Booked in for your first day of supply but not sure how to prepare for it? Read on for our top tips of how to make a great impression and have a wonderful day.
Smile and say hello!
It’s an age-old saying, but it’s true – a smile goes a long way. Try to introduce yourself to office staff, say hello and smile. Being friendly leaves a great impression and can help you build a great relationship with the schools you work within.
Arrive early
Not only does this make a great positive first impression, this will allow you to be briefed on the class, any essential school or behavioural policies and become acquainted with where everything is located such as parking, loos and staff room. We have some guidance for our agency staff with regards to Covid-19 – you can read this here.
Ask about the children
The school will usually brief you if there are any children within the class with specific needs, but asking for any pertinent information at the start of assignment will help you establish what you need to expect and lets the school know you are prepared.
Always come prepared
Although your agency should establish whether work will be set or not and advise you of this, it is always a good idea to come prepared and have something up your sleeve so that you aren’t caught out if you turn up to find nothing has been left for you to follow. Always have something prepared and bring some key resources to fall back on.
Tidy up & mark work
Leave the classroom as you would like it to be found. This means always ensuring that work is marked, the classroom is tidy and you’ve covered all the bases before you leave for the day. Just because you are only going to be there for the day doesn’t mean you should shoot off – leaving the classroom in a presentable state leaves a great impression and can lead to further supply days being booked, but leaving it in a mess with unmarked work for the teacher to return to will mean you are unlikely to ever be booked there again.
Update your training
If you haven’t been in the classroom for a while, it’s a good idea to update your training and brush up on curriculum knowledge. It’s really important to continue to update your Safeguarding training in order to comply with current DfE standards. To take our free CPD-certified Safeguarding Children in Education for Agency Staff training, please email us or call the office in 0117 325 1516.
If you’re looking to launch your career as a supply teacher or teaching assistant, get in touch!
We are education recruitment specialists in the South-West with a wealth of connections to local schools. We have been working over the past 12 years to place high-quality teachers, nursery nurses, TAs and other education staff into short and long term placements. We pride ourselves on the service we provide and would love to hear from you to help start, or further your career in the education sector.