Supply teacher agency set up
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S
S-Marketing
First piece of advice would be to get experienced teachers on your books and not newly qualified ones.
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Look and ask on the supply teacher forums, TES foums, also contact and ask your local Council, as some LC have set up their own supply agencies.
I agree with the above, as you will need to prove you can provide teachers that are experienced, and not just newly qualified (as they will be shoved in at the deep end in some really bad situations)!!
Get up to speed as this is not an easy field to move into..
Poppy xx
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G
gogojonny
I think the supply market is drying up. More and more schools now use cover supervisors and cover lessons in-house. The only need for a supply agency is when a member of staff phones in sick at 8am and their first class is 8.45am - you would need a vast database of staff to phone up. School are constantly phoned by new supply agencies - in my experience they tend to stick with the likes of Capita. Although expensive, they have the people on the books to get staff in. Capita also run training for teachers and I'm not sure if this is compulsory but could be something that is required.
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Absolutely....local schools here, have drafted in parents to cover lessons, when a teacher is not present.
The teacher has already set the lesson, and the parent just sits in (that is the theory)!
This has not gone down well with the teaching staff, - but parents cost less then supply agency staff.
Poppy xx
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V
Velocity
The NUT were kicking off about this (the use of TA's/Cover Supervisors) only yesterday so you might be onto something there, however definitely go for experience as much as possible. Bear in mind also that local authorities are, wherever possible not using agencies or the like due to the added costs involved in this and the current strain on LG finances (believe me, I know that from first hand right now).
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By night I help my o/h run dots and spots, but by day I am a Deputy Head and organising cover for absent staff is one of my specific duties.
I work in the Independent sector, so we are not as hidebound by the rules & regs of the state sector, but the basic principles are the same.
There have, over the last couple of years, been some changes to who can and cant be called upon to cover lessons for absent teachers, and more and more schools are now employing cover supervisors to take on some of this work (because they are cheaper than supply teachers!) but there is still a need and demand for supply teachers.
However, most schools will have well established links with either individual supply teachers and/or supply agencies. For example, I have a list of about 5 supply teachers who I know, who know the school and who will always be my first port of call. This suits both me and the supply teachers as I know I'm getting a good teacher & they know they are coming to a good school and over the years they have come to know the permanent staff and some of the pupils. Talking to 'our' supply teachers, they often have a good relationship with a few schools and will only accept work from them.
However, I appreciate that we are a good school, in leafy Somerset, and the demands for supply teachers varies across the country and we can, perhaps, afford to be a little more selective in our choice of supply teachers than other schools.
But, with no disrespect to you, my advice to any NQTs would be to sign up with a well established agency that is more likely to get them work, offer them support and training than to join your fledgling agency.
As your possible market (although I may not be in your area) what would you offer me, as a Deputy Head trying to find a Supply Teacher, that one of the established agencies can't?
I don't ask the above question to try & put you down, but it is a question that you must be able to answer if you are to make your venture a success (and I hope you do!)
Jeff
I work in the Independent sector, so we are not as hidebound by the rules & regs of the state sector, but the basic principles are the same.
There have, over the last couple of years, been some changes to who can and cant be called upon to cover lessons for absent teachers, and more and more schools are now employing cover supervisors to take on some of this work (because they are cheaper than supply teachers!) but there is still a need and demand for supply teachers.
However, most schools will have well established links with either individual supply teachers and/or supply agencies. For example, I have a list of about 5 supply teachers who I know, who know the school and who will always be my first port of call. This suits both me and the supply teachers as I know I'm getting a good teacher & they know they are coming to a good school and over the years they have come to know the permanent staff and some of the pupils. Talking to 'our' supply teachers, they often have a good relationship with a few schools and will only accept work from them.
However, I appreciate that we are a good school, in leafy Somerset, and the demands for supply teachers varies across the country and we can, perhaps, afford to be a little more selective in our choice of supply teachers than other schools.
But, with no disrespect to you, my advice to any NQTs would be to sign up with a well established agency that is more likely to get them work, offer them support and training than to join your fledgling agency.
As your possible market (although I may not be in your area) what would you offer me, as a Deputy Head trying to find a Supply Teacher, that one of the established agencies can't?
