cover supervisor

Some of the duties and responsibilities of a cover supervisor include:

• assisting students with their work: as a cover supervisor, you teach students various topics in the curriculum. Since the teacher already scheduled the lesson and the class material, your job is to assist them in completing the tasks and support pupils who need help understanding the topic. You help them complete assignments and projects associated with the lesson to accomplish the learning outcomes.
• managing behaviour: as a cover supervisor, you manage students in the absence of the teacher or teaching assistant. You ensure the class is productive and students have a constructive learning environment. You regulate the activities and behaviours within the classroom to avoid noisemaking and other destructive habits.
• mitigating emergencies and handling issues: as a cover supervisor, you handle any emergencies in the classroom. Since the class teacher is unavailable, you are in charge of the classroom and deal with immediate issues according to the school policies. Hence, it is crucial to understand the rules and policies of the school you work for.
• collecting assignments and class projects: as a cover supervisor, you perform the duties stipulated by the class teacher. Often, the role includes collecting assignments from students and marking them. Alternatively, you can collect due projects and hand them to the teacher when they resume work.
• preparing class reports: at the end of your short-term work at the school, you prepare a report. Your report includes information on student behaviours, the work assigned to students and the projects you supervised to completion. You also report any emergency issues that arise and provide suggestions for improvement.

As a cover supervisor, you assist teachers with various subjects, and the work environment will depend on the subject. Due to the nature of your job, you work in different schools, and sometimes you report to a school on short notice. Fortunately, the schools are usually within your local or preferred area for easy movement. Cover supervisors spend most of their day in a classroom set-up, teaching students and managing the classroom. You also assist students with their projects and experiments in laboratories.

Cover supervisors move from one school to another and collaborate with various professionals to accomplish their roles. As a cover teacher, you work with primary teachers, secondary teachers and headteachers. You also work alongside science teachers, maths teachers and teaching assistants. Sometimes, you collaborate with the school nurse or speech therapists to assist students with medical conditions.

Cover supervisors work in diverse schools and adapt the work schedule of the school. For instance, if the school starts at 7 am and ends at 4 pm, you adjust your schedule to match the policies of the new school. Most positions are temporary or on short-term contracts. Hence, you can work as a cover teacher on a part-time basis.

Working as a cover supervisor prepares you to become a primary or secondary school teacher. As a cover supervisor, you gain more classroom experience than a teaching assistant. Hence, you will familiarise yourself with handling students and helping them with their work. Some cover supervisors become full-time teachers or specialise in specific subjects like maths and science.

Finding your cover supervisor job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a cover supervisor is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!

A cover supervisor receives an average salary of £23,588 annually in the UK. With minimal experience, the compensation package starts at £21,644 yearly. As you improve your experience and qualifications, your earnings increase to over £30,989 per year. The compensation package depends on your work hours and the classes you teach.

There are no specific qualifications for becoming a cover supervisor. However, you require a background in teaching. You can complete certificate and diploma courses that teach about offering school support and classroom teaching. Some cover supervisors have a qualified teacher status due to employer requirements.

Cover supervisors and teaching assistants deliver lessons and control pupils' behaviours but have different roles. A cover supervisor oversees students as they complete pre-set tasks, while a teaching assistant assists the class teacher with preparing learning materials.

As a cover supervisor, your primary role is supervising pupils as they complete tasks pre-set by the class teacher. You cover for the teaching staff on a short-term basis by managing the classroom and ensuring students remain on task.

A good cover supervisor is flexible to adjust to the changing work environment and requirements. As a cover supervisor, you also need great communication skills and compassionate nature to keep up with student needs.

Applying for a cover supervisor job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!