Five ways to use October half term to grow your supply teaching work

October half term usually means a week without bookings, but it doesn't have to mean a week of nothing happening for your supply teaching career. With a bit of half term supply teaching preparation, the break can be a genuinely useful reset before the busier winter term ahead.

Update your profile and paperwork

A quiet week is the easiest time to check your DBS update service status, refresh your CV, and make sure whoever books your work has your current availability and preferences. Schools moving quickly to fill November gaps are more likely to reach for a profile that's current and complete.

Reach out to schools you've already worked in

A short, friendly message to schools you've covered for recently. Checking in and confirming your availability from the following Monday. Keeps you front of mind exactly when they're planning cover for the weeks ahead. This kind of half term supply teaching outreach costs nothing and often pays off directly.

Use the week for genuine CPD

Free safeguarding refreshers, subject-specific webinars and behaviour management training are widely available, and completing one during half term is a concrete, low-cost way to strengthen your profile ahead of winter bookings. As well as being useful in its own right.

Rest, deliberately

It's worth saying plainly: half term is also there to recover. Supply teaching in unfamiliar rooms every day is genuinely tiring, and going into November already run down doesn't help anyone. Balancing a little half term supply teaching admin with proper rest tends to make the following weeks easier, not harder.

Look ahead to what's coming

Winter illness absence typically climbs through November, which usually means more short-notice bookings become available. Going into that period with your availability confirmed and your paperwork current means you're ready to say yes quickly, rather than scrambling once term is back underway.