As schools work towards filling their staffing plans for the next academic year, it’s a great time to consider how supply teachers can help bridge any gaps - - particularly given the current situation with COVID-19.

Over the year’s schools have relied on education recruitment agencies, like TLTP Education for their staffing needs and have become an integral part of most UK school recruitment strategies. We are proud to be on the Supply Teachers and Temporary Staff framework which is supported by DfE and recommended in current DfE guidance. It can help schools efficiently get best value when recruiting supply teachers, classroom assistants, tutors and other temporary staff.

Usually at the start of every academic year comes the inevitable press coverage about schools using education recruitment agencies; usually focused on the ‘cost’ to schools, these articles rarely highlight the benefits for a school of outsourcing its recruitment.

It is important to point out that, whilst agencies are typically described as ‘supply agencies’, many of these, including us, provide staff for a range of contract types. These include day-to-day and short-term supply to cover unplanned teacher absences, and also to fill longer term vacancies such as maternity cover, long-term illness, and permanent positions.
Just as there are a host of different reasons why organisations from most other industries use recruitment agencies as part of their overall hiring strategies, so too with schools.

How schools benefit from using recruitment agencies

Save time and resources
Schools often lack the time and/or experience to effectively screen candidates – failing to separate the top candidates from the wealth of applicants.
Some job applicants oversell their abilities, enthusiasm and dedication in their CVs, whilst other, very talented, teachers may submit weak applications, being inexperienced in writing a professional CV. Experienced recruiter are equipped to identify the worthwhile recruits – saving schools valuable time and resources. This also minimises a school’s risk of making a poor recruitment decision.Good agencies, therefore, help to improve education standards by ensuring the best possible candidates are placed in schools that best match them.

Compliance
Quality agencies – accredited by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Audited in Education – have stringent registration and vetting procedures in place to ensure that all legal and contractual requirements are met before a candidate starts work. They should also ensure candidate compliance criteria are up-to-date, including the monitoring of key expiry dates such as Disclosure and Barring Service certificates and visas. This relieves schools of a huge administrative burden, thereby enabling them to focus on their core business of educating children. TLTP Education are proud to have continually retained the the REC Audited Award – the gold standard in safeguarding.

Flexibility and experience
Schools require staff to cover an absence under a variety of planned and unplanned circumstances including sickness, training days, maternity leave, and unfilled teaching posts. As such, supply contracts are flexible and can range from just a few hours to days and long-term placements. 

The diverse nature of supply teachers they have a large amount of experience working in a variety of schools in a short amount of time. This enables teachers to offer more skills and knowledge and have the ability to deliver across a range of age groups and subjects. 

Quality teachers often prefer to be recruited via agencies
A growing number of educators only seek work through recruitment agencies, rather than applying directly to a school. Job-seekers use agencies as it’s generally a far quicker way to find a position, and larger agencies typically have a wide variety of jobs to choose from. Professional education recruiters typically, such as TLTP Education, have extensive knowledge of schools in their area. The best agencies will consult meaningfully with job-seekers to ensure the best possible fit between school and jobseeker. Again, this reduces the risk of a bad recruitment decision, and helps ensure a better standard of education for students.

Temp-to-Perm Options
Many schools and jobseekers like to work on a temp-to-perm basis. In this situation a teacher is appointed on a temporary contract with a view to becoming a permanent member of staff. This reduces the risk, both for schools and teachers, of making the wrong recruitment choice. It enables both parties to trial working together before making a more permanent commitment.

Difficulties due to teacher shortages
The UK teacher shortage is well-known, as are the regional imbalances and deficits in specific subject areas. With soaring numbers of pupils entering the education system, particularly in secondary schools, and large numbers of teachers leaving the profession, the teacher shortage is projected to increase to over 13,000 by 2021. Fewer people are entering teacher training courses due to the wider career options available, compounding the shortage because there are insufficient graduates to replace retiring teachers.
How does this influence a school’s use of supply agencies? Schools that do their own recruiting say it is increasingly difficult to find suitable candidates – even after spending large amounts of money on job advertisements. It’s more efficient for schools to get an agency – which has a large, pre-vetted pool of agency candidates from which to choose – to do the recruiting for them, with no risk of it leaving them out of pocket.

