Cover Supervisor

What does a Cover Supervisor do?

A Cover Supervisor working in a secondary school with Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils aged 11 to 16, with mixed ability students.

The main role of a Cover Supervisor is to manage the classroom in the Teacher’s absence. The Class Teacher will provide all the materials and tools needed for the lesson ready for the Cover Supervisor to deliver.

Although not actively teaching, it is important for a Cover Supervisor to have the skills and confidence needed to keep the class motivated and focused so they can work on the activities set and prepared for them. The role requires you to support pupils as they work through the lesson and to understand how to help them to complete tasks, where needed.

Being a Cover Supervisor requires flexibility, as positions are often temporary or short-term and can mean working in different schools across the local area. The nature of the job also means lessons in a range of subjects will need to be covered, providing lots of variety.

Are you a good fit for a Cover Supervisor job?

To succeed in a job as a Cover Supervisor you need to draw upon your own personality, people skills, and communication skills.

Ideally you will have:

• Basic understanding of the national Key Stage Curriculum. 
• Knowledge of child development and learning. 
• Strong communication skills. 
• Ability to cover a wide range of lessons. 
• Confidence to manage a class of mixed ability pupils. 
• Ability to keep students focused and on task. 
• Ability to provide constructive feedback that encourages pupil’s positive self-esteem. 
• Dedication to establishing positive relationships with pupils. 
• The ability to handle complex and sensitive issues with empathy and understanding. 
• Ability to work effectively as a member of staff providing support to the faculty. 
• Competence in using software such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. 

Is a Cover Supervisor job a good fit for you?

If you are thinking of becoming a Teacher or are considering working with children and want some classroom experience, then working as a Cover Supervisor is an excellent opportunity. It is also something you could consider if you are a Teaching Assistant (TA) and want to gain more classroom practice.

Previous work with young people in an educational setting is a definite advantage.

Qualified Teachers can also choose to do this type of work. Being a Cover Supervisor can provide opportunities to work in different schools, experiencing different educational environments and adapting to working with pupils from different backgrounds.