The Shift in Education Recruitment: How Schools are Redefining the Role of Recruitment Agencies

In this blog, you will learn:

• Why schools are increasingly turning to recruitment agencies for hiring support. 
• How we provide value to schools.
• Discover more about our education recruitment services. 

Effective recruitment is essential in any sector, but no more so than in education, where the difference between a good or a bad hire can impact the academic success of students.

A great Teacher can completely change the learning outcomes of their class, which is why there is so much pressure on schools to get it right. 

In a Teachers absence, replacing them with an equally brilliant Cover Teacher is essential for reducing disruption to learning. With Educational Psychologists noting an increase in Emotionally Based School Avoidance, it is more important than ever for schools to ensure that students are receiving a high standard of education, each and every day. 

For a long time, many schools have preferred to keep their recruitment in-house, with tight budgets meaning that advertising on their own website and job boards has been prioritised over paying for the services of a recruitment agency. 

However, as the landscape of education has evolved, so too has the approach of schools towards successful hiring. Nowadays, many schools contact a recruitment agency as their first port of call.

In our latest blog, we’re exploring exactly how and why schools are redefining the role of recruitment agencies in the education sector. 

Why is there an increase in schools turning to recruitment agencies?

For years, many schools have treated recruitment agencies as a last resort, often avoiding them because of the cost. However, strategic hiring is essential to the success of a school and there are many benefits to schools who use an agency for daily cover, temp-perm or permanent recruitment.

Schools are starting to realise that a recruitment agency can offer much more than ‘just filling jobs’ and senior leadership teams are starting to weigh up these benefits against the cost. From stringent compliance checks to training days and follow-ups, recruitment agencies provide enhanced support which stretches far beyond a candidate turning up for work. 

Alongside screening applications, arranging interviews, handling compliance and running safeguarding checks, agencies afford senior leaders the time to focus on their actual responsibilities of running the school - and everything which comes with this.

Paid job ads can be costly for schools, with no guarantee the role will be filled. Hiring needs can critically strain budgets - especially when schools can pay up to £500 for a single listing on a premium job board.

However, partnering with a recruitment agency can help schools avoid these costs by giving them access to a pool of pre-vetted, experienced teachers and support staff already on the agency’s books. 

Education recruitment specialist, Jamie Heath, said “Agencies spend years building relationships with candidates. When schools need cover, they are already in contact with many suitable candidates.”

Jamie continues, “As candidates are already registered and pre-vetted, we can deploy them to schools almost immediately which takes the pressure off schools who are trying to find last minute cover first thing in the morning.”

On average, a Teacher takes 8 sick days a year which can cause significant disruption to student learning. An average secondary school employs 60 Teachers; if each Teacher was to take 8 sick days, that is 480 days of cover to find each year. 

That’s where a recruitment agency can step in to take the challenge off the schools hands. At Spencer Clarke Group, our expert consultants can provide immediate support at very short notice. Whether your school needs daily coverage or a long-term teacher, we step in so you’re never scrambling to fill last-minute gaps. Not only does this allow school staff to focus on their primary responsibilities, it minimises disruption to student learning and ensures that all classes are assigned a member of staff. 

The increasing expense of Teacher recruitment

Over recent years, the cost to hire a Teacher has been impacted by a number of factors. In 2024, teacher pension contributions increased from 23.6% to 28.6%, making it more expensive for a school to employ a Teacher permanently. This is because schools, as an employer, must pay a percentage of a Teachers salary into a pension scheme. 

This increase is just one financial implication driving schools towards recruiting through an agency. By using a recruitment agency, an agreed daily rate is paid, rather than a salary. As a result, the school does not pay pension contributions directly. 

Because agency Teachers are often employed on short-term contracts, this means they may not be enrolled in the Teachers Pension Scheme and therefore the 28.6% rate does not apply for schools. 

