Drop in full-time teaching applicants following training slump of 2011 leads to rise in supply teacher use

41,000 supply teachers worked each week during spring term 2013 – 10% higher than 2012

So far in 2013, the average number of supply teachers working each week is higher than any point in the last five years

Schools are relying on supply teachers to fill the skills gaps left by the slump in PGCE applicants of 2011 and the subsequent fall in availability of teachers, according to Randstad Education.

In the latest Supply Teacher Tracker released by the specialist recruiter, the average number of supply teachers working in British schools during the spring term of 2013 has risen 10% compared to the spring term last year. On average, 41,000 supply teachers were working each week over the spring term compared to 37,200 in the spring term 2012.

In 2011, the number of graduates applying for teacher training courses fell 9.3% with some subjects suffering falls of up to 40% in the number of applicants. At the time this was attributed to anxiety over public sector cuts, uncertainty over the future of teacher training courses and a lack of advertising after the Government attempted to save money and banned its teacher training quango from running a recruitment campaign. It was predicted that the fall would begin to affect schools in 2013 and 2014[i]. 

So far in 2013, the average number of supply teachers working each week is higher than at any point in last five years.

Jenny Rollinson, managing director of Randstad Education, said: “The spring term is traditionally the busiest period of the year in the supply teacher market. As well as the usual cover for absence and sickness, schools often draft in support to assist with the busy build-up to the summer exam period. The demand for supply teachers this spring term has been far higher because of the effect of the drop in the number of graduates training to be teachers in 2011."

“Schools are suffering from a lack of full-time teaching applicants and, as a result, are turning to supply teachers to plug this gap and avoid children missing out on vital elements of the curriculum and preparation for exams.”

Supply staff by teaching area

The number of secondary supply teachers working each week over the spring term has risen 17% year-on-year. The number of primary teachers working each week has grown 12% over the same period.

However, the biggest increase in supply staff in the spring term has been within Secondary Support where the average number of staff working each week has risen 55% compared to the same period in 2012 (2,900 compared to 1,900). Funding restrictions have left many schools unable to hire more costly newly-qualified or qualified teachers and have had to bolster classrooms and ease the pressure on existing staff by drafting in more non-qualified teaching assistants.

There have been falls among the use of some supply staff types with the biggest drop among special educational needs (SEN) teachers. The number of supply staff working each week during the spring term in this area has fallen 28% year-on-year, however, this fall may be due to more SEN teachers working within inclusive classrooms and being classified as such.

Table 1. Average weekly supply teacher numbers by teaching area

Jenny Rollinson, said: “Schools are under increasing pressure to provide quality education for a rising number of pupils. Unfortunately, they need to do this against a background of funding restrictions. As a result, schools are choosing to ease the pressure on existing staff by bringing in higher numbers of less costly support staff and teaching assistants. This helps schools balance budgets while supporting their existing teachers and provide pupils with quality staff to maintain educational standards. Qualified supply teachers are still in demand and will continue to be so while there is a shortage of applicants for full-time teaching positions, but quality support staff are able to provide a cost-effective option when funding is tight.”

Regional Picture

The biggest year-on-year increase in the average number of supply teachers working each week during the spring term has been in London. Over the course of the spring term 2013, schools in the capital have increased the use of supply teachers by 41% compared to the same period last year. On average, 3,950 supply teachers were working each week across London’s schools over the course of the spring term.

Schools in the North West have also increased the use of supply teachers over the spring term. The number of supply staff working each week since Christmas has risen to 14,600, 21% higher than the same period in 2012. The growth in the North West has been driven by schools in and around Preston, Manchester and Liverpool where average weekly supply teacher numbers are up 46%, 25% and 20% respectively this spring term.

Yorkshire and the Humber has also seen healthy growth in the number of supply staff working each week over the spring term with an average of 4,960. This is 11% higher than the same period last year and has been driven largely by a 35% rise in supply staff use in Leeds which has offset a fall on 31% in Hull.

Table 2. Average weekly supply teacher numbers by region

Jenny Rollinson, said: “The rising cost of living in London is enough to put off most graduates from moving to the capital for work. However, it appears this problem is even more acute for teachers. Fortunately, schools are adapting to the situation by hiring talented supply teachers to ensure pupils don’t suffer from the availability of permanent staff. With the fall in the number of graduates applying for PGCEs starting to filter into the market it’s unlikely this trend will subside in the next two years. However, with more and more skilled teachers choosing to work in a supply capacity, schools should continue to have a pool of talented staff to help plug the gaps in many teaching areas.”

[i] Applicant statistics and forecast from Education Data Surveys, 2011 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8288127/Fears-over-t…