Balancing act? The dynamics of the supply teacher market in Scotland

This paper draws from a study commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department in 2002. The project sought to develop an improved understanding of the management of supply cover throughout Scotland.The focus of the paper is on the factors influencing supply and demand. The market is a very dynamic one, with significant factors including changes in the school population, the availability of supply teachers and national and local policy developments. Many supply teachers are not well supported and among the strategies which could improve the overall situation would be improved professional development opportunities for them. The situation could also be helped by reducing the demand for temporary cover. A number of strategies towards this end are suggested.