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Advice & Support for Teachers
In this section you’ll find masses of information and links to enable you to obtain essential advice and support regarding supply teaching, living and working in London.
For free teaching resources, lesson plans and curriculum information visit Itper’s Curriculum and Resources section.
In the unlikely event that you can’t find the information you need here, call your Itper Recruitment Manager who will be happy to help or else point you in the right direction.
How to be an excellent supply teacher
Physical contact, intimate care and restraining pupils
Managing Behaviour, Discipline, Accidents and Incidents
Accommodation and Renting in London
Documents you’ll need to bring to your Itper interview
Training to be a Teacher
Returning to Teaching
Updating your experience through voluntary work
Applying for Teaching Jobs, CV, Interview, Supporting Statement, Cover Letter Advice
Official bodies for Education and Learning
Practical and emotional support for teachers
Teaching Unions
Education News Sources
Public Transport, Getting Around & Exploring London
How to be an excellent supply teacher
When booking supply cover, around half of all Itper’s client schools request a specific teacher who has previously made a good impression on them.
A teacher will need a specific set of skills, tactics and behaviours to succeed as a supply teacher. This FREE Itper guide has distilled the experience, knowledge and expertise of dozens of headteachers and many of our most effective and successful supply teachers to give any competent teacher the necessary tips and strategies to help them shine as an excellent (and in demand) supply teacher.
Following Itper’s guide to achieving excellence in supply teaching will:
- Significantly increase the amount of supply work you’re offered
- Give you a wider choice of assignments to choose from
- Ensure you’re asked to return to the schools you prefer
- Massively improve your chances of securing a long-term assignment
- Make it more likely that a school will consider you for a permanent job
- Make your job more enjoyable, simpler and as stress-free as possible
- Give you the professional satisfaction of knowing you’ve been an excellent supply teacher!
Download Itper’s free guide to achieving excellence in supply teaching
Physical contact, intimate care and restraining pupils
Depending upon the particular school’s policy and the age and educational needs of the children, it is often normal for permanent staff to make physical contact with children from time to time.
Physical contact might occur for example, when permanent staff are consoling and reassuring very young children, holding hands with young children in the playground or when it is necessary to help children with toileting, washing and changing clothing.
Physical contact may also occur when a permanent staff member feels that it is necessary to restrain a child to prevent them from hurting themselves or others.
Recent Department for Education advice states that teachers may use reasonable force to control or restrain a pupil if this proves necessary to stop a pupil from causing injury.
Unless absolutely necessary however, it might be advisable for supply staff to avoid making physical contact with children as supply staff may be subject to false or misplaced accusations of assault or physical abuse.
Any form of physical punishment (such as smacking, pushing, poking etc.) is illegal and will leave you liable to criminal prosecution.
Supply staff should, whenever possible, avoid situations involving physical restraint or any unnecessary contact such as ‘tapping’ or ‘patting’ as these actions may be misconstrued.
You’ll find further advice on physical contact, intimate care and restraining pupils on the government’s Teachernet website.
Download Itper’s free guide to achieving excellence in supply teaching
Managing Behaviour, Discipline, Accidents and Incidents
When managing behaviour, it is very important for you to use only the rewards and sanctions available to you under the behaviour and discipline policy of the school you’re working in. That’s why it is crucial that you make every effort to ascertain that policy as soon as possible upon your arrival.
If you ever experience a situation that you feel may be getting out of control you should follow the school’s policies and procedures as closely as possible.
If you are uncertain of the school’s procedure or are in any doubt whatsoever, Itper advises the following action: -
- Don’t put yourself at risk!
- If at all possible, avoid any attempt to restrain or physical contact of any kind.
- Don’t leave the class unattended.
- Either telephone or send two responsible children to bring your key contact to the incident. If you haven’t been given a key contact or you can’t locate that person then seek the assistance of any senior member of staff. In the unlikely event that you are unable to locate a senior staff member, ask any permanent class teacher to take charge of the situation.
- Under the direction of one of the above, provide any assistance as required.
- Personally ensure that any discipline matter, physical restraint of a pupil, accident or any incident that you feel may give cause for concern is reported to your key contact or an appropriate member of the school’s senior management team at the earliest opportunity.
- All such incidents must be accounted for in your hand-over notes and where necessary supported by a detailed account written on a separate sheet of paper. Most schools will have an appropriate form for this. Always take a copy for your own records.
- Inform Itper at your earliest opportunity.
Download Itper’s free guide to achieving excellence in supply teaching
The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) provides information on a range of programmes, schemes and sources of professional advice available to help people determine if a career in teaching would suit them.
Training to be a primary school teacher.
Training to be a secondary school teacher.
Training to be a Special Needs Teacher.
The TDA gives the various teacher-training options available for achieving qualified teacher status (QTS).
Updating your experience through voluntary work
If you’ve been out of teaching for a while or are new to London then regular voluntary work within a school is an excellent way to update your experience and boost your confidence.
A useful starting point is to write to local schools offering to volunteer as a Teaching Assistant, for perhaps a few hours a week or more if you can spare the time. Most schools welcome help with activities such as listening to children read and helping the class teacher to set up and clear away activities.
Once you’re offered a voluntary position, please try to commit to the times and the time period you promised to help as the school will have had to complete a number of vetting checks (including a police check) and these are time-consuming and costly. Remember, as well as needing experience, you will also need satisfactory references.
You can find headteachers’ names and school addresses on the relevant local authority website.
Model letter of application for voluntary work
Applying for teaching jobs, CV, Interview, Supporting Statement, Cover Letter Advice
How to get shortlisted for a teaching job
Completing Teaching Application Forms
Producing a Personal / Supporting Statement for a Teaching Job
Producing a CV for a Teaching Job
Build Your CV with Itper's Free CV Template
Interview Advice for Teaching Jobs
Example Questions for a Teaching Job
Official bodies for Education and Learning
The Department for Education (DfE) is the department of the UK government responsible for Education.
The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is the national agency and recognised sector body responsible for the training and development of the school workforce.
TeacherNet has been developed by the DCSF as a resource to support the education profession.
Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.
Practical and emotional support for teachers
Whether you need to practical or professional advice or simply wish to let off steam after a challenging day, then Itper is here for you.
If you encounter a problem of any kind, don’t hesitate to tell us. We’ll do everything we can to help resolve the situation and to ensure the problem doesn’t occur in future.
Whatever your issue, the chances are your Itper Recruitment Manager will be able to help or else point you in the direction of someone who can.
Remember, as an Itper teacher, you need never feel that you’re ‘on your own’.
You can also contact the Teacher Support Network which is a group of independent charities and a social enterprise that provide practical and emotional support to staff in the education sector and their families.
Itper advises supply teachers to join a Teaching Union for their legal protection and professional representation.
National Union of Teachers (NUT)
National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)
Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL)
The Times Educational Supplement
Education news from the Guardian
Education news from the Telegraph
If you're applying from overseas, see our essential help and advice for