ECTs and Student Teachers

As an Early Career Teacher we can offer you the work to suit your needs and circumstances.

early career teacher

As an Early Career Teacher (ECT) we can offer you work to suit your needs and circumstances.  We can offer you:

  • Day-to-day assignments, giving you complete flexibility. Day-to-day supply teaching is a great way to fulfil your passion to teach and earn a regular income without all the extra work associated with a full time teaching role.
  • Short to long-term assignments, ranging from 1 week to 3 terms. 
  • Regular work, either full or part-time providing a long-term guaranteed income
  • Permanent opportunities. We recruit on behalf of our client schools for their permanent vacancies and we are always asked if we have ECTs on our books. 

To register with us, you will be required to complete an application pack, undertake an interview with one of our experienced consultants, and to successfully complete all safeguarding checks. This will include an Enhanced DBS and TRA check. 

Register today

If you are interested in working as a supply teacher with the Staff Room, you can register by completing a registration form or you can call us direct on 01604 633234 for Northampton, 01908 014320 for Milton Keynes or 01234 987072 for Bedford.  One of our friendly team will be more than pleased to answer any questions you may have.

Important information for ECTs working as Supply Teachers

From September 2021, the Government introduced a 2-year package to support early career teachers (ECTs).  ECTs will be assessed at the end of the 2 years to see if they have met the teachers’ standards. 

Eligibility to carry out short-term (less than one term) supply teaching

A qualified teacher who gained QTS on or after 1 September 2007 and who has not completed an induction period, can undertake short-term supply work of less than one term in a relevant school for a maximum period of 5 years from the point of award of QTS. This is a fixed time limit with no discretion to extend.

Short-term supply placements of less than one term, or equivalent, cannot count towards induction, as such posts will not provide an ECT with the breadth of experience, support, and assessment necessary to enable them to demonstrate that their performance against the Teachers’ Standards is satisfactory.

It is not possible to backdate the start of an induction period if a short-term supply contract is extended so that it lasts for one term or longer. However, an induction programme must be put in place immediately if it becomes clear that the extended contract will continue for at least a term.

When the 5-year limit is reached, a teacher cannot undertake any further supply work (of any duration) in a maintained school, non-maintained special school, maintained nursery school or pupil referral unit unless it is a post in which the NQT is employed for a term of more and is able to undertake induction on a full or part-time basis.

An ECT can work part-time as a short-term supply teacher, while concurrently serving induction in another part-time post after the five-year limit has expired. However, the short-term supply post will not count towards induction.  

Frequently asked questions

Yes, ECTs can start or continue their induction whilst doing supply work so long as the period of employment is for a minimum contract length of one full induction term.  This cannot be a series of short-term supply contracts adding up to a term as induction must be planned and structured in advance and must take place in a stable environment to allow for fair and accurate assessment.  A supply teacher, on a contract of one term or more, should be treated in the same way as a permanent employee by the headteacher for the purposes of induction.

 ECTs can undertake short-term (duration of less than a term) supply work for a maximum of 5 years from the date of being awarded QTS.  This will apply to all ECTs regardless of the amount of short-term supply teaching that has been undertaken previously.

When the 5-year limit is reached, a teacher cannot undertake any further supply work (of any duration) in a maintained school, non-maintained special school, maintained nursery school or pupil referral unit unless it is a post in which the ECT is employed for a term of more and is able to undertake induction on a full or part-time basis.

No, because the period that ECTs can serve as short-term supply teachers has been significantly increased and because it is important for ECTs to be able to serve induction as soon as possible after completing their initial teacher training.

No, ECTs will still be able to undertake supply posts lasting a term or longer but these must be suitable for induction to take place and, if an ECT is employed in such a post they would be expected to undertake induction. There is no time limit on these posts.

No, ECTs will still be able to undertake supply posts lasting a term or longer but these must be suitable for induction to take place and, if an ECT is employed in such a post they would be expected to undertake induction. There is no time limit on these posts.

The headteacher/principal and appropriate body must ensure that the duties of the ECT, his or her supervision, personal development, and the conditions under which the ECT works are such as to enable there to be a fair and effective assessment of the ECT’s conduct and efficiency against the teachers’ standards. An important issue at the start and throughout the period is to ensure the suitability of the ECT’s post.

?  Yes! Schools will always value quality supply teachers because they provide the continuity for their children when their normal teacher is absent. Generally, ECTs in the supply world are valued, supported, and appreciated by schools. Working as a supply teacher will provide you with valuable teaching experience in different teaching environments.

You will not feel on your own.  You will really enjoy meeting lots of different teachers and learning from each other. Remember, you may be offered a long-term role, but even on day-to-day supply you will have a portfolio of schools which will request you back, so you will get to know staff.

No.  Many schools recruiting for a permanent role prefer to trial an ECT on supply before offering them a contract. Supply means greater flexibility – you can benefit from being in the classroom without the responsibility of meetings, paperwork, preparing for tests and Ofsted etc.  You will also learn different teaching styles, planning methods, various displays and record keeping, but above all supply gives you the opportunity to see outstanding teachers in action.

The more flexible you are, the more work you will get, but no-one wants to teach in a school if they cannot cope or do the best job possible. On top of that, while you wait for the agency to find you the ideal role, they can keep you busy with day-to-day supply teaching, again choosing the schools you want to teach in. Many newly qualified teachers are offered a permanent job from the school they worked in as a supply teacher.