When a teacher calls in sick at 7am, or a long-term support need appears mid-term, schools need staff they can trust, fast. The agency you choose makes all the difference between a smooth day and a stressful one. But not all supply teaching agencies are the same, and the cheapest or quickest option is not always the safest. Here is what school leaders should look for.
1. Safeguarding and compliance, without exception
This is non-negotiable. Every candidate an agency sends should have been through a rigorous vetting process, including Enhanced DBS verification, reference checks, qualification and right-to-work verification, regulatory body checks where applicable, and ongoing compliance monitoring. Ask any prospective agency to walk you through their process. A strong agency will be proud to, and will align its standards with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and the Department for Education.
2. Genuine matching, not just availability
Filling a gap is easy. Filling it well is not. The best agencies match staff based on experience, temperament and the specific needs of your setting, rather than simply who is free that morning. This matters most with classroom support, where the right Teaching Assistant can transform behaviour and learning continuity, and the wrong fit can set a class back.
3. Specialist strength where it counts
Teaching Assistant recruitment is a specialism in its own right. If a large part of your need is classroom support, 1:1 assistants, ALN support or behaviour support, look for an agency with real depth there, not one that treats TAs as an afterthought to its teacher desk.
4. Responsiveness and a human on the phone
When you need staff, you need answers, not a voicemail. Ask how quickly the agency responds, who your point of contact is, and whether they are reachable during the school day. A team that answers the phone and resolves problems quickly is worth a great deal when you are under pressure.
5. Consistency and continuity
Children benefit from familiar faces. A good agency understands this and works to provide the same trusted staff for ongoing or recurring needs, rather than a different stranger each week. Continuity supports behaviour, relationships and progress.
6. Transparency you can trust
Clear pricing, clear processes and honest communication should run through everything. If an agency cannot help with a particular request, it should tell you promptly so you have time to find alternative cover, rather than leaving you waiting. Integrity is easy to claim and harder to live, so look for an agency whose track record and references back it up.
Questions worth asking
- What does your vetting and compliance process include?
- How do you match staff to our setting and needs?
- Who is our point of contact, and how quickly do you respond?
- Can you provide continuity of staff for ongoing needs?
- Which standards and bodies do you align with?
The bottom line
The right supply teaching agency is a partner, not just a supplier. It protects your safeguarding standards, strengthens your team from day one, and gives you one less thing to worry about. If you would like to see how that feels in practice, the Revised Recruitment team would be glad to talk through your needs.
Ready to take the next step?
