Applying to different council areas has involved me requesting 4 different head teacher references which has slowed my application process time. Could there not be a standard reference filled in at the end of a contract which could be used across all LAs?
The process of getting onto East Renfrewshire’s supply list has taken me 3 months. HR staff continually gave me wrong information and were extremely slow to respond when I needed help. Due to the lack of supply work I applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance as I wasn’t eligible for Universal Credit.
My whole experience since successfully completing my probation period has been soul-destroying. I have a young family and I need to work to support them. I just don’t think supply is financially viable for me and I feel it will ultimately have a detrimental effect on my mental health.
This is answer 54 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.