Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, and for its size is one of the most ethnically diverse towns in the UK and home to many different immigrant languages. Bedford offers a three-tier education system which is arranged into lower, middle and upper schools, and with more than 200 lower, middle, secondary and special schools in Bedford, there are heaps of supply teacher opportunities available.  Apart from public schools, there are also private schools, and a supply teacher Bedford is always available to these schools when one of their teachers is absent. Schools are  turning to supply teachers to fill the gap so that pupils don’t miss out on important aspects of the curriculum as well as exam preparation. This ensures pupils can continue to receive quality teaching and reach the required attainment levels.

There are a number of sources of supply teachers and they are often part-time teachers working at the school, they are sourced from employment agencies, the school’s own list of contacts or from a pool of supply teachers maintained by a  Local Education Authority.

Supply Teachers Enjoy the Flexibility the Job Provides

Schools are using far more supply teachers than usual because of a fall in the number of graduates who apply to teach in the classroom. A supply teacher Bedford can be provided with some insight to decide if teaching full-time is what they really want.  These supply teachers also love not having the responsibility of onerous tasks which are part of the permanent teacher’s lot. As a supply teacher, classes and schools can change often and a supply teacher needs to be able to respond to a broad variety of classroom settings as well as teaching styles. To this end they need to make sure all their materials are ready and prepped for each different day.

Supply Teachers Enjoy Many Benefits

Supply teachers or relief teachers who are busy the entire day get paid a daily rate which is calculated according to the annual salary they would normally get if they were employed full-time. Those employed for less than a day may be paid an hourly rate which is determined by the school or the local authority. Supply teachers are not covered for  occupational sick pay or occupational maternity pay, but there are certain circumstances in which supply teachers are entitled to statutory rights to sick pay or maternity pay.

A Supply Teacher Bedford can also look forward to a range of work-related expenses being offset such as subsistence costs, training courses, books, stationery as well as travel expenses.

Are You Cut Out to be a Supply Teacher?

A supply teacher can be accepted for short- or long time employment. Checks are undertaken to verify the identity of the teacher, to check that the teacher’s mental and physical health is good, to check that their qualifications are authentic and that they actually hold qualified teacher status. A supply teacher from another country will also be checked to verify that they have permission to actually teach in the UK and their employment history will also be checked. The supply teacher may also be required to supply all details of  criminal convictions as well as warnings.

Agencies Offer a Full Range of Staffing Requirements

If you are looking for a supply teacher Bedford position or you are a school looking to employ a specialist teacher, there are excellent agencies in Bedford which offer excellent education recruitment services. They have a full quota of qualified primary- and secondary teachers in all subjects. If you haven’t had luck with getting a permanent teaching post, a supply teaching job can earn you money in the meantime and give you plenty of experience while you wait to land your dream teaching job.