Guidance Notes for Applicants

Dear Applicant

Thank you for your interest in supply teaching through TESSA. This information sheet has been designed to guide you through completing your application form and to make you aware of any issues that will now be included in any interview you may be asked to attend with TESSA.

As the post you have applied for involves working with children, the recruitment process will incorporate some additional checks or questions that would not be undertaken for other posts. These additional checks are specified in the DCFS document “Safeguarding Children: Safer Recruitment and Selection in Education”.

If you are unable to complete the application form due to a disability, please contact a member of the TESSA team so that alternative arrangements can be made.

You will find enclosed an application form, job description, person specification and supply teacher questionnaire and additional information sheet. The job description and person specification outline the main responsibilities of the post and the skills, experience and knowledge, which we are looking for in the postholder. The "How you meet the selection criteria" section of your application must describe how you match each of these. Please note that you will be shortlisted based on how well you meet the person specification.

Please return your completed application to TESSA, Room 2.101, Council Offices, Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, OL6 6DL. For the time being please retain any other forms and documents you have.

References will be sought for successful candidates prior to interview. If both of your references are of the standard we require, we will contact you to arrange further checks to be carried out and to arrange an appointment at the Council offices, Ashton-under-Lyne. If the references are not of an appropriate standard, we will write to you to let you know, and your application will not be taken any further.

As references are the most common reason for us turning people down for supply work we now request all references before committing to the expense of further checks.

We would like to thank you for expressing an interest in TESSA (Tameside Education Supply Staff Agency).

Yours sincerely

The TESSA Team

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

How to Complete the Application Form

Job applied for: Supply Teacher
Job Reference Number: TESSA
School/Location: TAC

Personal Details

• Complete all sections in Block Capitals.
• Please include your DFES number in the box. If you are awaiting QTS please indicate this on the supply teacher questionnaire and additional information sheet.
• Please state if you are registered with the GTC & if you are a member of the Teachers Pension Scheme.
• You must disclose if you have ever been dismissed from employment for any other reason than redundancy e.g. gross misconduct or capability.

Prevention & Declaration of Fraud

• Sign & Date

Education & Training

• Please provide information about the post-16 education and training you have received in this country or abroad, the qualifications obtained including degrees with class and division and any teaching certificates.
• Please include all relevant dates & details of your results.

Type of Teacher Training

• Please tick the relevant box

Teaching Experience

• Please give details of all previous teaching experience in reverse date order beginning with your current post.
• Please include details of the LEA or employer and name of school, the age range taught, the date you started working and end date, your status/curriculum/responsibilities/subjects and your salary scale and point.
• If you are an NQT, please include details of your teaching practice placement schools.
• Do not leave any gaps, for example, if you have been unemployed let us know the dates of this period of unemployment.
• You need to account for any period not spent in education or training since leaving school.
• We reserve the right to contact your employer for further information about your employment even if you have not listed this employer as a referee.
• Please Note: we will not do this without your prior consent. However, if you do not consent we may be unable to proceed with your application.

Previous Employment other than Teaching

• Please state and provide details of any previous employment with Tameside MBC.
• You should complete your full employment history since leaving secondary education other than teaching in this section.

Relevant Training

• Insert in this section any courses you have attended, if the list is extensive just select the ones which are relevant to support your application.

How you meet the Selection Criteria

• This is a very important section of the application form. This is your opportunity to tell us about yourself, your education, skills, knowledge and personal qualities you can bring to the job.
• Please include details of any relevant experience not related to paid employment, in the UK or overseas.
• You do not have to confine your response to the space provided on the form, you may attach additional sheets. Obviously reams of information could make it difficult to shortlist, however a lack of information will not do your application justice.

Additional Information

Relationships to Elected Members or any Employees of the Council

• Please state if you are related to any elected member or an employee of the Council.
• If yes, please state name and position.

Referees

TESSA reserves the right to obtain references from any previous employer.

• When completing the reference section, please note your first reference should be the Headteacher at your most recent teaching employment/placement.
• Please ensure both referees have known you in professional teaching context.
• In the interests of safeguarding children we are unable to accept personal references.
• Indicate if you do not wish your referees to be contacted initially.
• Both references will be contacted if you are successful in your application at the first stage.

Other Important Considerations

• Your past employment history may be explored from the point you left school, you need to be able to account for any unexplained gaps or reasons for leaving past employment.
• Your past employers may be contacted (with your consent) to confirm any information which we need to check, even if you have not listed them as a referee.
• References will be sought for successful candidates prior to interview.
• If your references contain insufficient detail, we may contact your referees for further information.
• You will be asked questions at interview, which will explore your attitude and behaviour to children.All candidates for the post will be questioned in this way.
• You may be asked questions at interview based on any information arising from your application form or references.
• Providing false information is an offence and could result in your application being rejected, or removed from the TESSA register if you have been selected, and possible referral to the police.

If the application form is not complete or has any gaps it will be returned. We cannot shortlist without all sections being fully completed and gaps explained.

Curriculum vitaes (cvs) are not an acceptable form of application. All information must be provided on the application form. If further space is required you may attatch extra sheets – please clearly state your name on extra sheets.

Tameside M.B.C

Services For Children And Young People

Tessa

Supply Teachers

We currently require Supply Teachers for assignments across Tameside and are looking to register qualified teachers across all key stages to work on short and long term assignments.

TESSA was launched in January 2005 in order to provide a first class service for all schools within the Tameside Borough. We are therefore looking for highly motivated staff that will help to maintain the high teaching and learning standards in our authority.

Unlike private supply agencies, TESSA is a non-profit agency.

If you are accepted onto our register you will be paid in accordance with statutory/council rates on a weekly basis, be able to make contributions to your pension and have the opportunity to gain quality professional development.

Successful applicants will have completed the following checks:

• Enhanced Disclosure via the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
• pre-recruitment health check
• identity and permission to work in the UK checks
• confirmation of address
• professional qualifications
• reference check - one of these must be your current or most recent employer. References will not be accepted from relatives or from people writing solely in the capacity of friends. Both references should be able to comment on your teaching abilities.
• evidence of registration with the General Teaching Council
• evidence of UK Qualified Teacher Status

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact Clare Gee, TESSA Administrative Officer on 0161 342 4085.

Previous applicants who have been unsuccessful need not reapply.