Blog

In the world of education recruitment, especially within supply teaching, compliance checks are more than just a box-ticking exercise—they’re essential.
With supply teachers stepping into classrooms on short notice and often in unfamiliar environments, ensuring that the right checks are in place isn’t just about safeguarding students, “It’s about maintaining the integrity and professionalism of the entire education sector. Something that is incredibly important to us here at Zest Education.” says Beth Mercer, Head of Operations at Zest, and the agency’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.

As the 2023/24 academic year draws to a close, it has been clear for us, as a leading education recruitment agency, to see that the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still affecting the UK education system, with one of the most significant impacts being persistent school absenteeism.

According to the latest Government data, the persistent absence rate this academic year was 20% – nearly double the rate from 2019, before the pandemic.

The landscape of education is continually evolving, with teacher salaries and staffing challenges at the forefront of discussions among educators and policymakers – especially in the run up to next week’s General Election.

Recruitment agencies, like us here at Zest Education, have become pivotal in bridging the gap between schools’ staffing needs and the availability of qualified teachers to fill the 20% (c.2,800 roles)** of teacher vacancies currently advertised, as well as the day-to-day absences that have increased by around 12% since COVID-19.