The majority of recruitment firms (98%) typically receive less than two hours’ notice from a school in need of a teacher that same day, according to survey data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

The REC’s survey, which polled 50 education specialist recruitment businesses, found that 77% of agencies say finding teachers quickly is the main reason schools use them to fill temporary placements.

REC director of policy Tom Hadley, commented, “Our members tell us that they are often under immense pressure to find high quality teachers at great speed. That is why schools rely on the vital role of recruitment agencies to bring in fully vetted, qualified teaching staff at short notice.

According to the REC, 66% of the recruitment agencies polled say the priority for schools coming to them for permanent hires is to find quality teachers with specific skills.

Teacher retention statistics from the Department for Education showed that 26% of teachers who started in 2013 were not in post three years later, the lowest figure since records began in 1996.

The REC survey showed that (76%) of agencies have persuaded a candidate to remain in the teaching profession in the last year.

“When a teacher can’t be in the classroom for any reason, pupils can’t just be passed off to existing teachers or teaching assistants in the place of a fully qualified teacher– they need dedicated resource,” Hadley said. “We all understand the cost pressures on schools but these costs must be put in context and weighed against the cost of employing more permanent staff or having in house recruitment banks replicate the work of specialised agencies in sourcing, and placing suitably skilled substitute teachers”. 

The survey also showed that 74% of recruiters can supply a teacher at least 90% of the time, despite the short notice. Meanwhile, in order to meet demand, 92% of recruitment agencies say their consultants first get in the office between 6 am-8 am.