Talk to one of our recruitment experts
If you are school interested in finding out more about how supply staff can help you with your recruitment needs, have a conversation with one of our recruitment experts to find out how we can help you ensure you are fully staffed and ready to return to school in September. Simply fill in a few details by following this link www.tltp.co.uk/fill-a-position and we will be in touch.

Latest Temporary Vacancies
If you are a teacher of support staff looking for supply work, have a look at the latest temorary vacancies and apply today.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, don’t worry. We receive new vacancies daily and as a result not all are advertised as they are filled straightaway. To ensure you don’t miss out please register your details by following this link and a recruitment consultant will be in touch to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, please give us a call on 020 8709 6540.

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TLTP Education is always on the lookout for new and innovative methods to attract talented teachers, support staff and leaders to support them with their career ambitions. 

So, when we came across Jooble; a new and popular jobs site with a difference we decided to give it a try, and we glad we did!

Jooble is a search engine, just like Google and Yahoo, the difference with Jooble’s search engine is it's designed to search only jobs. Their search engine enables you to look for jobs on the major job boards and career sites across the United Kingdom all in one place.

Jooble automatically filters out duplicated jobs, so similar jobs, posted on several career sites, are shown as a single one.

Since we began to feature our vacancies on Jooble we have attracted a high calibre of Education professionals whom we have supported in finding them find their dream job and helping them flourish in their career.
Jooble is constantly updating their features to make it easy for employers to attract potential candidates to their jobs and vice versa. Their overall aim is to help candidates finds relevant jobs in a few seconds and save time.

Video interviews through applications such as Skype, Zoom, Facetime and many others are hugely popular at the moment. The majority of schools still require vacancies to be filled when schools do finally reopen and not forgetting those recently graduated students looking to complete their NQT year from September. Whilst current social distancing restrictions are in place, telephone and interviews will remain in place. Because of this, it's now more important than ever to make sure that your telephone and video interview skills are up to scratch.

The thought of being invited to a video interview will either fill you with fear of the unknown, relief that you won’t have to leave the comfort of your house, or maybe even a bit of both. A video interview will have a large amount of similarities to a regular face-to-face interview, but here are some specific video interview tips to help you get through it.

1. Research the format
It is very important to know what format the video interview will take, as the two main types create a very different experiences.

Live - this is similar to a regular face-to-face interview. You'll speak to the interviewer (or panel of interviewers) in real-time over a video connection using a service such as Zoom, Skype or Google Hangouts. Live videos enable employers to recreate the traditional interview format without requiring the candidate to travel to their office, meaning they can recruit from anywhere in world. Try to treat the conversation as you would an interview at the school's offices and build a rapport with the interviewer.

Pre-recorded - this is a much less personal experience as you won't be speaking to a real person. You'll be presented with pre-recorded or even written questions on screen, and then you'll have to record your answer on video, often to a time limit. This helps employers who have lots of candidates, as they can simply watch your answers later at a time that suits them - but it can be awkward if you aren't used to recording yourself. The pre-recorded format can feel unnatural to some people, this makes practice even more important. On the plus side, you will be able to do the interview at a time of your choosing up to a set deadline.

2. Dress appropriately
For your video interview, you should dress professionally—the same way you would for an in-person interview. It is still a job interview and this is your opportunity to give a professional first impression - this means dressing appropriately. You should wear the same outfit you would have chosen for a face-to-face meeting with the employer. Think about how your clothes will look on screen and avoid bright colours, busy patterns and stripes and opt for softer colors instead. If you are wearing a tie, wear a solid color rather than a patterned one. If you wear glasses, adjust the lighting in the room to reduce glare from the lenses.

Position the camera so that you are looking up slightly and centered on the screen. While it’s likely that the interviewer will only see your upper half, it’s still a good idea to wear smart trousers or a skirt in case you need to stand up for any reason.

