Teaching in London is an acutely different experience to that of teaching in Australia. You will teach an assortment of different cultures, an increased amount of children with English as an additional language and need to navigate yourself around one of the largest cities in the world.
Teaching Personnel asked their Aussie supply teachers for some of their top tips on how to maximise supply opportunities in London. Here’s what they had to say:
Living in London and working on daily supply means you will want to secure as much work as possible. Being flexible and travelling to different boroughs of London will not only increase your work opportunities but also provide you with an invaluable experience. Once you build up excellent school feedback, Teaching Personnel will be able to secure you work closer to home – Remember, schools will always ask great teachers to return! Moving to London means you will be using public transport to get around. City Mapper and Tube Map are excellent apps which will help you plan your journey and arrive on time.
Being organised first thing in the morning is critical to gaining a supply booking. The mornings can be extremely busy; missing a phone call from the agency could mean the booking is gone by the time you call back. Having your phone with you from 7am will not only increase your chances of work but prove you are proactive and keen for work. Alternatively, a call to the agency at 7am to let them know you are free goes a long way.
Working on supply doesn’t always mean not having to plan any lessons, you need to be prepared for the odd occasion when you arrive to a school and no lesson is prepared. Having a few plans up your sleeve will not only impress the school but will increase your chances of the school calling Teaching Personnel and requesting you back. Short term supply bookings very often lead to regular part time or full time positions. Marking all the work before you leave also goes a long way. A few of our teachers suggested using breaks and lunches to complete marking.
Students really enjoy having supply teachers from a different country, play on the fact you are not from England by relating subjects to Australia and comparing differences to engage the class. Your lesson should always be educational, fun and inspiring whilst ensuring a good level of behaviour management. Starting off as a supply teacher in London takes some getting use to, don’t feel as though in the first few weeks you have made the wrong decision; it gets a lot easier and makes you a fantastic teacher in the long run.
By registering with Teaching Personnel you will have a dedicated recruitment consultant finding you work. You will also have access to much sought-after continuous professional development courses to help you succeed.
Register with Teaching Personnel today on their website and your local consultant will be in touch with all the information you need to find a suitable school placement.