On the 27th September 2024, the DfE published a report called Use Of Supply Teachers In Schools.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-supply-teachers-in-schools

Though seemingly a vehicle to champion the Crown Commercial Service and its Supply Teachers and Temporary Staffing (STaTS) framework, the report contains detailed research gained from supply teachers, school leaders and private supply agencies. Though none of the conclusions will be a surprise to National Supply Teachers Network (NSTN) members, it is good to have the information in a government document which supply teachers are able to refer to when attempting to bring about change in the supply teacher market.

Of particular note is Table 3:

The average daily take home salary (daily rate) for supply teaching is well known to NSTN members (though the daily rates quoted by agencies are gross rates rather than net daily rates). What may be of more interest is the average daily cost to the schools.

Other take away points from the report include:

• Schools feel they are paying too much for supply teachers
• Teachers feel they are not being paid enough
• Many of the employees and owners of agencies agree that the market should be better regulated (though the agencies believe this will lead to higher charges to the schools)

The Government scheme designed to bring about change in the supply market, the Crown Commercial Service’s Supply Teachers and Temporary Staffing (STaTS) framework, is not very well known and is barely used. The DfE report does seem to be a vehicle to push the Framework but the report does complement the NSTN goals of equality of pay and conditions for supply teachers with our full-time colleagues.

One supply teacher was quoted in the report as saying:

This is the power of Facebook groups such as the National Supply Teachers Network. One NSTN member even mentioned Proxi Education, the not-for-profit, cooperative supply service set up by members of the NSTN to the compilers of the report:

[…] is where the teacher mentioned Proxi Education. The name of the cooperative was removed from the report.

The reason that Local Authority (LA) supply pools have closed is because they have to pay teachers to their experience point (in line with School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD)) and contribute to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS, another 28% on top of wages). Though this is far better for the supply teacher, it makes employing supply teachers through LA supply pools more expensive than private agencies, who can and do employ teachers at rates below STPCD and do not pay in TPS.

With many new MPs in Parliament, the NSTN thought it would be useful to make sure that every MP was aware of the report and the inferior pay and conditions faced on a daily basis by supply teachers in England and Wales. The NSTN created a template letter, which supply teachers could download, amend to their personal circumstances and send to their MP:

A copy of the letter can be found on the NSTN Facebook page or by emailing a request to nationalsupply.chair@gmail.com

So far, 150+ MPs have been sent a copy of the letter. Many have responded personally with messages of support. Others have forwarded on the email and supply teacher concerns to ministers in the government. A number of MPs forwarded the email to Catherine McKinnell, Minister for School Standards:

The first few paragraphs of her letter are supportive, but the final paragraph is a let down:

Though these are useful developments for permanent teachers, they do not address the issues faced by supply teachers. The Minister’s response also puts forward the Crown Commercial Service as a solution. However, the CCS framework only makes the charges of private agencies transparent, it doesn’t stop them taking massive fees or making obscene profits. Also, the Minister points out that schools employing supply teachers directly are more likely to pay the teacher correctly, though this isn’t always the case. However, only a small number of supply teachers are employed directly by schools or through LA supply pools. The vast majority (81%) are employed through private agencies and are paid less than M1 on the teachers’ pay scale, which is currently £162.31 outside of London.

Another MP has forwarded the letter to Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education. Her response came back:

The takeaway from her email is that:

Again, though she states that the charges will be ‘transparent’, it does not stop the agencies paying supply teachers less than their pay based on the STPCD. For this reason, agencies will remain cheaper than LA supply pools, which have to pay to STPCD.

Other MPs are currently lodging Parliamentary questions concerning the situation of supply teacher pay and conditions in England and Wales.

Thank you to the 150+ supply teachers who have already sent a letter to their MP. If you have not already sent a copy of the letter to your MP and would like to, please email a request for a copy of the letter to nationalsupply.chair@gmail.com