With over a decade of experience in education recruitment working for some of the largest National brands, I specialise in helping schools and Multi Academy Trusts optimise their hiring strategies, reduce costs, and build strong talent pipelines. As the founder of RecQuest, an new and independent consultancy, I provide unbiased insights and practical solutions to improve recruitment outcomes in the education sector.

The new Procurement Act that came into force in February 2025 could well change the game for schools and how they manage temporary staffing. It’s quite a shift, but one that could bring real benefits if it is approached in the right way.

Temporary staffing is the backbone of keeping our classrooms running smoothly when regular teachers are absent with many schools relying on calling up the same few agencies they’ve worked with for years. That comfortable approach may well be about to change.

The Cabinet Office has made it clear that all public bodies, including schools, need to follow enhanced competitive procedures when bringing in temporary staff. This means being more open about opportunities, inviting bids from different and new suppliers, and keeping proper records of decisions.

Recent data underscores the severity of recruitment challenges faced by state-maintained schools:

1. Much More Transparency Required: Schools now need to publish notices throughout a procurement process, even for temporary staffing. According to guidance from the Cabinet Office, procurement opportunities must be openly advertised on their central platform when they exceed certain thresholds.

2. Keeping a Closer Eye on Supplier Performance: For larger temporary staffing contracts (over £5 million) (typically relevant to Multi-Academy Trusts with numerous schools) organisations must set Key Performance Indicators and publish annual Contract Performance Notices. Even for smaller contracts at individual school level, the Act encourages better monitoring. This is actually brilliant news for schools. Agencies that consistently provide high-quality staff will build a positive public track record for all to see. Those that don’t might find themselves excluded from future opportunities for up to five years!

3. More Flexible Competitive Procedures: The Act introduces a “Competitive Flexible Procedure” that gives schools more freedom to design procurement processes that suit their specific staffing needs. This means you can negotiate with staffing suppliers to create innovative solutions while still following the rules. For instance, a primary school might create a streamlined process for emergency cover teachers, while a MAT could develop a more sophisticated approach for long-term temporary roles across multiple schools.

4. Standardised Feedback Requirements: The Act requires schools to provide standardised feedback to unsuccessful bidders through an “assessment summary.” This helps staffing agencies understand how to improve their offerings next time around, ultimately improving the quality of services available to your school.

There’s now different admin involved; from detailed documentation to set procedures. This might seem daunting, especially when you need to cover an unexpected absence first thing Monday morning.

But schools that embrace digital tools will find it much easier to manage both the ad-hoc nature associated with temporary supply staff, but also the coordination of agencies. Vendor Management Systems (VMS) can help you stay compliant while reducing the time spent on paperwork.

According to the Crown Commercial Service, digital transformation is essential for navigating these changes effectively but doesn’t actually provide any tools to facilitate this. So schools will need to source their own solutions to follow the advice being given for schools to:

• Review their current approach: Take a good look at how you’re currently handling temporary staffing and update your policies.
• Invest in decent systems and training: Make sure your team understands how to run a proper tender for temporary staff.
• Talk regularly with your staffing suppliers: Keep communication channels open so everyone knows what’s expected.

While the transition might feel a bit bumpy at first, schools that adapt quickly will see real benefits:

• Better value for money: More competitive practices can lead to cost savings of somewhere between 8% and 20% on temporary staffing spend.
• Higher quality cover staff: Performance monitoring encourages agencies to provide better-matched candidates.
• Integrated Communication Tools: Features that allow for automated and personalised communication with candidates can help keep applicants engaged and informed throughout the recruitment process.
• Reduced risk: Better due diligence protects you from unreliable suppliers.
• More time for what matters: Digital systems cut down on admin, freeing staff to focus on supporting great learning outcomes.

The Procurement Act offers a genuine opportunity to transform temporary staffing from a daily headache into a strategic asset. Instead of firefighting absences with whoever’s available, schools can ensure they are getting the best deals available to them and MAT’s can build reliable talent pools of high-quality temporary staff who consistently deliver excellent teaching.

Centralised procurement across multiple schools creates significant bargaining power and economies of scale. Combined with proper performance monitoring, this approach ensures you’re not just filling gaps but strategically deploying talent where it’s most needed, all while embedding your own training processes and culture.

Forward-thinking school leaders are already seeing temporary staffing through a new lens. It doesn’t have to be a necessary evil, but it can be a flexible resource that enhances educational delivery and supports staff wellbeing. When managed strategically, temporary staffing becomes a tool for resilience, allowing schools to adapt quickly to changing circumstances while maintaining standards and improving learning outcomes for their students.

Yes, the Procurement Act brings new requirements, but it also provides the framework to turn one of education’s biggest challenges into one of its greatest strengths.

Teacher Booker is a leading provider of recruitment and workforce management software solutions for the UK education sector. Our platform is flexible and comprehensive, able to meet the needs of Multi-Academy Trusts, Local Authorities or standalone schools alike. With Teacher Booker’s solutions, schools can focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality education.