3. Choose your location
Plan well in advance where you're going to do the video interview. Use a quiet location, where you won't be disturbed by noises and people. Make sure the room you choose is tidy and use a clean and simple background so that the recruiter focuses on you. You need to think about the lighting as it won't be a great interview if you can't be properly seen. To ensure you don't get a shadow either use natural light from a window or put a lamp in front of the camera and adjust the distance to get the best result. Close any software on your computer that might play notification sounds, and switch your phone to silent to guarantee you won't be distracted. Also, let everyone in the house know you're about to start the interview so they don't interrupt.

4. Positive body language 
Eye contact is very important during an in-person interview, and you want to convey that same level of connection during a video interview. Employers will be looking for you to make good eye contact, smile, listen and take an interest in what they're saying. To help you do this your camera should be at eye level and you should look into it rather than at the screen. When you’re listening, you can look back at the screen. Avoid slouching, moving too much or touching your face.

Throughout the interview, keep your mood upbeat and convey optimism with your body language. One way to achieve this is to have good posture. Sit in your chair with your back straight and your shoulders open. Feet can be planted on the floor and arms can rest in your lap or on the desk.

When you’re listening, nod and smile when appropriate to communicate that you’re giving them your full attention. Use hand gestures when it feels appropriate and keep your movements close to your body. Avoid fidgeting or letting your gaze drift away from the device.

For pre-recorded interviews, try to imagine you're speaking to a real person, maintaining your enthusiasm and positive body language. This can be harder to do when you're simply recording your answers.

If you're nervous it can be easy to rush what you're saying but remember that the employer wants to hear your answers. Speak clearly, and be careful not to interrupt as this is more easily done with the slight delay over the internet than during a face-to-face meeting.

5. Practice and tech set up
To get used to the technology and the body language of a video interview, it’s useful to do some practice video calls with friends or family members. Ask them to give you candid feedback about your appearance and eye contact. Run through it a few times until things start to feel natural. This practice can make all the difference in your interviews. Set aside time in your schedule in the weeks and days leading up to your interview—you’ll find your confidence growing as you become more comfortable in front of the camera.

On the day of your interview, review this checklist as you’re setting up:

• Ensure that you won’t be interrupted, either by locking the door or by alerting others that you can’t be disturbed (a note on the door of the room as well as the door to the outside may be helpful).
• Clear the desk space, except for a notepad and pen/pencil for you to take notes.
• Have a copy of your CV, the job description/advert and any other notes ready for you to reference.
• Set out a glass or bottle of water for yourself.
• Check that your webcam is working.
• Check that your audio is working.
• Close any windows, tabs or applications on your computer that you’re not using.
• Check your internet connection and make sure you’re not downloading anything in the background.
• Set your phone to silent.
• Check that the background behind you is neutral and free from clutter.
• Adjust the lights in the room. If things appear dark or dim, you may want to bring in an extra desk lamp to brighten the space.

If things go wrong
With technology, there’s always a chance things could go wrong. Here are some backup plans to have ready just in case.

If your video or audio stops working
Before the interview, ask the interviewer for a phone number where you can reach them if you experience technical difficulties. If the video cuts out, call them at that number. Ask if you can continue the interview by phone or if you can reschedule.
If noise interrupts the conversation
If noises (sirens, construction, etc.) interrupt your video interview, apologize for the interruption and ask for a few moments until the noise has subsided. You may want to mute the microphone if the noise is severe.
If someone enters the room unexpectedly
If family members, housemates or pets enter the room while you’re interviewing, apologize to the interviewer, ask for a few moments, mute your microphone and turn off your camera, and then step away to deal with the interruption. Make sure that the room is secure before beginning the interview again.

Follow up
As with any job interview, you should conclude by thanking the interviewer for their time. Send a follow-up thank you email later that day (or the next day if your interview was in the evening). This message may help build a stronger connection with your potential employer and help you progress to the next step.

Find out more...

Interview advice

CV guide

Applying for a job let alone being offered a job that you were not qualified in would have been unheard of a few years ago. However, this the stark reality facing many schools in England today; teachers teaching subjects they do not have a relevant degree in. Nearly 37.5 per cent of Physics teachers do not have any post-A Level qualification despite the fact thousands of children rely upon them to help them pass exams. This figure has risen by 4 percentage points in just 2 years and there are no signs of it stopping.

