Supply teaching offers many benefits; flexibility, variety, better work-life balance, and a stepping stone to more permanent roles. However, the current economic climate coupled with the teacher recruitment crisis presents challenges and uncertainty to both our army of supply teachers, and the schools themselves.
Over the years, the Government’s school spending data has displayed a significant increase in funding allocated to supply teaching. This is partially due to the ongoing recruitment crisis, meaning that staff absences are felt far more keenly in schools, especially when teachers with already heavy workloads are having to step in to offer cover for additional lessons.
Agency issues
Surely this increase in expenditure should be seen as a good thing for supply teachers, as it means that schools are sourcing more supply teachers, providing a range of opportunities and demand for work? In theory, yes; but the way in which most schools currently choose to recruit can be hugely expensive with costly fees impacting both the school itself and the supply teacher.
Another issue in this is suitability. With the best will in the world, an agency won’t always be able to source the perfect match, as only the school can really know what is needed for a role a teacher has been assigned to. This often means that by going through a third-party agency, the supply teacher won’t always have the full details of what’s expected of them, so when they arrive at the school, they are often unprepared, causing unwarranted stress.
A digital alternative
What schools and supply teachers may not realise however, is that there are ways to cut out the middleman, while still ensuring the right teacher is being selected, and that the supply teachers themselves see the benefits without having to sacrifice a portion of their earnings to agency fees.
With the influx of technology and digital resources available for teaching and learning, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that technology can also be utilised to streamline the recruitment process. Having the means to manage this ‘in-house’ gives schools a better indication of the relevant candidates in the area, a more efficient way to build relationships and allows any queries to be handled directly, rather than having to rely on third-party involvement.
Everyone benefits
By using technology, schools can search through a bank of pre-vetted supply teachers, organised by availability, experience and distance from the school, all of whom have received their safeguarding checks and have already been interviewed. They are then able to send out job alerts or requests and any bookings or information are automatically recorded. All of this can be done on-the-go, reducing the impact of the process on a school’s busy schedule. This type of platform is also beneficial for local supply teachers looking to boost their own portfolio and gain recognition from schools. By setting up a profile, they can highlight their experiences and demonstrate their talents, and receive job offers straight to their mobile phone, meaning that they never miss an opportunity.
Minimising the work with agencies will ultimately benefit both schools and supply teachers. It has the potential to greatly reduce annual expenditures, while ensuring teaching and learning remains at its best.
