Schools get free website to advertise new jobs

Education Secretary Damian Hinds has decided to clamp down on agencies that he believes overcharge schools for advertising vacancies and trying to recruit new staff members in a bid to save money and allow teachers to stay focused on their main priority.

Supply teachers are relied on by many schools at some time during the school year in order to cover both long and short-term vacancies, and schools often have to pay for advertisements in order to recruit necessary staff members. They are often charged very expensive finder’s fees by agencies if head teachers decide to give their supply staff permanent positions. These agencies often do not make clear the full nature of their fees in addition to the basic wages that are given to supply staff.

The Secretary of State has announced a new way to help fight these costs by launching a free website that can be used to advertise vacancies – something that currently costs schools as much as £75m per annum. The website will include job-sharing positions and part-time roles in a bid to ensure that experienced teachers can stay working and to make schools more attractive workplaces in the 21^st-century.

Hinds will also tackle other unnecessary expenses by launching a new nationwide deal from September that provides head teachers with a comprehensive list of supply agencies that do not charge extra fees if supply staff are kept on permanently after 12 weeks. Such suppliers will also be expected to make clear how much extra fees are being charged on top of staff wages to make it simpler for schools to avoid excessive fees.