I am now into my 3rd year of teaching after being qualified. I am lucky enough, over the last few weeks I have got between 3/4 shifts a week. However this month I was paid £500 for 3 days supply, this is nearly half my mortgage alone. How do I pay anything?
What happens in the October holidays, 2 weeks off work, no chances of supply work at all, and what if no supply the week before or after? That’s ONE FULL MONTH no pay. I have never been so stressed in my life. I have emailed every head teacher. I am known to most head teachers in my area.
It’s not a case that they don’t want me. If they can bend their own staff in the school to cover, they won’t ask for supply. Most schools now come to me directly rather than sending out an email or booker system.
At what point do you give up the career you trained 5 years for and wanted since you were in primary school yourself? How do I pay my bills, my car to get to supply, the petrol and most importantly the food on my table? We have all been failed terribly and action needs to be taken.
This is answer 179 of the 269 written answers that teachers let us quote anonymously in the Scottish Teacher Employment Survey 2026. It answers the survey’s last question: what do the people who make decisions about teacher employment need to know?
We have corrected spelling, added paragraph breaks and removed details that could identify anyone. Words in square brackets are ours.