Primary jobs in Durham

About primary education in Durham

With 110 primary schools across the city, primary work in Durham offers real variety from one week to the next. Demand rises sharply from January through to the summer term as schools protect teaching time in the run-up to assessments. Together, Durham's schools and nurseries educate around 68,000 children, and that scale keeps primary cover requests coming in every week of term.

A typical day means delivering planned lessons across Key Stage 1 or 2, managing the register and playground duty, and leaving clear feedback for the class teacher. Bookings come from across the city and surrounding areas including Durham City, Chester-le-Street and Consett, so you can filter for primary schools within a comfortable commute.

Supply is a practical route for ECTs to build classroom confidence across different settings before applying for a permanent post. You choose which Durham bookings to accept in the Humly app, see the pay rate before you confirm, and speak to the same North East consultant each time.

County Durham is one of the largest local authority areas in the North East, with approximately 280 schools and nurseries serving over 68,000 children. The county stretches from Durham City to Chester-le-Street, Consett, Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe.

Durham's education sector offers a mix of urban and rural settings. The county's schools are well-regarded, and the steady demand for supply staff — particularly in primary and nursery settings — makes it a strong market for educators.