Making the most of summer to strengthen your supply cover strategy
Unforeseen teacher absences due to staff sickness, maternity leave, staff turnover, or other unexpected circumstances can disrupt the learning environment. This affects every school, and as a result, supply teachers are an essential resource. A good supply pool is vital during periods of teacher shortages, staff absences, and unplanned vacancies. Sourcing high-quality supply teachers at the last minute can be difficult, costly and time-consuming.
With the summer break approaching, now is the ideal time to review your supply cover strategy and make sure your school is prepared and ready for whatever the next term brings.
Planning
The summer provides an opportunity to gain an understanding of your students' needs. Take time to identify the roles and subjects for which you may need a supply teacher. Look back at data to help you gain insight into potential temporary staffing scenarios, such as illness, maternity leave, or unfilled vacancies. After completing a needs analysis, review the effectiveness of previous supply cover and identify where improvements could be made. Tracking talent early, and identifying where supply teachers fit best, helps build a ready pool of trusted staff for the year ahead.
Benefits of supply teachers in your school
Supply teachers are more than short-term cover. As part of the school workforce, they bring energy, new ideas, and valuable experience from different settings. They also provide:
Flexibility
Supply teachers enable schools to quickly fill unexpected staffing gaps due to illness, training, or other absences. This ensures minimal disruption to learning, which is particularly important at key times of the year such as exams. Having flexible cover options in place also supports school leaders in managing timetables and meeting changing demands across the year.
Continuity of learning
Supply teachers ensure that students continue to receive instruction and support during teacher absences, maintaining their learning pathway. Supply teachers also help preserve routines that are vital for pupil wellbeing and behaviour management.
Cost-effectiveness
Hiring supply teachers can be more budget-friendly than employing a full-time replacement, especially for short-term needs. This helps schools balance budgets while upholding high teaching standards.
Access to different skills
Supply teachers can bring new perspectives and experience in various teaching styles and subjects to the classroom. Many choose supply teaching as a career and are experienced in working with different schools. This enriches the educational experience for students. Teachers often share good practice from other schools, helping to inspire fresh ideas among your staff.
Reduced workload for permanent staff
Supply teachers can alleviate the burden on permanent staff by covering classes, enabling them to focus on teaching and other tasks. With 42% of teachers leaving the state sector within ten years of qualifying (TES), supporting staff wellbeing through effective cover is vital for retention. Using supply teachers to step in for planning and marking peaks frees permanent staff to focus on core teaching time. This can be crucial for improving wellbeing and retention.
Benefits for students
As well as supporting schools and staff, supply teachers bring direct benefits to students, including:
Exposure to new teaching styles: Students benefit from learning from different teachers with varied approaches, potentially enhancing their learning experience.
Continuity of learning: Supply teachers ensure that students can continue their learning journey without interruption during absences.
Adaptability and flexibility: Interacting with supply teachers helps students learn to adapt to new situations and teaching styles.
Build a reliable supply pool
One significant aspect of long-term planning is building a strong supply pool.
A supply pool of vetted and reliable teachers who can step in when needed can be an essential lifeline to schools. These teachers are familiar with your policies, procedures, and expectations.
A strong supply pool helps create a positive and stable learning environment for students. It enables teachers and schools to focus on teaching. A supply pool for your school can bring benefits, including:
Improved teaching
Cost-savings
Access to different specialist skills
Decreased downtime due to staff shortages
Reduced stress and workload for existing teachers
Quick access to supply cover can help schools save money. When schools source supply teachers at the last minute, they may have to pay higher rates to secure their services.
Some schools have their own pool of supply teachers. While this approach is useful, it requires time and internal resources, as schools manage everything from recruitment and vetting to hiring and payroll.
At Holden Knight Education, we take care of the full process for you. That means sourcing, vetting, and preparing staff who are ready to step into the classroom straight away. This minimises disruption to teaching and learning.
We also care about the long-term impact of supply teaching on staff and schools. That’s why we’ve partnered with the Schools Advisory Service (SAS) to give every temporary teacher we place access to free wellbeing support. This includes counselling, GP access, physio and more. This extra layer of care helps supply teachers thrive, not just cope, and supports your school in reducing stress-related absence and staff turnover.
Strong planning for a seamless September
Holden Knight Education can assist schools in building a supply pool to fill staffing gaps at short notice and reduce teaching disruptions. Establishing a partnership with Holden Knight Education ensures you have access to a qualified teacher pool and a team that can find your school suitable teachers fast. By planning and acting now, schools can ensure a smooth September. Investing time in preparation enables schools to focus on what matters most. With the right planning and people, your school can begin the new academic year with confidence. Looking for supply teachers for the next academic term? Contact us today.