I don't ask the above question to try & put you down, but it is a question that you must be able to answer if you are to make your venture a success (and I hope you do!)
Jeff
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I have two questions for you;
1) Have you previously worked as a Teacher before?
2) Have you worked in a recruitment agency before?
If you can't answer both of these questions then I wouldn't bother to be honest imo, especially in this current climate.
My advice would be go get the experience if you haven't already and then come back in 3-5 years time
1) Have you previously worked as a Teacher before?
2) Have you worked in a recruitment agency before?
If you can't answer both of these questions then I wouldn't bother to be honest imo, especially in this current climate.
My advice would be go get the experience if you haven't already and then come back in 3-5 years time
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I would say, that since supply teachers earn anything between £25 and £70 per hour and the government has just announced that they want to reduce staff in public sector jobs and the money used by the public sector overall.......you might be barking up the wrong tree.
The money given to schools that are self-governing will either be frozen or reduce, they will not have the cash to spend on supply teachers anymore.
And all the other local authority run schools are going to find themselves even more under the thumb.
Little Timmy is going to have to have to whip out a copy of A toddler's guide to mechanics & take charge of that class himself.
The money given to schools that are self-governing will either be frozen or reduce, they will not have the cash to spend on supply teachers anymore.
And all the other local authority run schools are going to find themselves even more under the thumb.
Little Timmy is going to have to have to whip out a copy of A toddler's guide to mechanics & take charge of that class himself.
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@Richie N - that is very sound advice, very succinctly put and I hope the OP takes heed.
@jelly3 - you are correct that there will be (a big) squeeze on budgets and a reduction in the amount of supply teachers that a school can buy in. But there are still legal obligations to ensure that a teacher is in front of a class of pupils and whilst schools will bend the rules as far as possible, they will still need to call upon supply teachers, so I don't think they are going to go away. (But I also think that, unless he has experience, the OP should steer clear.)
It will be buildings and books that get sacrificed first and class sizes will grow. There will be gov. ministers, LEA administrators and head teachers that will be looking at e-learning through rose tinted specs as they will believe/see that you can teach 100, 200, 500 students online & remotely with one teacher who would normally only be able to teach a class of 30.
I was recently at a conference on Virtual Learning Environments where one of the speakers was from a Higher Education College. He stated that the college now needs one third less physical space (class rooms etc.) for the same amount of students as, at anyone time, 1/3 of the students were accessing there studies online from home, the library, costa coffee or in a work place etc. Easier to do for 17 than 7 year olds, but distance/e-learning will, I suspect, be the big growth area in education over the next 5 years.
(sorry - gone a bit o/t!)
Jeff
@jelly3 - you are correct that there will be (a big) squeeze on budgets and a reduction in the amount of supply teachers that a school can buy in. But there are still legal obligations to ensure that a teacher is in front of a class of pupils and whilst schools will bend the rules as far as possible, they will still need to call upon supply teachers, so I don't think they are going to go away. (But I also think that, unless he has experience, the OP should steer clear.)
It will be buildings and books that get sacrificed first and class sizes will grow. There will be gov. ministers, LEA administrators and head teachers that will be looking at e-learning through rose tinted specs as they will believe/see that you can teach 100, 200, 500 students online & remotely with one teacher who would normally only be able to teach a class of 30.
I was recently at a conference on Virtual Learning Environments where one of the speakers was from a Higher Education College. He stated that the college now needs one third less physical space (class rooms etc.) for the same amount of students as, at anyone time, 1/3 of the students were accessing there studies online from home, the library, costa coffee or in a work place etc. Easier to do for 17 than 7 year olds, but distance/e-learning will, I suspect, be the big growth area in education over the next 5 years.
(sorry - gone a bit o/t!)
Jeff
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Thanks Jeff.
Many want to start up an agency as they think it's easy and quick money, but it's actually a hard job and requires a lot of knowledge and experience to succeed.
If they don't have the background in the industry they are working with, this comes across bad to clients and candidates imo.
If they don't have experience in working as a recruitment consultant, then they shouldn't set up an agency imo.
The industry gets a bad name as it is, mainly because of the lack of experience and knowledge consultants have, so they are unable to find the right candidate for the right job and simply just throw CVs in, hoping one sticks.
