Supply Teachers Articles 

Every day thousands of supply teachers around the country help to keep schools running smoothly, maintaining learning outcomes for pupils — often in the face of multiple challenges. We explore how to make sure this vital job is properly supported and rewarded.

  • Teaching in lockdown

Teaching in Lockdown – 10 Things You Never Expected to Hear, Say or Do as a Teacher!

2021-07-16T14:13:01+00:00Behaviour Management, Coronavirus, Supply Teachers, Teacher Stress, Teachers, Teaching, Teaching Assistants, Wellbeing|

Georgina Bromilow, a former classroom and supply teacher who now helps schools and teachers connect at Teacher Booker, explores the often humorous twists and turns of remote learning. We really don’t know how you’ve done it, but here you are, “finally at the finish line” as one of our teachers put it. Remote learning, [...]

  • Teaching Assistant helping child

Demonstrating Social Value by Ensuring School Support Staff are Paid the Living Wage

2021-07-16T13:09:48+00:00Education Recruitment, Furlough Supply Teachers, School Jobs, Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teacher Pay, Supply Teachers, Teachers|

Building on our campaign to access fair pay for all supply teachers and school support staff we are today delighted to announce our accreditation as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation. The Living Wage campaign has a basic fairness at its heart: all workers should be paid enough to live [...]

  • Teacher Vacancies

What the coronavirus pandemic will mean for school recruitment this year

2021-06-04T12:16:34+00:00Coronavirus, Education Recruitment, School Jobs, School Vacancies, Supply Teachers, Teachers, Teaching and Education Jobs|

Since March the education sector, like many others, has faced a once in a generation challenge due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whilst schools have done a fantastic job in tackling the situation head on, we can anticipate that a new set of challenges, particularly around recruitment and workforce, will emerge when the school year [...]

  • Supply Teacher - Local Authority Supply Pools

Now is the Time to Return to Local Supply Teacher Pools

2021-07-14T10:29:57+00:00Coronavirus, Education Recruitment, Flexible Working, Furlough Supply Teachers, Local Authority Supply Pools, School Jobs, Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teacher Pay, Supply Teachers, Teachers|

This is how Local Authorities, Multi Academy Trusts and other school groups in England are running cost-effective and ethical supply pools, today. Over the last twenty years, the supply teaching sector has become a fragmented wild west where it’s all too common for schools to be fleeced and supply teachers exploited. It’s time [...]

  • For Schools - Supporting Supply Teachers During Coronavirus

For Schools: Supporting Supply Teachers During Coronavirus

2020-04-29T20:18:50+00:00Coronavirus, Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teacher Pay, Supply Teachers, Supply Teachers Furlough, Teachers|

You may have heard that thousands of supply teachers across the country have been struggling to receive financial support during the coronavirus pandemic. Many agencies and the umbrella companies which agency teachers work through have either not yet furloughed their teachers or have only been able to offer them furlough at 80% of the [...]

  • Supply Teacher Furlough Pay During Coronavirus

Supply Teacher Furlough Pay During Coronavirus

2020-04-29T19:26:13+00:00Coronavirus, Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teacher Pay, Supply Teachers, Supply Teachers Furlough, Teachers|

Many supply teachers have been ‘left in limbo’ amid uncertainty of eligibility for furlough payments. The reason for this is that there are several employment and payment mechanisms which are used across the sector, and Government guidance has not yet explicitly addressed furlough eligibility for every scenario. Below we break down how these mechanisms [...]

  • Supply Teacher Agency Umbrella Pay

How to improve your supply teaching pay by 25% at no extra cost to the schools you regularly work in

2020-02-25T17:53:41+00:00Education Recruitment, School Jobs, Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teacher Pay, Supply Teachers, Teachers, Teaching and Education Jobs|

We’re currently helping supply teachers to earn up to 25% more than via a typical agency/umbrella company arrangement at no extra cost to their regular school(s). We have found that Employer’s NI contributions, admin fees and other deductions are routinely being taken from supply teachers’ agreed rate of pay. Those teachers thought they had [...]

  • Pupils Running In Playground

Why is a school recruitment company trying to help schools spend less on recruitment?

2020-06-01T11:08:33+00:00Education Recruitment, Local Authority Supply Pools, School Funding, School Jobs, Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teachers, Teachers, Teaching and Education Jobs, WasteNotWantMore|

Every year, over £0.5bn is spent on recruitment agency fees in public sector schools alone. That’s a staggering £30,000 per school! Whether it’s agency fees for temporary staff or permanent staff (including temporary to permanent fees), online job advertising or other indirect recruitment costs like admin and consultancy fees, this much-needed money is being diverted [...]

  • Supply Teacher Pay Umbrella

Agency Supply Teacher Pay: Deciphering the Deductions

2023-10-13T14:00:40+00:00Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teacher Pay, Supply Teachers, Teaching and Education Jobs|

Our recent exposé on agency fees charged to schools generated much heated debate from schools, agencies and teachers. Now it's the teachers' turn. Here we’ll shine a light on the other side of the coin -- agency supply teacher pay, and the often indecipherable fees, deductions and accruals that appear each week on the payslips of agency [...]

  • Supply Teacher Agencies and Finder’s Fees – A Textbook Case

Supply Teacher Agencies and Finder’s Fees – A Textbook Case

2020-02-20T12:00:14+00:00Education Recruitment, Schools, Supply Teacher Agencies, Supply Teacher Pay, Supply Teachers, Teachers, Teaching and Education Jobs|

How a London Primary school now saves thousands on agency fees The Background Primary School in Inner London, 420 pupils Since October 2018, the school has engaged a KS2 teacher, Claire*, via a traditional supply agency. Claire was speculatively marketed to the school via an email. Coincidentally the school had a sudden need [...]