The recruitment crisis in Education has seen its biggest teacher shortages. 27.1 per cent of chemistry teachers and 26.3 per cent of maths teachers do not have a degree in the subject, both rising 3.2 and 3.9 percentage points respectively in two years.    

Computer Science/ICT, English, History, Geography, French and other languages are also the top subjects facing shortages. More than half of Spanish teachers did not study the language yet were teaching a class full of optimistic pupils. On a positive note subjects such as Drama, Media Studies and Citizenship have seen a rise in the number of teachers qualifying. John Pugh said: “The Government need to get a grip on this crisis. We need to stop allowing schools to be able to grab virtually anyone off the street and allow them to teach anything from physics to advanced maths.” “We need to support teachers rather than what the Government currently do – finding every opportunity to do the profession down.”

According to a survey by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) 68 per cent of staff said in the past year the number of professionals teaching subjects they were not qualified in had increased. The reason for this is down to a combination of the school funding crisis, lack of support and training particularly for Newly Qualified Teachers, shortage of teachers and growing class sizes. Schools are desperate and going to any lengths just to keep a float. As a result, the quality of teaching drops and the pupils learning begins to suffer. Members of the NUT have threatened to hold a national strike next term over budget cuts, job losses and pay caps.  

Being accepted for a teaching job in London and the south east is a dream both recent graduates and teachers looking to return to the profession after a spell pursuing other interests share.

No matter what stage of your career you are at, in order to get your next job you are going to need to perform well in your interview.  

Here is some interview advice you can be thinking about while you apply for teaching vacancies.

Have a positive mindset

Most people find the interview process to be a bit daunting. It helps if you can relax and focus on what it is designed to achieve as part of the school's recruitment process. Interviewers are not trying to trip you up and look for a reason not to employee you, just the opposite in fact. The interview is there to give you the best possible opportunity to go into more detail about the skills and experience you listed on your application. After all, if the school was not impressed by you, they would never have asked you to come to the next stage. Use the time to demonstrate all of your strengths and achievements, while mentioning other positive aspects such as ambitions.

The interview is also there for you as a candidate. Often it is the first chance you will get to see how you will fit in with heads and other teachers and see how this individual school will help you progress as a teacher.

Be prepared

Plan this interview like a lesson. Be totally familiar with the job description and know how your own experiences in teaching correlate with what the school is looking for. This is the minimum requirement, but to impress you need to research the school. Looking at the Ofsted site to see its latest reports and find out the school's CVA score is a good place to start, but also be aware of less quantifiable information such as the school's ethos or aims. Take time checking their website and get hold of a prospectus. 

If part of the interview process involves you being given an invitation to visit the school, you must take it and make the most of the opportunity by talking to teachers and staff. This will not only help you get an idea of what the school is like, but will also inform your ideas about what sort of candidate the school is looking for.

A final matter you can keep abreast of before your interview is wider teaching issues, such as curriculum and policy changes. These could form the basis of some of the interviewers' questions.

Perfect your interview technique

If you are still on a teaching course, your tutor or mentor will be able to do mock interviews with you, but if you are looking to return to the teaching industry, you will not have this luxury.

There are plenty of ways you can improve on your own, however. List in easy-to-remember bullet points your strengths and how they relate to the role. Practice answers with these strengths in and focus on your delivery and body language. Remember, questions are likely to be open such as: What qualities do you a good teacher needs? What are your major strengths and weaknesses as a teacher? What are your career targets? You can ensure you are not stuck for words by knowing what you want to say beforehand.

Re-read your application form and see if there is anything you would like to clarify or elaborate on during the interview.

First impressions count

No matter how good your application is, you can spoil it in the first two minutes of an interview. Dress as smart as you can, get a good night's sleep and don't be late.

After years of learning the craft, applying for your first teaching job feels like the realisation of a life-long ambition for some people.

The application process itself is the final step and one that you will not want to stumble on after the journey you have already taken.  
 
Know your audience

At this point you are no longer writing to impress university tutors, pupils or even yourself. You are writing to the headteacher of the recruiting school and you will want to tailor your qualities accordingly.

Most headteachers would be far more willing to consider applications who had displayed some level of interest in the school itself, rather than just the specific teaching job on offer. If you have drafted a perfect cover letter that highlights all your achievements, carefully listing the recommendations you have amassed during your training, but then used a near identical copy for every application, you are not giving your employment prospects a fair chance.

