Supply teachers

Let Supreme Education?s technology take the hassle out of finding you teachers. Whether you need day to day supply cover, short or long term placements, or indeed, a permanent position to fill, let Supreme Education provide you with the best solution.

Each office team includes specialist education recruitment consultants dedicated to primary, secondary and special schools.

So what can we offer to meet your supply and contract needs?

• Primary, secondary and special needs teachers.
• Subject-specialist teachers.
• NQTs.
• FE lecturers (to work as Instructors).
• Qualified overseas teachers.
• Support staff.

Whether NQTs, teachers returning to the profession, or overseas recruits arriving in the UK, they are among the thousands of teachers who specifically want the flexibility and lifestyle that supply work offers.

We aim to visit all our customer schools on a regular basis. Initial visits help us understand the ethos, procedures and culture of individual schools - vital in ensuring we find you the right supply teachers as well as making sure you can log on to our user friendly system.

Customer service excellence is a philosophy that runs through everything we do. We maintain regular client contact - and we undertake formal surveys to assess your satisfaction. Additionally have a national school support line throughout the school day to help you with any staffing issues you may have.

Our professional recruitment teams operate to the highest standards. We hold BS EN ISO 9002 quality accreditation and adhere to the REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) Code of Practice for Education. Our procedures include:

• Individual face to face interviews with all teachers.
• Professional, personal service to all schools ensuring our Supreme Education system meets your needs.
• Comprehensive security checks: POCAL (Protection of Children Act List which includes List 99); criminal convictions/police checks (CRB) and General Teaching Council (GTC).
• Verbal and written references (minimum of two per candidate).
• Qualifications checks.
• ID checks (a photo of the educator is also held on our system).

We are committed to looking after our teachers and we also offer a teacher support line.

Working with Supply Teachers

Planning, preparation and partnerships. These are the three key elements to successfully using supply teachers and maximising their impact within the classroom. We have spent much time customising our technology in order to take the day to day strain out of finding supply teachers and other educators.

We know that forward planning is not always possible - that's why once your vacancy has been entered onto the Supreme system it automatically match and notify all available candidates in a matter of seconds, thus saving your time, effort and resources.

However, in the spirit of any true partnership, Supreme Education has provided each school with the facility of entering as much information as possible onto our system in order to prepare and induct the replacement teacher and give them the very best opportunity to make the day as productive and enriching as possible to the students they teach.

When you can plan for teacher shortages in advance, it's always a good idea to involve us at an early stage. Simply add the vacancy online immediately as it arises even if it doesn't start for 6 months!

Whether it's short or long term placements you require - or perhaps just a single day's cover - giving us advance notice will help us identify and secure the teacher best suited to your needs ("The early bird catches the worm!").

For all supply teachers and other school educators, the more information and support you can provide the better. Ideally, lesson plans and resources should be provided and can now be attached to the vacancy online- and more detailed briefings as appropriate for long term placements - all of which can be added again to your vacancy.

If you can spare a few minutes once the Supreme Education technology has been implemented by added various supporting documents to welcome new supply teachers to your school - i.e. explain disciplinary procedures, contact details - then they will be more comfortable once they arrive to their new learning environment and everyone involved will benefit.

We always aim to provide you with the right person every time. However, if you're not happy with the performance of any supply teacher, there's no need to use them again. Supreme Education will provide you with other teachers and options. You can add your individual preferences so that your regular teachers get contacted first. If you don't want the teacher back to your simply add the name to the system and it will not contact them again. Our teachers also have the same freedom of choice and add/delete your school to their preference list. The system simply automatically matches up the preferences.

Below are a few tips for getting the best out of your supply teacher - and your agency:

• Add to the feedback section on the system to Supreme Education staff regularly - give us feedback on our teachers' performance.
• Allow Supreme to visit you, meet staff and see the school so they can understand your culture, procedures and requirements.
• Plan in advance wherever possible by identifying teaching staff shortages and enter your vacancy straight onto the Supreme system.
• Provide lesson plans and resources where possible online.
• Meet supply teachers in person and introduce them to the school and staff.
• Explain disciplinary procedures to supply staff - this information can also be held online.
• Outline arrangements and procedures for breaks, lunchtime and end of school online.
• Welcome them into the staffroom as one of the team.

Using FE lecturers in school

Growing numbers of secondary schools are using the skills of experienced subject-specialist FE lecturers to teach in the classroom. These staff work as 'Instructors' - and are fully sanctioned to work in schools through clear DfES guidelines.

We ensure you are fully briefed on their specialisms and capabilities - and that individual schools approve the use of lecturers as a matter of policy.

FE lecturers typically work as Instructors (i.e. non QTS status) in their specialist subject areas, such as IT, Art and Design, Drama, Music and Business.

Many lecturers, in addition to teaching AS/A Levels and GNVQs within FE colleges, have GCSE experience, for example through evening classes for 're-take' students and adult learners.

If you are interested in using lecturers, the relevant legislation is contained within DfEE circular 7/96 Use of Supply Teachers - the relevant section is under 'Legal Requirements Relevant to the Use of Supply Teachers'.

Under 'Teachers Regulations: Qualifications', the relevant section (point 3) explains where non-QTS professionals can be placed in supply roles in schools including: 'employment as an instructor of a person with special qualifications or experience when no suitable qualified teacher, licensed teacher, or overseas trained teacher is available'.

Using international teachers in schools

Supreme Education's parent operations in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa work closely with our International Division and individual UK offices to recruit, quality and security check and place professional, qualified teachers from these countries into schools.

We recruit qualified teachers for day-to-day supply work and for long-term placements. They receive full, personal support from our education recruitment consultants, and access to resources and to our extensive free-of-charge training programme, including a UK teaching induction course.

Teachers from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are welcomed and popular within many UK schools. The curriculum in these countries is similar to our National Curriculum, and their teacher training standards are highly regarded. As individuals, they are dynamic, enthusiastic, talented and highly committed to teaching.

Through our International Division, we can recruit overseas teachers on Working Holiday Visas and Work Permits, as well as through other permit arrangements.

Younger teachers (aged 27 and under) are typically here on Working Holiday Visas. These teachers work in a mixture of day-to-day and short term supply and long term supply roles. Their experience varies from newly-qualified teachers to more five to six years' teaching experience (here and their own country).

Supreme Education has recently launched a new initiative, allowing schools to recruit teachers aged 27 and over, who are usually in the UK on a Work Permit. We offer a comprehensive support service to guide and assist schools through the process of completing the Work Permit Application Form, and in dealing with the Work Permits UK organisation.