes they will be working off lesson plans that have already been given to them and other times they will be responsible for planning the lessons, teaching them and also marking the work afterwards.

As a supply teacher working directly for a school you will often be paid more per day than permanent teachers but you may not get a full weeks work and you will not be paid for holidays unless you are on some sort of a contract which states you will.

You may decide to go through an agency to find employment as a supply teacher. This will often mean you have more work but you may take home less money than if you worked direct for a school.