I’m not sure the questions illustrate that after almost 5 years I have finally achieved a permanent supply post. I fulfilled the requirements over a year ago, but there were no posts available at that time. I had relocated and had left a permanent post in Aberdeenshire at the end of 2021.
Moving between temp contracts means any routes to promotion are closed. You cannot illustrate leadership skills when moving around and constantly learning new routines/apps/planning expectations etc.
Even CPD has been denied as a temporary teacher “isn’t worth the council spending money on” quote from my manager of almost 2 years whilst working concurrent fixed-term contracts ranging from 9 months to 6 weeks. These often ended with little notice and were reinstated after verbal agreement but the renewal contract was missing for weeks.
This is answer 87 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.