The Supply Staffing Wake-Up Call: What Recent DfE Research on Supply Staffing Means for Your School and Supply Staff
As schools across the UK continue to face rising staff absences, recruitment challenges, and budget pressures, supply teachers have become an essential part of the education workforce. But according to recent research by the Department for Education (DfE), the system isn’t working as well as it could, for schools or for supply staff.
Drawing on insights from nearly 1,500 supply teachers, school leaders, and providers, the research reveals a system under pressure: rising absences, recruitment challenges, and budget constraints which have made supply staff even more critical, yet many feel undervalued, underpaid, and unsupported.
The supply market is dominated by commercial agencies, who make huge profits. A report by the National Education Union (NEU) has stated that commercial agencies serve 93 per cent of England’s schools. Despite schools paying more than £200 a day per teacher, many supply staff take home as little as £110 – with markups often topping 90 per cent. Furthermore, schools often pay a premium for SEND and subject specialists.
The recent NEU report, featured in the Times, also reveals that a dozen large agencies dominate the market; these agencies have reported drastic increases in gross profits, and account for up to half of all spending with agencies by schools in England. This report argues that this is exploitation by the big players in the industry, revealing a rise in gross profits by 55 per cent, from £75.5 million to £117.3 million.
Not only are these large agencies profiteering from hugely stretched school budgets, but supply teachers, many of whom are experienced professionals, are sharing their dissatisfaction with pay, exploitation, lack of CPD access, and limited career progression.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the NEU, said: “Agencies are profiteering from the crisis in schools at the expense of supply teachers and school budgets”.
The report also highlights wider concerns, including schools’ increasing reliance on unqualified staff to cover absences as a cost-saving measure, and finder’s fees running into thousands of pounds, which deter schools from offering permanent positions. This is something that Schools Mutual Services is fundamentally against and therefore does not charge ‘fees’ following a supply placement of 12 weeks.
However, despite these challenges, there are opportunities for improvement: lower supply teacher costs for schools, fairer pay structures for supply staff, better onboarding, and more consistent professional development could enhance quality and value for money. For schools and supply staff alike, there is an urgent need for a more ethical, transparent, and supportive approach.
As an ethical, school-led and owned alternative to commercial agencies, the Schools Mutual Services model prioritises fairness, transparency, and long-term educational value. We connect schools with trusted and qualified local supply staff, reducing reliance on costly intermediaries and ensuring that more of every school’s stretched, and precious budget goes directly back into education. We help schools maintain continuity and reduce disruption. For supply teachers, we pay fairly, in line with national pay scales for teachers, ensure professional recognition, and provide access to CPD, especially for those on short-term placements who are often overlooked.
Read the full Times article here.
This article shares the key findings from the recent DfE research on the requirements of schools and supply teachers, and how our service helps schools to meet their requirements.
Who Are Today’s Supply Teachers?
The report reveals that supply teachers are overwhelmingly experienced professionals:
- 80% hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), and many have decades of classroom experience.
- A proportion are older than the general teaching workforce, often choosing supply work to reduce stress, gain flexibility, or transition toward retirement.
- Most do not intend to remain in supply long-term, many see it as a pathway back into permanent roles or a way to stay connected to education without full-time pressure.
- There is a smaller proportion that includes QTS supply staff professionals who are newly qualified teachers and looking to gain experience in a supply capacity to use as a gateway into a obtaining a permanent role in a school.
This means schools are engaging highly skilled educators, but often without the support or recognition they deserve.
Why Schools Use Supply Teachers
The reasons are clear and growing:
- Staff absences have increased, particularly post-Covid, due to illness, burnout, and retention issues.
- Recruitment challenges mean vacancies are harder to fill, especially in secondary schools and specialist subjects.
- Supply teachers are used for a wide range of roles: classroom teaching, teaching assistant support, SEND cover, and even leadership roles in some cases.
Secondary schools tend to use supply staff more frequently and for longer durations, but primary schools also rely heavily on them for short-term and emergency cover.
How Schools Recruit Supply Staff
The report highlights a fragmented landscape:
- Private agencies dominate the market, with most schools relying on them for short-notice placements.
- Schools often prefer trusted providers who understand their local context and can offer consistent quality.
However, agency use comes with the challenges outlined above, particularly around cost, transparency, and staff satisfaction.
Challenges Faced by Supply Teachers
The DfE identifies several persistent issues:
- Pay and Transparency
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- Many supply teachers feel underpaid, especially when agencies retain a large portion of the fees schools pay.
- There’s a lack of clarity around how much schools are charged versus what supply staff receive.
- Professional Development
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- 40% of supply teachers had no CPD in the past year, particularly those on short-term placements.
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- Many fund their own training, and few receive feedback or support from schools.
- Workplace Inclusion
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- Supply staff often feel excluded from school communities, missing out on briefings, resources, and pastoral support.
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- Some report being treated as “outsiders” despite contributing significantly to pupil outcomes.
- Job Security and Career Progression
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- Supply work is often unpredictable, with limited opportunities for progression or permanent roles.
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- Teachers who want to return to full-time work struggle to find pathways back in.
🤝 How Schools Mutual Services Helps
At Schools Mutual Services, our school-led mutual solution directly address all of the challenges that the sector faces today, without exception. . Here’s how:
✅ Ethical, Transparent Engagement
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- Our pricing is clear and consistent with capped margins – helping schools manage budgets without paying over the odds or encountering hidden fees.
🧑🏫 Local Talent Pools
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- School-ready supply staff supported with real CPD
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- We connect schools with trusted supply professionals across the whole of the North East, East Midlands, and South East.
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- Our supply staff are vetted, experienced, and familiar with local schools and education landscape.
🔁 Repeat Booking and Relationship Building
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- Schools can rebook preferred supply staff, improving continuity and reducing classroom disruption.
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- We support long-term relationships that benefit both schools and educators.
📚 CPD and Support
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- We support ongoing professional development, providing CPD access and feedback to supply staff.
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- Our platform includes resources and guidance to support onboarding and inclusion.
💸 Budget-Friendly Ethical Solutions
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- Cheaper payroll solutions than commercial providers
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- No charge for permanent hires after 12 weeks – helping to fill the gaps in recruiting permanent roles in schools.
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- Local reinvestment – every pound stays in the education system
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- We work with schools to plan ahead, reducing last-minute reliance on expensive agency placements.
Final Thought
Supply teachers are not just stopgaps, they’re skilled professionals who deserve respect, support, and fair treatment. Schools that invest in ethical, transparent engagement will attract better talent, improve pupil outcomes, and build stronger communities.
Schools Mutual Services is here to help you do just that.
With local knowledge of the education and recruitment sectors, our approach supports better outcomes for pupils, stronger relationships between schools and staff, and a more sustainable supply workforce across the regions we serve.
Schools Mutual Services (SMS) is a not-for-profit supply staffing agency owned and managed by schools, designed to offer ethical, transparent, and cost-effective staffing solutions across the education sector. Unlike commercial agencies, SMS invests in the education system, helping schools protect their budgets while ensuring fair pay and professional development for supply educators. SMS provides school-ready staff who are supported with real CPD and aligned to national pay scales.
With regional hubs covering the whole of the North East, East Midlands and the South East, SMS 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.
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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
✉️ nottingham@schoolsmutualservices.co.uk