As a newly qualified teacher I feel that I am last in line for any supply work. The current system in North Lanarkshire is that schools are meant to email all those on the supply list and it is meant to be first come first served, however this is not the case. Schools can email people they know or who have previously worked on supply at their school.
There is a lack of supply work when schools initially go back. This means I have had to rely on savings to cover bills, and there is a real lack of financial security and unable to plan long-term or even near future.
North Lanarkshire has also opened the supply to external applicants recently which makes it more difficult to get supply work. Many other councils keep their supply closed. While applying for jobs, I noticed that some council areas only take applications from teachers who are within that council.
Further, each council has a different system, some use a booking system for supply, while others use a supply list/email. Since schools returned in August I have not had any work. Further, to get onto a permanent supply you have to have 2 years continuous service, this seems impossible when not getting any work at all.
The school I was in for probation apparently had no way to keep me on for even a day, however a teacher who had previously been a deputy head, was starting full-time as a class teacher when the schools returned.
This is answer 47 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.