Member Article

Expanding Barnsley schools recruitment agency appeals for more teachers to sign up

A Barnsley-based recruitment agency which places hundreds of supply staff in schools every month has launched an appeal for more teachers to come forward and sign up for work.

The specialist recruitment agency already works with more than 2,200 teachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors, nursery nurses and other non-teaching staff, but needs more on its books to meet the requirements of its growing client list of more than 500 schools.

Provide Education works with schools across South and West Yorkshire and the East Midlands, including more than 80 per cent of Barnsley schools.

Provide Education’s managing director Katie Jones said: “The spring term is traditionally a busy time for schools preparing for SATS and exams, so demand for supply teachers and other support staff is often high.

“This year we are busier than ever as we are actively working with more and more schools and handling a growing number of requests for help to fill vacancies.”

Provide Education aims to expand its bank of teaching and non-teaching support staff by 30% over the next six months.

The company is keen to recruit both experienced teachers, who have perhaps had a break and are now looking for work, and newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who will soon be completing their teaching practice placements at the end of their teaching qualification courses.

Katie said: “We work fast at Provide Education and can get NQTs into paid work within days of finishing their teaching practices if they want. Schools really appreciate newly qualified teachers’ fresh ideas and enthusiasm and supply teaching can provide excellent experience for them.”

Katie says: “We treat everyone as an individual and not a number. Our mission is to provide an effective two-way service helping schools to fill positions quickly and safely and supporting teaching and non-teaching staff to find jobs that suit them perfectly.”

Provide Education was set up seven years ago by Katie, an experienced recruitment consultant, and her co-director and former teacher Barry Simmons.

The duo has built up its client list every year and quadrupled its turnover in the last four years.

They now employ a team of fifteen people working at its Barnsley headquarters in Barugh Green, plus two regional offices - Brighouse which opened in 2011 and Workshop in 2012.

One new recruit joined the company as an additional consultant in Barnsley this month, bringing their Barnsley-based team to eight.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .