How to be successful

Arrive early and be prepared

Arriving early to allow yourself time to focus on planning and familiarise yourself with the school’s daily routine, makes all the difference. Being organised and ready to start the day will set you off on the right foot!

At Secured Supply, we pride ourselves on providing you with as much background information about your school as possible. Prior to attending your placement, you will be given essential information such as the names of key members of staff and the timings of the school day.

Knowing these will always give you a head start – particularly with behaviour management and following the school processes.

Know and maintain rules, routines and sanctions

Knowledge of the school’s Behaviour Policy and systems is essential to support you in managing the behaviour of pupils appropriately.

Secured Supply Staff will support you with this, providing you with a copy of the school Behaviour Policy as well as up-to-date advice on how to manage behaviour effectively.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of staff though. We endeavour to only work with schools where staff are supportive and friendly – they will be willing to give you information and help wherever they can.

Check your duties

Being ready and willing to take on responsibilities such as playground duties, will always go down well! Most schools will have a rota, so it’s worth checking this upon your arrival at school.

This is also a great way of getting to know pupils and making your face familiar to children in other classes.

If you have a free period, volunteering your help will always be a winner!

Arrive prepared

The majority of schools will provide you with some form of planning. However, you may come across occasions when this has not been possible – particularly when on emergency cover.

Therefore, it is always wise to have a back-up ready and a bank of ‘go-to’ lessons.

You will of course find a wealth of resources and ideas from recommended books and the internet, however should you need further guidance and support, as experienced teachers ourselves, we will be able to support you at all times.

In the staffroom, most teachers aren’t too precious about which mug they use, as long as they can get their caffeine fix! However, it’s always worth taking your own just in case they’re in short supply.

Be confident, introduce yourself…and smile!

It may sound obvious, but being confident, introducing yourself and smiling will make you stand out. During our time as school teachers and leaders, we always liked and remembered supply staff who looked as though they were enjoying being a part of our school.

First impressions are so important – particularly if you want to be invited back! We always say, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression!’ Equally, making a point of thanking whoever has looked out for you during the day and saying goodbye, will leave a lasting impression – remember that you are always being considered for future work and schools talk!

At the end of the day

Don’t forget to leave the classroom as you’d expect to find it…neat and tidy and ready for the class teacher to return.

Ensure that marking is completed in line with the school’s policy.

Why not leave the class teacher some feedback on how the day has gone, using our template which can be found in the portal.

Our fantastic portal even provides you with access to some really useful resources which will support you in the classroom.