They recruit most teaching jobs to start when the summer holidays end. Kids go back to school, and so do the teachers. It’s the best time of year to get jobs, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a job at other points of the year too. A lot of schools amp up their recruitment between Christmas and Easter term so they can have their new staff lined up to begin when Summer ends.

Maybe you’ve started working in a school and have found that you don’t enjoy it. Or you need to move to a new location quickly during the term time. There are plenty of situations that come up meaning you’ll need to find a new teaching job even though it’s term time.

We’ve created a list of all the best tips for you to find a new teaching job in term time to help you move to the right role for you.

Reasons Schools May Look for Teachers During Term Time

There are lots of reasons a school may need to recruit teachers in the middle of a school term. Sometimes, a teacher may go on long-term sickness, or quit their job with little notice which leaves the school short of teachers. Mostly when this happens the school will look to draw from their supply pool instead of doing new recruitment, but there are still times they’ll put up vacancies during term.

If you’re looking for a new job, it’s always worth monitoring online job boards, tweaking your CV and ensuring it’s fully up to date and having a couple of cover letter templates ready to go. Vacancies can come and go quickly, as schools will want to fill the role as fast as they can.

However, there are a couple of other ways to ensure you find a new teaching job in the middle of the school year.

Do Teaching Supply

An excellent way to move jobs in term time is to join a supply list. After covid, more schools are relying on supply than ever before. It’s an excellent way to keep yourself in a job, giving yourself the extra flexibility to have your contract work around you and your life commitments. Supply teaching gives teachers a work life balance, giving you all the benefits of working as a teacher without the negatives like taking work home with you and constant grading.

Teachers who work in supply have the option to choose when they work, and where they work. You also get to work across different teaching subjects, and don’t have to worry about requesting a day off when you need it. Supply teachers have the rare opportunity of taking time off during the term, instead of being stuck to the school holidays.

Use a Recruitment Agency

The best way to find a job either in supply or on a permanent contract during term time is to use a teaching recruitment agency. When schools are left in the position of needing new staff during term time, they want the roles filled quickly, and they don’t have time to commit to recruitment alongside running the school. Recruiting can be a big time cost, so it’s often easier to contact recruitment agencies who have already got a list of potential candidates.

When you sign up to a recruitment agency, you can get access to hidden jobs, as employers will contact the agency without advertising the role publicly. It allows you to find a job faster and gives you an extra person in your corner to support you.

Working with a reputable teaching recruitment agency will give you access to an expert at finding teaching jobs. They should support you with your CV, cover letters, and interview skills to ensure you’re successful in the role. It’s also an extra person to scour online job boards so you can keep focused on your current work and personal life.

Conclusion

If you’ve found yourself in the position of needing to find a new teaching job during term time, you don’t need to lose hope. There are several circumstances that can lead to a school looking for new teachers during term time.

The best way to maximise your chances of finding a new job during the school term is to get yourself in some supply pools, or to join a teaching recruitment agency. You’ll have someone else looking for jobs for you, supporting you through the entire job search process, and get you access to a hidden job market.