How schools are using temporary staff

Date: 05.06.2025

How schools are using temporary staff – and how spending is expected to shift

Are you worried that your school spends too much on supply staff, compared to other schools?

In a recent survey of 500 UK school leaders, Schoolzone examined the ways in which schools use temporary staff and how this is likely to change in the next few years. We also asked how schools are mitigating the increasing cost of supply staff.

How schools use temporary staff

Regular demand: Around 60% of schools make agency placements at least once a month, and 1 in 5 do so more than once a week. The most common triggers are short-notice absences and long-term sick leave, both of which have increased since last year.
Balance of spending: About three quarters of schools’ spending in this area in on qualified teachers and a quarter on support staff.
Ease of recruitment: Almost half of schools say it’s difficult or extremely difficult to recruit for permanent roles.
Agency selection priorities: Typically, schools use between 2 and four agencies at any one time, selecting them mainly (without any formal tender process) on the basis of:

Quality of candidates
Safeguarding checks
Speed of placement

How spending is likely to change

Price awareness is low: Most staff involved in recruitment are unfamiliar with standard day rates, especially for teaching assistants and longer-term assignments.
Costs expected to rise: Schools expect day rates to increase over the next two years – up to 10%+ annually.
Strategic responses to cost pressure: Schools are building internal supply pools, selecting cheaper agencies and using highly qualified TAs more often.
Digital platforms are predicted to see the sharpest growth, with 40% expecting to spend more via this route, while local authority and MAT supply pools are less favoured, with many schools reporting reduced use.

Impact of wider financial pressures

Schools are adapting to national insurance increases and rising wages by:

Reducing permanent hiring
Increasing temporary or contract roles
Relying more on internal cover and senior leaders
Delaying or avoiding cover where possible

Many respondents noted increased class sizes, fewer specialist staff, reduced enrichment activities, and growing reliance on teaching assistants to fill teaching roles.

Takeaway

Temporary staffing remains essential to school operations, but rising costs and funding pressures are forcing schools to rethink their strategies. Greater reliance on internal cover, use of digital platforms, and strategic agency selection will be key trends moving forward. Leaders may need to improve visibility of costs and plan ahead to balance quality, flexibility, and budget.

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