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Why don't you come right out with it Richie. The OP with no experience whatsoever in business wouldn'teven know how to recruit a washer up.
As many have said. The uninitiated think that recruitment is an easy busy business to get into. It is not as you know. It is highly professional and extremely competive whether you ar tallking waiters - medical - educational to HGV drivers. All of whom arfe professionnals in their own industry.
An amatuer entering this sector then has no chance.
Forget looking for jobs for your uni freinds then OP. Find one for yourself instead.
This idea is a no brainer and even unworthy of DWP.
Rob
As many have said. The uninitiated think that recruitment is an easy busy business to get into. It is not as you know. It is highly professional and extremely competive whether you ar tallking waiters - medical - educational to HGV drivers. All of whom arfe professionnals in their own industry.
An amatuer entering this sector then has no chance.
Forget looking for jobs for your uni freinds then OP. Find one for yourself instead.
This idea is a no brainer and even unworthy of DWP.
Rob
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Rob, I don't appreciate your response in that way.
It's not about recruiting a "washer up", actually that position is called a Kitchen Porter
It's about knowing the industry, the legislation with regards to recruitment, advertising, sales etc.
- Would they understand the clauses in the terms of business?
- Do they know what you can and can't say in advertising vacancies.
- Do they know that they need to produce standard conditions for work finding services, these have to be agreed by candidates.
- Are they aware of the Employment Agencies Act?
- Do they know the difference between an Employment Agency and Employment business?
My point is that anyone setting up a business, whether it be an agency or an accountancy, they should have some knowledge and experience into that business first.
Especially in the current climate where you need to stand out from the rest and if you don't have the above, you could fail.
The reason why I say this, is I set up an agency after working as a consultant for a year, I had the basic experience and knowledge but not enough to run an agency.
I ended up closing the agency (not liquidation or anything, just ceased trading), I then joined various agencies and finally a national agency, that offered the training and further experience /knowledge I needed and then set up again. I now have had my own agency for 6 years....
Recruitment is a profession, most have qualifications in recruitment as I do and those that come along thinking they can do it as they see it as a money earner, with no knowledge or experience in the industry can give it a bad name and fail. Not all cases, but quite a few.
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READ my post again Richie. You said you didn't appreciate it but the went on to repeat everything I said in more detail.The recruitment agency in ANY industry is only for professionals that know the business and that obviously means correct jobs describitions - heath & safety and employments issues.
Tell me where is the bloody thin hair you want tl split. chill out pal.
R
Tell me where is the bloody thin hair you want tl split. chill out pal.
R
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Rob, maybe I misread it or it came out wrong.
I was mainly referring to this comment;
Why don't you come right out with it Richie. The OP with no experience whatsoever in business wouldn'teven know how to recruit a washer up.
Sorry....
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I like your reply Richie, Very good and true.
The questions you ask such as do they know this and that I think they would as they are very basic. Basic market research will tell them this.
I agree with you 100% about getting the experience first however I did not and I am 8 months going with several clients, what I did do was hire somebody with experience to help.
I think anybody entering recruitment with the mind set of "it's easy money" is wrong and on the road to failure. It is NOT easy money you can wait 3 months often to see a decent return. This is a people business and not all people are right for the vacancy etc..
Good luck to anyone who enters..... it's a tough business but very good at the same time.
K
The questions you ask such as do they know this and that I think they would as they are very basic. Basic market research will tell them this.
I agree with you 100% about getting the experience first however I did not and I am 8 months going with several clients, what I did do was hire somebody with experience to help.
I think anybody entering recruitment with the mind set of "it's easy money" is wrong and on the road to failure. It is NOT easy money you can wait 3 months often to see a decent return. This is a people business and not all people are right for the vacancy etc..
Good luck to anyone who enters..... it's a tough business but very good at the same time.
K
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Thanks Kev, I do recall saying the same thing to you many months ago, and you took it on board, got an experienced consultant in and learnt from them.
Although my concern would be that they are key to your business, so not sure what package you offered or any incentives but make sure they are with you for the long haul.
Hope business is doing well.
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yeah mention me and they will give you a discount.
you can also entertain your customers there.
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Maybe not, but I bet more primary schools will employ those minimum wage teachers aides as a cheaper alternative.
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