Research Points Way To Improved Use Of Supply Teachers

Supply teachers are rarely used as effectively as they could be according to a new research report p

Research Points Way To Improved Use Of Supply Teachers

Supply teachers are rarely used as effectively as they could be according to a new research report produced jointly by Select Education plc and the MirandaNet International Research Centre based at Southampton University. The research, which was undertaken to identify the main characteristics of supply teachers to enable Select Education to meet supply teachers' professional needs, was published yesterday (30th November 2004) at a seminar in Central London.

Almost 7,000 individual teachers who had registered with Select Education took part in the study, almost two-thirds of them women, reflecting the proportions of men and women in the teaching profession as a whole. Amongst the men in the sample, 75% sought work in secondary schools, with just 22% wanting to teaching in primary and 3% expressing an interest in special needs schools. This highlights the well-rehearsed problem of attracting men to the teaching profession as primary teachers.

Some 20% of the teachers in the sample were non-UK nationals, with the majority of those from the Commonwealth and Europe. Comments from these highlighted the contrasts in education and teaching methods between those countries and the UK, with a number of teachers commenting on the need to adapt to the very different culture in UK schools, where pupils expect active involvement in education and are willing to challenge teachers, rather than being passive recipients of education.

Perhaps the most striking conclusion of the research is that the education service could do better when it comes to benefiting from the use of supply teachers. Of the sample, one in nine teachers declared experience of extra responsibilities, over and above their basic teaching duties. These ranged from acting as subject co-ordinator or head of department (70%), with 10.5% holding year group, key stage or whole skill responsibilities. John Dunn, Marketing and Projects Director of Select Education plc, commented,

'It's clear that very many of the supply teachers working in schools are highly qualified and experienced, but the research shows that in many cases, schools simply do not take advantage of these qualifications and experience to benefit pupils as effectively as they might.'

According to MirandaNet and Select Education, there are some simple steps that schools can take to get the best value out of supply teachers. Christina Preston of MirandaNet, who directed the research project, commented,

'Pupils obviously benefit from the use of supply teachers, and that benefit could be significantly increased if more thought were put into how they were used. We found that in a surprising number of cases, schools failed to implement simple procedures that are vital in helping the supply to be effective, for example, ensuring a named contact in the school meets the teacher at the start of the session to explain responsibilities, important school policies and issues of concern. This type of briefing, which can only come from the school, should cover issues such as behaviour management, pupils with medical and special needs and parental custody issues. Good basic induction such as this can make all the difference to the success of a supply teaching assignment.'

John Dunn added, 'Schools, and supply teachers, would also benefit if they were to include supply teachers, where possible, in their own CPD arrangements and in providing access to facilities. Some teachers in the sample claimed that schools refused to allow them access to the IT network. It is important that supply teachers are treated as the professionals they are.'

As a result of the research, Select Education will be launching a series of national seminars from the beginning of 2005 aimed at helping supply teachers with practical issues affecting their day-to-day work, including behaviour management and the use of ICT to advance pupils' learning. These seminars will be backed by e-learning forums, facilitated by an online community of supply teachers who will provide e-mentoring support to other supply teachers.