💡 Reclaiming Supply Staff Recruitment
Why Schools Deserve Better Than Profit-Driven Agencies
For too long, schools have relied on privately owned recruitment agencies to fill supply and long-term staffing gaps, often at a high cost. These agencies operate for profit, charging significant margins that drain already stretched school budgets, and offer little transparency or long-term value.
But there’s a better way.
Schools Mutual Services (SMS) is a school-owned, not-for-profit alternative that’s transforming how schools recruit supply staff and fill teaching gaps. Every pound spent stays in the education system – supporting fair pay, better conditions, and sustainable staffing solutions that work for schools, not shareholders.
💡 What Makes SMS Different?
Founded by educators, for educators, SMS was created by Nick Hurn OBE and Louise Levy, executive leaders from one of Newcastle’s largest multi-academy trusts, to challenge the status quo. It’s not just a staffing service, it’s a movement to reclaim control, invest in the education sector, and prioritise people over profit.
Here’s how SMS stands apart:
| Schools Mutual Services | Traditional Recruitment Agencies | |
| Ownership | Mutual – School-owned and governed | Privately owned, profit-driven |
| Profit Model | Not-for-profit – any surplus spend remains in the education sector | For-profit – profits go to shareholders |
| Cost to Schools | Transparent, low-margin pricing. Daily rates for a Fully Qualified Teacher (FQT) are £145, lowest in the market | High agency fees and hidden markups. Daily rates for a Fully Qualified Teacher (FQT) are £200+ |
| Supply Staff Pay | Fully Qualified Teacher (FQT) is paid £120 per day. | Yet many supply teachers take home as little as £110 per day. |
| Working Conditions for Supply Staff | Fair pay at national rates, access to sick pay, pensions, and statutory rights. | Often self-employed, no sick pay or benefits. |
| Mission | Ethical, sustainable staffing that supports school communities | Commercial recruitment with profit as priority |
| Flexibility | Designed around school needs, not agency targets | Often rigid, with limited school input |
| Long-Term Value | Builds local talent pools and reinvests in CPD | No investment in schools or staff development |
🚨 The Real Cost of “Business as Usual”
Recent Department for Education data states that UK schools spent over £622 million on supply cover alone in recent years. Much of that went straight into agency profits, not into classrooms, staff wellbeing, or student outcomes.
Traditional agencies often charge 30–50% markups, while offering supply staff minimal support, no job security, and little connection to the schools they serve.
🌱 A Model That Works for Schools
SMS flips the model on its head. By pooling resources and operating as a mutual, schools benefit from:
- Lower costs and greater budget control
- Stronger relationships with local, trusted staff
- Improved continuity for pupils
- Ethical supply staff recruitment that aligns with school values
- A voice in how the service operates
As one headteacher put it:
“We’re no longer paying for someone else’s profits – we’re investing in our own future.”
🤝 Join the Movement
If you are as frustrated as we are by rising agency fees and you want a more ethical, sustainable approach to staffing, Schools Mutual Services offers a smarter alternative.
Every pound spent with SMS stays in education.
That’s not just better for budgets, it’s better for staff, students, and the future of our schools.
With regional hubs covering the whole of the North East, East Midlands and the South East, Schools Mutual Services works with executive leaders in schools and academies across Newcastle, Durham, Gateshead, Sunderland, Northumberland, South Shields, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicester, Oxfordshire, Swindon and Berkshire.
Each hub is embedded within its local education community, working in partnership with schools, academies, multi-academy trusts and teaching alliances such as OTSA, to deliver tailored supply staffing support across primary and secondary education, whether that is day-to-day supply teaching or long-term placements.
From multi academy trusts to community primary and special schools, SMS is helping educational establishments navigate financial pressures with a smarter, more cost-effective and sustainable solution for supply teachers and supply support staff, that puts pupil outcomes first.
With SMS, you’re not just filling a short-term supply need, you’re investing in a smarter, more sustainable future for your school.
🔗 Learn more about how SMS works
📖 Read why schools are ditching agencies
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If you have any supply staffing requirements or would like to discuss any information in this article further, you can contact us here ➡️CONTACT FORM
North East Hub
Portland House, Newcastle, NE1 8AL
📞 0191 933 8300
✉️ info@schoolsmutualservices.co.uk
South East Hub
Podium Sandford Gate, Littlemore, Oxford OX4 6LB
📞 01865 597 771
✉️ oxford@schoolsmutualservices.co.uk
East Midlands Hub
16 Commerce Square, Nottingham NG1 1HS
📞 0115 646 6460 | 07460 430653
✉️ nottingham@schoolsmutualservices.co.uk