Schools will save thousands of pounds in recruitment costs
as the Government launches a new online tool to help them
avoid agencies that charge excessive fees.
The Education Secretary today (15 January)
announces an online
tool which will clearly show the fees recruitment
agencies charge on top of staff wages, so school leaders
know what they are getting for their money. It will also
help schools avoid agencies that charge fees for making
temporary staff permanent.
In 2016/17, the last year for which figures are available,
schools in England spent £825 million with supply agencies.
To appear on the list of approved agencies available
through the tool, they must set out their costs up-front –
allowing schools to compare prices – and conduct rigorous
background checks on their staff.
Schools across the country are already benefiting from the
Government’s clampdown on expensive fees after plans were
initially set out last year. Rainhill High School, an
academy in St Helens, Merseyside, reported savings of
£2,500 in three months – thanks in part to using the tool
to find a new supply agency that offered the best value.
The Education Secretary is now calling on more schools to
follow their lead by using the new online tool when
recruiting supply teachers and agency workers.
Education Secretary said:
I want to help schools use their resources as effectively
as possible. There will always be a role for supply
teachers within schools, but schools shouldn’t be ripped
off when trying to recruit them. This new online tool
will bring much-needed transparency to the fees that
agencies charge to enable school leaders to see what they
are getting for their money.
This is the latest step in our effort to help schools
bear down some of the costs they face, building on the
School Resource Management Strategy I launched last year
to provide practical advice and support to school leaders
so that they can focus on what they do so well –
delivering high-quality education for their pupils.
There can be no great schools without great teachers to
inspire and motivate children, so it’s absolutely right
that we help schools to maximise the money they have to
spend in the classroom by working together, making sure
they’re getting the best deals and are not being
overcharged for services.
, Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State for the School System, is writing
to all schools in England to let them know about the online
tool, which has been developed with Crown Commercial
Service.
Today’s launch follows the Education Secretary’s pledge at
the National Association of Head Teachers’ annual
conference in May to work with schools and drive down
unnecessary cost pressures so headteachers can get maximum
value for every pound they spend and bring in the best
staff.
It also follows a series of steps taken by the department
to help schools deliver value for money and ensure
resources can be targeted at the frontline.
This includes:
- A free website to advertise school vacancies – this
will help schools save on advertising for positions, which
currently costs them up to £75 million per year;
- Recommended deals that are helping schools to save
money on the things they buy regularly, such as printers
and photocopiers – one school in the North West has saved
an estimated £40,000 on its printing costs;
- Regional Schools Buying Hubs, piloted in the North West
and South West, providing hands-on support and advice to
schools on complex procurement. One school saved £75,000
across a three-year cleaning contract, while 82 schools in
the South West have saved an estimated £137,000 on water;
- A network of advisers providing practical support on
how schools can use their budgets more effectively. During
the pilot phase of 72 deployments, advisers identified £35
million of potential savings for schools;
- A benchmarking
website to allow schools to compare their income
and expenditure with others in England.
