You don’t have to be a teacher to support stable teaching work.
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YOUR LETTER, TAKING SHAPE109 words · 1 min read
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE
Stable teaching work in Scotland
Dear MSP,
I'm a teacher, and I'm asking for your help to make supply teaching more predictable. Teachers doing this work need to know where they stand: when work is available, how bookings are made and what happens when a booking is cancelled.
Will you ask the council how it manages supply bookings and cancellations, and what it can do to give teachers more notice and a more reliable income? Please also ask the Scottish Government how it will support greater stability for supply teachers, and let me know what you hear back.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Your name
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probationer outcomes2024/25 cohort · 2025 census
23.5%in full-time permanent posts
All sectors: full-time permanent work after probation
Scotland
At the 2025 census, 538 of the 2,294 teachers recorded across all sectors from the 2024/25 Teacher Induction Scheme cohort were in full-time permanent posts — 23.5%.
Context & source
This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income.
Teacher census supplementary statistics 2025, Table 1.6, All sectors, 2024/25 cohort · Checked 2026-09-07
At the 2025 census, 1,015 of the 2,294 teachers recorded across all sectors from the 2024/25 Teacher Induction Scheme cohort were in temporary posts: 784 full-time and 231 part-time. That is 44.2% of this cohort measure.
Context & source
This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income.
Teacher census supplementary statistics 2025, Table 1.6, All sectors, 2024/25 cohort · Checked 2026-09-07
All sectors: how the route to permanent work has changed
Scotland
The share of the Teacher Induction Scheme cohort recorded in full-time permanent posts across all sectors was 37.8% at the 2020 census and 23.5% at the 2025 census — 14.4 percentage points lower.
Context & source
This compares the 2019/20 and 2024/25 cohorts at their respective census dates, not the same teachers over time. It does not establish what caused the change. This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income.
Teacher census supplementary statistics 2025, Table 1.6, All sectors, 2019/20 and 2024/25 cohorts, full-time permanent percentages · Checked 2026-09-07
At the 2025 census, 149 of the 1,377 teachers recorded in the primary sector from the 2024/25 Teacher Induction Scheme cohort were in full-time permanent posts — 10.8%.
Context & source
This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income. Sector headcounts can overlap and must not be added together.
At the 2025 census, 683 of the 1,377 teachers recorded in the primary sector from the 2024/25 Teacher Induction Scheme cohort were in temporary posts: 501 full-time and 182 part-time. That is 49.6% of this cohort measure.
Context & source
This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income. Sector headcounts can overlap and must not be added together.
Primary: how the route to permanent work has changed
Scotland
The share of the Teacher Induction Scheme cohort recorded in full-time permanent posts in the primary sector was 28.1% at the 2020 census and 10.8% at the 2025 census — 17.3 percentage points lower.
Context & source
This compares the 2019/20 and 2024/25 cohorts at their respective census dates, not the same teachers over time. It does not establish what caused the change. This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income. Sector headcounts can overlap and must not be added together.
Teacher census supplementary statistics 2025, Table 1.6, Primary, 2019/20 and 2024/25 cohorts, full-time permanent percentages · Checked 2026-09-07
Secondary: full-time permanent work after probation
Scotland
At the 2025 census, 390 of the 918 teachers recorded in the secondary sector from the 2024/25 Teacher Induction Scheme cohort were in full-time permanent posts — 42.5%.
Context & source
This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income. Sector headcounts can overlap and must not be added together.
At the 2025 census, 332 of the 918 teachers recorded in the secondary sector from the 2024/25 Teacher Induction Scheme cohort were in temporary posts: 283 full-time and 49 part-time. That is 36.2% of this cohort measure.
Context & source
This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income. Sector headcounts can overlap and must not be added together.
Secondary: how the route to permanent work has changed
Scotland
The share of the Teacher Induction Scheme cohort recorded in full-time permanent posts in the secondary sector was 51.0% at the 2020 census and 42.5% at the 2025 census — 8.5 percentage points lower.
Context & source
This compares the 2019/20 and 2024/25 cohorts at their respective census dates, not the same teachers over time. It does not establish what caused the change. This follows the named Teacher Induction Scheme cohort at one census date, not every newly qualified teacher or everyone seeking work. It does not show subsequent employment or income. Sector headcounts can overlap and must not be added together.
Teacher census supplementary statistics 2025, Table 1.6, Secondary, 2019/20 and 2024/25 cohorts, full-time permanent percentages · Checked 2026-09-07
The 2025 school census recorded 3,938.1 full-time equivalent (FTE) temporary primary teaching posts in Scotland, excluding Teacher Induction Scheme posts.
Context & source
These are posts held on census day, not vacancies or a count of teachers on temporary contracts: a permanent employee can hold a temporary post. The Scotland total includes local-authority and grant-aided schools.
Teacher census supplementary statistics 2025, Table 7.7, Scotland; temporary total minus Teacher Induction Scheme subset · Checked 2026-09-07
The 2025 school census recorded 2,854.1 full-time equivalent (FTE) temporary secondary teaching posts in Scotland, excluding Teacher Induction Scheme posts.
Context & source
These are posts held on census day, not vacancies or a count of teachers on temporary contracts: a permanent employee can hold a temporary post. The Scotland total includes local-authority and grant-aided schools.
Teacher census supplementary statistics 2025, Table 8.7, Scotland; temporary total minus Teacher Induction Scheme subset · Checked 2026-09-07
