Story 62

Age: 27

Teaching Experience: 2-4 years

Contract Type: Fixed Term

I graduated in 2021 and completed my probation year in 2022. After successfully passing my interview, I was placed on the supply list for my local authority.

My first placement was at a school where, unfortunately, the head teacher was known for disliking supply teachers, primarily because they had no control over who was employed. At that time, there were eight other supply teachers in the same position. From the very beginning, it became clear that supply teachers were treated differently from permanent staff.

This attitude trickled down from management to the permanent teachers, creating a noticeable divide between us and them. Despite working there for two years, I constantly felt this division, which had a significant impact on my mental health.When two permanent teaching positions finally opened up at the school, all eight of us supply teachers applied. None of us were successful. Instead, the roles were given to external candidates. After dedicating so much time and effort to the school, this was incredibly disheartening, especially knowing the reputation management had for undervaluing supply staff. I tried repeatedly to ask for feedback, but my requests were ignored by management.

The way I found out that my contract would not be renewed after Christmas was perhaps the most upsetting part. I wasn’t informed directly by anyone—I discovered the news through the school’s parent newsletter. Learning this through such impersonal means, after all my hard work, left me feeling devastated. I spent six weeks unemployed before finally securing a temporary contract at a different school with supportive management, where I’ve been working ever since.However, I’m still in a precarious situation, going from one temporary contract to the next. As a homeowner with a mortgage, the uncertainty of whether I’ll have a job in the coming months has placed immense stress on both my mental and physical health. It’s a constant worry, and the lack of stability makes it difficult to plan for the future.