Supply Teaching Glossary Terms

A-B

Absence Cover: Providing teaching or supervision for a class when the regular teacher is absent.

Agency Worker: An individual employed by a recruitment agency and placed in a school on a temporary basis.

Agency Worker Regulations (AWR): UK law regulating that agency workers receive equal treatment to permanent staff after 12 weeks.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS): The software agencies use to manage teacher applications, documents, and placements.

Assignment Confirmation: Official notification from the agency confirming a supply booking.

Availability: The days/times a supply teacher is able to work.

Background Checks: The pre-employment vetting process (including DBS, references, and right-to-work checks).

Booking: The process of being assigned to a school for a supply assignment.

C-D

Candidate Portal: An online system or app where supply teachers can update availability, view bookings, and upload documents.

Candidate Profile: Details the supply teacher provides to the agency including experience and preferences.

Class Register: The official record of students present in a class, which supply teachers may need to complete.

DBS Check (Disclosure and Barring Service): A background check required to work with children.

Daily Rate: The pay a supply teacher receives for a single day of work.

Duty of Care: Legal responsibility a supply teacher has for the safety and wellbeing of students.

E-F

ECT (Early Careers Teacher): A teacher in their first two years of teaching following qualification, receiving additional support and mentoring as part of their induction period.

EHC Plan (Education, Health and Care Plan): A plan for children with special educational needs.

End-of-Day Report: A summary provided to the regular teacher about what happened during the supply assignment.

Enhanced DBS Check: The highest level of DBS check required for work with children, including barred list checks.

Flexi Supply: Flexible, often short-term, supply teaching roles.

Feedback Form: A report completed by the supply teacher or school about the assignment experience.

Full-Day Booking: A supply assignment covering the entire school day.

G-H

Gaps: Days or periods where no supply work is booked.

General Cover: A supply role covering multiple classes or subjects as needed.

Handovers: Notes or briefings from the previous teacher to the supply teacher about lessons or students.

Holiday Pay: Payment for accrued statutory holiday, often included in the supply teacher’s rate.

Hourly Rate: Payment per hour if the assignment isn’t a full day.

I-J

Induction: Introduction to the school procedures for new supply teachers.

Illness Notification: The process for informing the agency or school when unable to work.

Interview Preparation: Guidance or support offered by agencies for candidates attending interviews or trial days.

ITT (Initial Teacher Training): The qualification process to become a teacher.

Job Alert: Notifications from the agency about new teaching opportunities matching a candidate’s profile.

Job Sheet: Details of a supply assignment, including time, location, and class.

K-L

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4: Key Stages 1-4 in the English education system, relevant for specifying preferred age groups.

Late Cancellation: When a supply teacher cancels at short notice and may incur penalties.

Lesson Plans: Prepared instructions or materials used during a teaching assignment.

Learning Objectives: The goals of a lesson that the supply teacher is expected to follow.

Lesson Resources: Materials provided to the supply teacher to deliver the lesson.

Long-Term Supply: A placement lasting several weeks or months, often requiring planning and marking responsibilities.

M-N

MDSA (Midday Supervisory Assistant): Staff supervising students at lunch, sometimes part of supply coverage.

Missed Lesson: A lesson that the supply teacher needs to cover due to teacher absence.

NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher): A teacher in their first year after completing ITT.

Notice Period: The required time to inform the agency of availability changes.

Notification of Absence: How the school informs the agency about a teacher being unavailable.

O-P

Ofsted: School inspections; supply teachers may be observed or participate indirectly.

Permanent Placement: A role leading to direct employment with the school rather than agency supply.

PPA Time (Planning, Preparation, and Assessment): Time teachers have for planning and marking; supply teachers may cover classes during this.

Pre-Assignment Briefing: Instructions given to the supply teacher before starting a new assignment.

PRT (Probationary Teacher): Early-stage teacher who may also take supply roles.

Q-R

QTS (Qualified Teacher Status): Required to teach in maintained schools.

Rate of Pay: Payment level offered for supply work.

Recruitment Consultant: The agency staff member who manages relationships with schools and candidates.

Reference: A previous employer or agency vouching for a teacher’s experience.

Replacement Teacher: A supply teacher who replaces another teacher who cannot attend.

Role Description: Summary of the tasks and expectations for a specific teaching assignment.

S-T

SEN (Special Educational Needs): Students requiring extra support.

SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator): Teacher coordinating SEN support; supply teachers may assist.

School Policies: Rules and guidelines that supply teachers must follow while on assignment.

Supply Pack: A set of materials or instructions provided by the agency for the supply teacher’s use.

Supply Teacher: A teacher filling temporary roles in schools.

SATS (Standard Assessment Tests): National exams supply teachers may help supervise.

Timesheet: Record of hours worked for payroll purposes.

TLR (Teaching and Learning Responsibility): Extra responsibility roles, rarely relevant to supply but sometimes can still be encountered.

U-V

Unpaid Break: Time during the school day where supply staff are not paid.

Unforeseen Circumstances: Events (like illness, transport issues) affecting the supply assignment.

Update Availability: The act of informing the agency of available dates.

Verification Documents: Proof of qualifications, DBS, or references required before starting.

W-Z

Wages: Compensation for supply work.

Work Records: Documentation of tasks, hours, and any incidents during the assignment.

Workload: Amount of work expected during a supply assignment.

Withdrawal: Process of pulling out of an assignment.

Year Groups: Specific age groups supply teachers may request.