Just like it takes two to tango, when you request a teacher or teaching assistant for work the more information they have about your school the better they are able to decide if it's the role for them and the better prepared they can be on the day. It's easy to share information about your school by creating a school profile. Here I'll walk you through some key areas for making sure yours works as hard as it can.
Here's a sample, fictional, school profile
What you can add
Specific directions
We've seen that it's fairly common for teachers to follow directions to the school only to find that the map takes them to the wrong side, there's two sites and they're at the infant site not the junior site, or that it's just tricky to find the entrance the first time. Help your teachers arrive on time and unstressed by adding extra detail here.
Parking
Sometimes whether a teacher can drive to a school will be a key determinant of whether they can take on work there. Let them know if your school has parking and, even if it doesn't, you can add any detail or advice in finding parking if there's no parking at the school.
About the school
This is your space to let teachers know what sort of school yours is and share anything you'd like them to know to understand it better and prepare.
Dress code
Are there any restrictions or guides for what teachers should or shouldn't wear?
Behaviour management
Do you use any systems or guidelines for managing behaviour that would help teachers that visit? We ask all our teachers about their behaviour management skill, yet knowing the behaviour policies of the school, and what the children are used to, is key to creating a productive learning environment.
You can also add:
Usual hours — when does the school usually start and end? Help visiting staff know when they should be there. And knowing when they can leave — for example, to pick up their own children — can be key to knowing if they can make the work
Point of contact at the school — this can be helpful on arrival so that someone will be expecting them when they arrive
School website
Contact phone number
You can also add links to any of the information by pasting them in or typing in directly eg www.yourschool.co.uk/values
What teachers see
When a teacher receives a request for work, any information you've added to your profile will appear in your booking request. This can help them decide if they can make it — for instance, will the school finish in time for them manage childcare — and prepare them for a productive day by knowing behaviour policies or exploring the school website in advance.
Have suggestions? Let us know