Be particularly careful about using templates you find online. They will end up being counterproductive, with many heads admitting if they receive two applications with similar structures and an identical sentence or two, they dismiss both.

Know your objectives

The ultimate aim of your application is to get you a teaching job. However, if you break this down, you'll be able to construct a more tangible checklist of sub aims that you can build your application around.

First, you need to create enough of a good impression to get you to the interview stage. This is basically a process of checking that you include nothing that could discount you - including typos or flaws in your knowledge. 

Next, you'll want to ensure the piece of paper the head and governors are reading is capable of influencing them to visualise you in the role they are advertising. To do this, closely match your experience to their specific details in the job description.

Finally, the application needs to not get you sacked after you get the job, so it must be honest. Sell yourself, don't lie about yourself. 

Know the form

Government advises schools not to ask for CVs - although some may still do. Instead, your initial vacancy search is likely to be meet by an application form. Practice filling it out if this needs to be done by hand and get to know all sections of the form before you start writing anything at all.

Always list any achievements or experience in order of relevancy. This will ensure that your application is not bypassed even though you have the requisite skills.

Most forms are concluded by a statement (and if not you should include the following information in your covering letter).

Pay attention to the guidelines. If the school asks for two pages, it means somewhere between 1.5 and two pages, not a paragraph and type it unless it is specifically stated it should be handwritten. Build your response around the pointers given by the school, but use this as a final chance to emphasise your skills or address any qualities that you may have that you have been unable to document so far.

Be keen to get across why they need you, rather than vice-versa, although you will want to include your positive research about the school at this point.

End on a bright, but formal note and keep a copy of the form for yourself because hopefully, you'll be asked questions about it fairly soon.

There is a lot of debate in the teaching profession at all stages of education about the advantages and disadvantages of using film in class. However, on the whole, most professionals would agree that when used right, it can be an effective tool.

At the heart of using film – which here encompasses movies, documentaries, moving images and, well, anything posted on channels like YouTube and Vimeo – successfully is creativity.

There are certainly times where pressing play and letting students watch a film for an hour or so is the most effective approach, one that fulfils objectives and engages students, but that is just the start. Endless possibilities are achievable – you just have to be open to it.

This guide outlines how to be more inventive in the classroom when it comes to film. When properly utilised, anything can be possible. Film has, after all, the ability to provoke, inspire, confound and intrigue swiftly.

Create the right environment

A lot of teachers lose time and interest by struggling to connect various devices to the right wires and even when everything is hooked up, chances are something will go wrong. There will be no sound or the clip will have been lost and, what do you know, the DVD has been left home.

So, plan ahead and ensure that when it comes to pressing play, everything is in place. Invest in surround sound, consider a projector to ramp up the visuals and dim the lights. The right environment can transform the viewing experience significantly, and, it is worth noting, the "the wrong environment" can make it just as unpleasant.

Stop and start

This is applicable to videos that are long but warrant being watched in full. Find ideal "pause moments" to break up the activity. While the piece may be interesting, holding the attention span of your students is always a challenge. As such, stop and start, with each break being filled by a Q&A session or activity related to the film.

Get interactive

The sophistication and accessibility of video-making software - a lot of it free - is providing more people than ever before, young and old, with a richer vocabulary and expertise of how to shoot films.

Use this to your advantage. Take a poll to find out what apps/programmes your pupils use and then figure out a way of making the most out of it. For example, Vine is hugely popular, free and easily shareable. Make sure any films shot are in compliance with your safeguarding policies.

Set up a film club

While video is ubiquitous and one of the dominant forms of communication and culture in the 21st century, cultivating a real interest in the medium adds the kind of depth that is otherwise impossible unless your students are already aficionados.

Depending on what it is you're doing or what subject you're teaching, you ideally want all your students to benefit from extra-curricular activities of this ilk, otherwise you may create certain imbalances.

Think outside the box

You don't have to experience film within the confines of a classroom – take it further and explore other venues and spaces in which videos can be shown or broadcast. It's about thinking beyond the box.

