At First for Education, everything we do is designed to help the schools we work with remain focussed on ensuring that every child receives the quality and continuity of education they deserve.
Working alongside school managers, to improve standards
- It is our aim to build effective local 'pools' of supply teachers that are strictly controlled for quality and constantly replenished to ensure that schools can choose the temporary (or permanent) staff that best meet their needs.
- By recognising our educational responsibilities as a recruitment agency, First for Education places the emphasis on working alongside school managers, governors and LEAs in the ongoing drive to improve standards.
- The recruitment and retention of quality teachers and support staff is the cornerstone of our service.
- We always aim to put the same high quality teachers in the same schools, time and time again.
- We are able to provide cover for both long-term and day-to-day bookings, as well as respond to your needs for permanent staff.
Teacher recruitment
- First for Education is fully compliant with the Criminal Record Bureau as well as the requirements of the DfES Circular 7/96 (Guidance on the Use of Supply Teachers), and continually reviews all of its processes for the recruitment, provision and management of supply teachers.
- First for Education undertakes CRB checks on all its supply teachers and cover supervisors, and rechecks anybody that falls within the guidelines as outlined by the DfES and the CRB.
- First for Education undertakes List 99 checks on all staff in addition to any CRB checks.
- First for Education Invests heavily in recruiting the best teachers, cover supervisors and support staff. Advertising, initial training/CPD and promotional activity is a cornerstone to how we operate and is planned to ensure that our coverage throughout the school year is comprehensive.
- To attract the best applicants, we emphasise the support we provide to our staff, the quality of the relationships we have with schools and the genuine opportunity we present for teachers to make an impact in every school where they are placed.
- We operate rigorous quality control in all aspects of teacher recruitment (recruitment policy), ensuring that only suitably qualified and experienced teachers are made available to work in schools.
Teacher retention
Once a teacher has joined First for Education, we provide the highest levels of support and development in order that they remain with us, even going to the expense of having our own dedicated in-house training manager to conduct our training and CPD functions.
Registration
All candidates attend a face-to-face interview with one of our fully trained recruitment consultants. This interview enables First for Education to make a full and comprehensive assessment of the candidates suitability for supply work and provides an opportunity to give them a realistic picture of the requirements of a supply teacher. The face-to-face interview is also used to collect all the original documents we require as proof of identity, residence, qualifications and criminal background checks.
Vetting
We verify all the information provided by the candidate. This includes following up references and confirming that all the appropriate documents have been supplied.
Quality control
Every time a teacher completes a booking at your school, feedback is collected on their performance. Therefore an individual log of teacher preferences for your school is maintained. This is used to prioritise the teachers that have worked successfully at your school into any future bookings you place. In effect, you and your colleagues in other local schools are continually vetting the local teachers, ensuring that the best quality ones are prioritised into work.
Assigned consultants
Your school will be assigned a consultant who will be your primary contact point at First for Education We have extended our office hours to make sure you can contact your consultant when you most need them. Outside office hours, all calls are routed to a duty consultant.
Making a Booking
When your school calls in with a booking, the relevant details are logged directly onto our IT system. These include;
- The day and time of the booking
- The start time of the school
- The size of the class
- The ability level of the class
- The subject to be taught
- Is there work prepared?
- Topic/area to be covered (if no work prepared)
Our consultants are able to produce a list of teachers in priority order according to criteria such as qualifications, experience, location and previous placements in your specific school.
For last minute bookings, we expect to get back to you within 15 minutes of taking a booking. For all other bookings we can arrange a suitable call back time.
Confirming the booking
Once the booking is confirmed with you, a booking confirmation report is faxed to you. The confirmation report details the teacher's qualifications, charge rates and the days of the booking. In addition the confirmation shows a photograph of the teacher which you can then use for security purposes.
Invoicing
Once First for Education receives a correctly signed off timesheet, an invoice is issued for payment in accordance with our standard Terms and Conditions of Business. Payment can be made either by cheque or BACS and our Credit Control Department will be happy to help with any queries concerning invoicing and payments.