Supply teacher pay depends far more on who employs you than on how good a teacher you are. A supply teacher employed directly by a council maintained school is paid on national pay scales. A supply teacher placed through an agency is paid whatever the agency agrees, at least until the 12 week mark. This guide explains how supply teacher pay works in England for 2026/27, how the daily rate is calculated, and what to check before you accept work.
The 2026/27 teacher pay award
From 1 September 2026, teachers in England received a 3.5% pay award, with a further 3% planned from September 2027. NASUWT’s pay award summary notes the uplift is usually paid in November or December, backdated to September.
For the rest of England, outside London and the London fringe, NASUWT’s advisory pay scales for 2026/27 give these annual figures for the main pay range:
- M1: ยฃ34,069
- M2: ยฃ36,042
- M3: ยฃ38,400
- M4: ยฃ40,941
- M5: ยฃ43,529
- M6: ยฃ46,940
The upper pay range runs from ยฃ49,134 to ยฃ52,835. Luton and the rest of Bedfordshire sit in the rest of England band, so these are the figures that apply locally.
How the daily rate is worked out
Teachers paid under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document are paid for a 195 day working year. The daily rate is the annual salary divided by 195. NASUWT’s guide to supply teachers’ pay in England gives the example of M1 at ยฃ34,069, which works out at ยฃ174.72 a day before tax and National Insurance.
For half days, NASUWT advises being paid by session: the annual salary divided by 390. Using the same M1 figure, that is around ยฃ87 per session.
Supply teacher pay through a school or council
If you are employed directly by a local authority or a council maintained school, you are entitled to be paid in line with the national pay and conditions. Your point on the scale should reflect your experience, and the daily rate follows the 1/195 calculation above.
Academies and free schools set their own pay policies. Some follow the national scales, but they do not have to unless they have agreed to.
Supply teacher pay through an agency
Much supply teaching is arranged through agencies. NASUWT states that there are no national pay and conditions for supply teachers employed by agencies. The agency agrees a charge with the school and sets your pay rate. The difference covers the agency’s costs and margin, employer National Insurance and holiday pay.
Agency rates vary between agencies, between schools and between day to day cover and longer placements. When you compare offers, check:
- Daily or hourly. If you are paid hourly, you may not be paid for time outside lessons, such as planning, marking or duties.
- PAYE or umbrella company. Pay through an umbrella company is calculated differently, and deductions can be larger than expected. Compare take home pay, not the headline rate.
- Holiday pay. Ask whether it is included in the daily rate or paid separately.
- Your Key Information Document. Since April 2020, agencies must give you a Key Information Document before you agree terms, setting out how you will be paid and a realistic example of what happens to the money the school pays.
What changes after 12 weeks
Under the Agency Worker Regulations, once you have worked in the same role in the same school for 12 weeks, you are entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as a comparable teacher employed by that school. NASUWT says you can ask the school or employer for its pay policy at any time. This matters for long term supply and maternity cover, where the 12 week mark is often reached. Our guide to the Agency Worker Regulations explains how the weeks are counted and what pauses or resets them.
Unqualified supply staff
If you do not hold Qualified Teacher Status, you may still find work as a cover supervisor or on the unqualified teacher range. In the rest of England, NASUWT’s advisory figures for 2026/27 put the unqualified range at ยฃ23,732 to ยฃ36,494. Our article on cover supervisor roles explains how cover work differs from supply teaching.
Ways to increase your supply teacher pay
- Make sure your agency knows your pay scale point and experience
- Take on longer placements, which can reach the 12 week mark
- Build a relationship with a few local schools that ask for you by name
- Add subjects or specialisms that local schools ask for, such as SEN support
Supply teaching in Luton, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Schools in Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Bedford and Leighton Buzzard, and across Hertfordshire towns such as St Albans, Harpenden, Hitchin, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead, use supply staff for sickness, training days and long-term vacancies. Day-to-day bookings often come in early in the morning, so teachers who can reach several of these towns by car or by train along the Thameslink line from Luton get offered more work.
Our director is a qualified teacher, so we talk to schools about the class and the cover properly before we send anyone. If you teach in the area and want regular supply work, register with ST HECS and tell us which towns you can reach.
Supply teaching in Luton with ST HECS
ST HECS places supply teachers, cover supervisors and teaching assistants in schools across Luton and Bedfordshire. To register or ask about current roles, visit our education recruitment page or contact the team. Schools needing cover can read our guide to supply staff for school cover in Luton.
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