How much are supply teachers paid?

Supply teachers tend to be employed by agencies, not by the school directly or the local authority. This means that pay is handled differently and they aren’t covered by the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Documents (STPCD) for England and Wales.

Because supply teachers tend to work for agencies their pay is set by the agency, and so this can vary depending on who you work for.

Other factors affecting pay rates for supply teachers can include the length of time the assignment will run for, the subject, the year, and the region you work in. Some assignments can just be for a day, where others may run for weeks or months depending on the particular circumstances. The day rate of pay for supply teachers in inner and outer London is higher than those who live outside the capital. At Horizon teachers, we offer some of the highest day rates available to supply teachers ranging from £130-£275 per day.

Find out more about how much supply teachers are paid and how this can vary

Are Supply Teachers able to access the Teacher’s Pension Scheme (TPS)?

Supply teachers are unable to participate in the TPS as teachers must be employed by a school or local authority to be eligible. However, it is imperative that agencies offer a workplace pension scheme for anyone employed on their books. If you earn over £10,000 per annum and are aged between 22 and the pension age you should be automatically enrolled in this ( though can opt out should you choose to do so). Most agencies are legally obliged to pay a three percent contribution on any qualifying earnings.

Is it possible for supply teachers to receive pay progression?

As most supply teachers work on causal assignments it is difficult to secure pay progression. In some instances, when employed regularly at the same school, they may become eligible for pay progression - however this is at the discretion of the employer.

Sick pay and maternity pay as a supply teacher

Supply teachers are not covered by contractual maternity pay or sick pay. However in particular circumstances they may be.

Do I have any entitlements to sick pay or maternity pay as a supply teacher?

Supply teachers (whether agency or otherwise) are not covered by the contractual sick pay or maternity pay provisions but may be entitled to statutory sick pay or maternity pay rights in certain circumstances. See the advice on statutory sick pay and rights of pregnant workers in the Agency Worker Regulations guidance.

Long and short-term assignments - what’s the difference?

Most commonly, supply teachers will be employed on a short term contract for a few days at a time. Their role would be to carry out the lesson plan set by teachers using the materials and resources provided by the absent teacher. A longer term need may see supply teachers taking on more duties such as planning, delivering and marking lessons, participating in other duties outside the classroom, writing reports and attending staff meetings. This means that a longer term supply teacher is more likely to be paid a higher rate than one employed on a typically ad hoc basis.