Overspending on school supply cover: is there another way? 

In recent years, teacher supply cover has become a pressing issue for many schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs) across the UK. 

MATs and schools are under tremendous pressure to keep classrooms fully staffed and student attainment high; all while juggling tighter budgets and a UK-wide teacher retention crisis. 

While the traditional supply cover agency model has worked in the past, many schools and MATs have begun asking, “Surely there’s a better way to do this?”.  

In this guest-authored blog post, Ollie Parsons, Business Development Manager at Teacher Booker, examines the status quo of supply teaching, how much it’s currently costing schools, and what the alternative solution has to offer. 

A necessary expense? Teacher supply cover in the UK

Depending on which country you’re in, UK schools and multi-academy trusts rely on different ways to arrange supply cover. 

In Scotland, local authorities take care of managing supply talent and arranging cover for schools. In England and Wales, the majority of MATs and schools currently rely on supply agencies to fill temporary vacancies and arrange last-minute cover. 

Initially set up to bridge the gaps when local or national government support was lacking, these agencies act as intermediaries. They maintain a pool of supply teaching talent and connect schools with available teachers as and when they’re needed. 

While this model has endured for decades, it certainly has its drawbacks. Schools have little control over who ends up in their classrooms and when supply talent isn’t up to scratch, pupil outcomes are seriously affected. 

Today, schools are spending more and more on supply that just isn’t covering it. With student attainment at stake, rising agency costs are becoming harder to justify. 

The financial burden of supply agencies – are they value for money? 

One of the most significant issues with traditional supply agencies is the cost. 

On average, schools can expect to pay between 20% to 30% more than a teacher's daily rate when securing cover via an agency. These additional costs include agency margins and finder's fees, which can add up quickly over a school year. 

For example: Your school spends £150,000 per year on securing supply teachers through an agency. The agency’s daily charge is £250 and their daily supplier fee is £45. 

Broken down, this means you’ve paid for roughly 600 days of supply coverage and spent £27,000 on agency fees alone. 

Find out what you’re spending on supply cover agency fees 

A large multi-academy trust could easily spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds on agency fees every year. And in many cases, this is to pay for supply cover that contributes to poorer pupil outcomes. 

Understanding how much your school or trust is spending on agency fees can be a great help. It’s why we created the teacher cover calculator; a simple online tool that breaks down your supply cover spending. 

Seeing these kinds of figures in black and white has prompted many trusts to start asking the question, “What if there was another way to do this?”. 

Creating your own supply talent pool 

For many multi-academy trusts and larger schools, building their own talent pools to handle supply cover has been a long-held dream. 

In this alternative to the agency model, trusts and schools would connect directly with local teaching talent, developing a growing pool of viable candidates to pull from as and when. 

This approach offers several benefits, including: 

1. Eliminating costly agency fees 

2. Complete control over the quality of supply cover 

3. Greater consistency for students. 

However, there’s a reason this model hasn’t been a viable option until recently. Even ambitious and well-resourced trusts baulk at the logistics of making a model like this work. 

Thankfully, that’s where Teacher Booker comes in. 

Introducing Teacher Booker’s Supply Pools Software 

If you want to break out from cover agency co-dependence, Teacher Booker’s Supply Pools is the solution that’s going to set you free. 

Supply Pools is an advanced booking system that’s flexible and easy to use. Trusted by over 1000 schools across the UK, the Supply Pools solution allows leadership to independently book supply staff from MAT or Local Authority-run banks of staff.  

Our platform connects schools directly with supply talent – but without you having to take on the burden of the morning round of phone calls, texts and emails. 

Here are some of the key features of Teacher Booker’s Supply Pool’s Software: 

1. Smart Matching – The system matches based on location, availability, subject, year group and SEN experience, giving headteachers the best possible options. 

2. Automation – Teacher Booker automates many of the administrative tasks associated with supply cover, including communication and compliance checks. 

3. Compliance Storage – Centrally store and vet your supply workers’ compliance documents, ensuring your schools can book fully compliant staff with confidence. 

4. Flexibility – The system is equally convenient for supply staff; teachers can set their availability and preferences, making it easier to accept assignments that suit everyone’s schedules. 

Implementing Teacher Booker’s Supply Pools software 

Teacher Booker’s Supply Pool is easy to implement and quick to set up – plus, its intuitive and user-friendly design means it requires very little training.  

Once the system’s up and running, all you need to do is invite known supply teachers in-app (via automated email) and manage the vetting process through the in-app compliance system. You can also advertise your pool’s unique sign-up link to attract new talent. 

Once staff have met your compliance standards, just set their profile to “live” and you’re ready to go.  

When it’s time to find last-minute classroom cover, your headteacher can book staff independently with the click of a button.  

Partnering with and supporting MAT leadership 

At Teacher Booker, we’re ready to partner with future-thinking MATs to help them achieve their goal of creating an “in-trust” supply talent pool. 

And while there are plenty of benefits to breaking away from the agency model, we understand what might hold you back. Schools and trusts often have great relationships with their consultants, and adapting to a whole new system can be a big challenge. 

It’s why the team at Teacher Booker are looking to partner with schools and trusts, not just provide a software service. We’re on board with you from day one to help you set up your system, grow your talent pool, and make the most of your software. 

Take a look at how Teacher Booker can empower you to create your own talent pool – or if you’d like to learn more, watch this free webinar to discover exactly how Teacher Booker enables schools, MATs, and LAs to centralise and standardise their supply cover.