In 2025, National Insurance contributions also increased from 13.8% to 15%. Along with increases to pension contributions, this has also made it more expensive for a school to employ a Teacher permanently, because this tax must be paid by the school to the UK government. Again, using a recruitment agency means that the school does not need to pay this contribution.

These increases have significantly boosted the expense of hiring a Teacher directly, hence the appeal of recruiting via a recruitment agency. 

How do Spencer Clarke Group add value to school recruitment?

At Spencer Clarke Group, we’re proud to add value to school recruitment through:

• Carrying out stringent compliance checks.
• Saving time
• Matching schools with the right cover staff.
• Conducting detailed follow-ups.
• We only charge a fee if a candidate is successfully placed.

Carrying out stringent compliance checks

Protecting students in every school is critical, which is why our dedicated compliance team follows strict compliance procedures to screen all candidates before they are placed into work. 

We are APSCo Compliance+ accredited which means we go above and beyond statutory safeguarding checks to ensure the highest standards of compliance, risk management, and candidate protection. This provides schools with complete confidence that every placement is thoroughly vetted and fully aligned with industry best practice before they enter the classroom. 

Saving time

One of the biggest advantages of using a recruitment agency is the time it saves. If a school is recruiting permanently, it is a lengthy process which involves writing job descriptions, advertising the role, reviewing applications, screening candidates, and conducting initial interviews. 

Recruitment agencies will manage most of this process on behalf of the school. They will source candidates, screen CVs, conduct preliminary interviews, and often perform reference checks before presenting candidates. 

For daily cover roles, a great recruitment agency will already have a database of staff who are ready to work. Cover staff also have the option to go from temp to perm, meaning that schools can essentially try before they buy!

Matching schools with the right cover staff

Our strong, proven relationships with both schools and cover staff enable us to make thoughtful, well-informed matches—creating a seamless recruitment process and successful outcomes for everyone involved.

Whether it’s an educator finding a school where they truly thrive, or a school welcoming cover staff who make a meaningful impact on learning outcomes, we believe the right match is one where everyone feels confident, supported, and set up for success.  

By taking the time to understand each school’s culture, expectations, and long-term goals - alongside every educator’s strengths, preferences, and career ambitions - we ensure our placements are more than just a short-term solution. 

Conducting detailed follow-ups

We understand that schools are dynamic environments where the absence of just one Teacher can make a big difference. That’s why we conduct detailed follow ups to ensure the cover staff we supply are living up to expectations. On the rare occasion they are not, we’ll listen to feedback and use this to find someone else as quickly as possible. 

We only charge a fee if a candidate is successfully placed

One of the major benefits of using a recruitment agency is that we only charge a fee once a candidate has been successfully placed into a vacancy. If for any reason a candidate doesn’t work out, a good recruitment agency will have plenty of other great candidates who are readily available for work the next day. 

SCG School Insights Report 2025

As specialists in education and SEND recruitment, we work closely with primary, secondary, and SEND schools throughout the UK and are mindful of the challenges that schools and teaching staff are currently facing. 

In the School Insights Report 2025, we explore pupil experience and outcomes, key developments impacting the education sector, staffing and workforce trends, and the state of funding and resources in education. Read the SCG School Insights Report 2025 here.

Recruit teaching, support and facilities staff

As a specialist education recruitment agency, we support mainstream and SEND schools with their recruitment needs. 

Whether you’re searching for teaching, support, or facilities staff, we have exclusive access to some of the best educators in the North West.

If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?

• Primary schools - Jimmy Callagher 
• Secondary schools - Liam Jones
• SEND schools - Jamie Heath 

Teaching, school support staff and school facilities jobs

If you’re searching for a new career opportunity, why not take a look at the latest education jobs, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant job opening becomes available. 

Meet Jamie Heath

Who is Spencer Clarke Group?

Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations. 

In 2025, Spencer Clarke Group was awarded Best Public/Third Sector Recruitment Agency and Best Temporary Recruitment Agency at the Recruiter Awards. In 2024, Spencer Clarke Group was also named Recruitment Agency of the Year.