What is an ‘occasional teacher’?
In short
An occasional teacher is a School Workforce Census category, not a job title. It counts people who are in school on census day, are not directly employed by the school or local authority, and are working under a contract of fewer than 28 days. It is not a count of the supply-teacher workforce.The exact definition
DfE defines occasional teachers as teachers and support staff who are not directly employed by the school or local authority and who are in school on census day – early November each year – with a contract or service agreement lasting fewer than 28 days.
The most recent census recorded 20,500 occasional teachers.
What it captures, and what it misses
| Counted | Not counted |
|---|---|
| In school on census day in early November | Doing supply work at any other point in the year |
| Contract of fewer than 28 days | On a placement of 28 days or longer |
| Not directly employed by the school or LA | Directly employed cover staff |
Why the distinction matters. Supply work is by nature intermittent. A snapshot of one day in November tells you how many short-contract, externally engaged people happened to be present that day. Most people who do supply work during a year will not appear in it, and someone on a term-long maternity cover will not either.
How to use the number properly
It is a reasonable indicator of one specific thing: the scale of short-contract, externally engaged presence in schools on a comparable date each year. Tracked over time on a consistent definition, it is genuinely informative.
It is not a headcount of supply teachers, and should never be presented as one.