For example, consider hiring out a local cinema or showing films outside. Utilise portable technology and create an experience that is fluid across multiple devices. You want students to feel inspired by film, not distracted by it.

Education recruitment specialist TLTP Education (The London Teaching Pool) has been awarded Gold Audited status by industry body The Recruitment & Employers Confederation (REC), making it among less than ten per cent of educational recruiters in the UK to be awarded the status.

REC Audited status ensures that agencies are undertaking all relevant checks when recruiting teachers. It enables schools and education providers to be confident that they are using an accredited supplier, which puts standards at the centre of their business. But it goes beyond simple compliance, requiring agencies to demonstrate that they operate best practice in areas such as customer service, staff development, diversity and client management. 

“We are delighted to have been recognised with REC audited status,” says Darryl Mydat, Managing Director, TLTP Education. “It provides independent assurance and verification that we operate to the highest industry standards and put the needs of both our clients and candidates front and centre in our business. Not many education recruitment agencies can say that.”

This scheme run by the REC, the professional body for the UK’s £25 billion private recruitment industry, is the most comprehensive audit of its kind. It provides successful recruiters with an accreditation that is recognised by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), confirming that TLTP is conducting its business both ethically and in accordance with industry standards.   

REC Chief Executive, Kevin Green congratulated TLTP Education on its recognition:

“TLTP Education has joined an elite group of recruitment agencies across the UK that has achieved this high standard. This accreditation recognises that we have rigorously audited the company and found that it is performing to the highest professional standards and represents best practice in our sector.”

Trainee teachers are candid in how difficult their experience of a PGCE is, a fact that is drilled home before they’ve even sat their first class. When being interviewed, one of the key points that is put across to prospective candidates is that it is no small undertaking: it will be hard going, both physically and mentally.

Everyone hits a hurdle, but, with the right kind of support and attitude – a high level of motivation is required – everything starts to fall into place. That’s not to say it gets any easier, but certainly, the more accustomed to a learning environment you become, the more self-assured you are in your own skills and knowledge.

Which is good news in terms of timing, because, about now, there is a slight shift in your focus. While you are still in the throes of your training, you’re now advised to start looking ahead, to finding your first job. This is why you are here after all, and although it can feel like a daunting time, with some thorough research and planning, you can feel confident that you can secure a post in a school that is beneficial to all stakeholders.

Search effectively

The likelihood is that you are not going to find the perfect job straight away – it’s just wishful thinking. Now, that said, you shouldn’t be any less ambitious. You need to secure a position that makes the most sense to you at you start your career.

Key things to consider when looking for a job include finding the best recruiters around (online and in person), scrutinising job adverts effectively and gauging whether prospective schools and yourself are compatible.

Know what you want and are most suitable for. This means tailoring your searches to meet your demands, your experience and your particular skill-set. After all, the last thing you want to do is waste time browsing through loads of jobs that are irrelevant. This can be time-consuming, and as all PGCE students know, time is a luxury.

Applications are about what you can offer

When it comes to penning an application letter, you have to sell yourself, convey in easy to understand and persuasive language everything about you that says, “I have potential”.

What is it, for example, that makes you not only a great investment, but distinct from all your competitors? You application is about “showing off”, although in a more tactful way of course. You want your potential employers to not only be intrigued enough to give you an interview, but be keen on securing you as a teacher.

As general rules go, when it comes to your personal statement, demonstrate how you meet the criteria outlined and, moreover, back up each point with solid examples. Everyone can say that they hit the specifications, but without evidence, it carries no weight and no authority. It has no substance.

Demonstrate flair at the interview process

All the usual rules of interviewing apply – look presentable, be polite and come across confident – but one of the key distinctions with teaching interviews is that you will very likely have to carry out a mock (interview) lesson.

Now, this can be extremely intimidating. Sure you love to teach, but being observed by strangers and within the context of an interview, well, it changes the nature of things drastically. Still, with the right kind of prep, this needn’t be a frightful experience.

Analyse the brief to establish what the objectives are and what is expected of you. Adapt your learning to meet these requirements. You may not carry out the lesson you want to – in-tune with your own educational philosophies – but, for now, it’s a small compromise. Creative freedom can emerge when you’re teaching properly.