Choosing a teaching agency is about more than filling vacancies.
Schools need a recruitment partner they can trust with safeguarding, compliance, communication, candidate quality and value for money.
The right agency should understand your school, your pupils and your staffing pressures. It should be able to provide suitable education professionals quickly, without cutting corners.
Before choosing a teaching agency, here are the questions every school should ask.
1. What safeguarding checks do you complete?
Safeguarding should always come first.
Before a supply teacher, teaching assistant or support staff member arrives at school, your agency should have completed the relevant checks and be able to evidence them.
Ask about:
- DBS checks
- Identity checks
- Right-to-work checks
- Reference checks
- Qualification checks
- Employment history
- Safeguarding training
- Candidate suitability
- Barred list checks where appropriate
A strong education recruitment agency should be clear and confident when explaining its compliance process.
2. How do you match candidates to schools?
A good agency should not simply send the first available person.
It should understand the role, your school setting and the candidate’s experience.
Ask:
- How do you assess candidate suitability?
- Do you consider school culture?
- Do you match by year group, subject or SEND experience?
- Do you ask candidates about their preferences and strengths?
- How do you handle feedback after a placement?
Better matching helps reduce disruption and improves the quality of supply cover.
3. Do you specialise in education recruitment?
Schools have specific needs that general recruiters may not fully understand.
A specialist education recruitment agency should understand:
- Safeguarding
- Classroom expectations
- Behaviour management
- SEND support
- Cover pressure
- Curriculum continuity
- School routines
- Compliance documentation
Education recruitment is specialist work. Your agency should understand the responsibility of placing adults into schools.
4. Can you support different types of roles?
Schools often need more than teachers.
Ask whether the agency can provide:
- Supply teachers
- Long-term supply teachers
- Teaching assistants
- SEND teaching assistants
- Learning support assistants
- Cover supervisors
- Behaviour support assistants
- Early years staff
- Permanent staff
A flexible agency can support a wider range of staffing needs across the school year.
5. How quickly can you respond to urgent cover?
Urgent absence can happen at any time.
Your agency should be able to respond quickly while still maintaining proper compliance standards.
Ask:
- What happens if we call early in the morning?
- How do you communicate availability?
- Can you support same-day cover?
- How do you prioritise urgent bookings?
- What information will we receive before the candidate arrives?
Fast communication is essential when schools are under pressure.
6. How transparent are your costs?
Value for money matters for every school.
Ask your agency to explain its rates clearly and honestly.
Questions to ask include:
- What are your charge rates?
- Are there any additional fees?
- How do long-term rates work?
- Are temp-to-perm fees clear?
- What is included in the service?
- How do you support value for money?
The cheapest agency is not always the best choice. Schools should consider reliability, compliance, communication and candidate quality.
7. How do you manage candidate quality?
Schools need confidence that candidates are professional, reliable and suitable.
Ask:
- How do you interview candidates?
- How do you assess classroom confidence?
- Do you collect school feedback?
- How do you deal with concerns?
- Do you provide CPD or development support?
- How do you retain good educators?
A strong agency should care about quality before, during and after placement.
8. Will we have a dedicated contact?
Clear communication makes a huge difference.
A dedicated contact can get to know your school and respond more effectively.
Ask:
- Who will manage our account?
- Will they understand our school?
- How often will they check in?
- How do we provide feedback?
- How do you handle issues?
Recruitment works best when the agency becomes a trusted partner, not just a booking line.
Why schools choose Milk Education
Milk Education supports schools with reliable, compliant and people-first education recruitment.
We work with schools to understand their staffing needs and provide carefully matched candidates across teaching, SEND and support roles.
Schools choose Milk Education for:
- Safeguarding-first recruitment
- Compliance-led processes
- Local education recruitment teams
- Clear communication
- Carefully matched candidates
- Daily and long-term supply support
- Teaching assistant and SEND staffing
- Permanent recruitment support
Speak to Milk Education
If your school is reviewing its teaching agency partnerships, Milk Education can help.
We support schools with supply teachers, teaching assistants, SEND support staff, cover supervisors and long-term recruitment solutions.
Speak to Milk Education today about your school staffing needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should schools ask a teaching agency?
Schools should ask about safeguarding checks, compliance, candidate matching, costs, communication, urgent cover and experience in education recruitment.
Why is safeguarding important when choosing a teaching agency?
Safeguarding is essential because agency staff work directly with children and young people. Schools need confidence that checks have been completed before placement.
Can teaching agencies provide support staff?
Yes. Milk Education can support schools with teachers, teaching assistants, SEND teaching assistants, cover supervisors and learning support assistants.
Should schools choose a specialist education recruitment agency?
Yes. Specialist education recruitment agencies understand school staffing, safeguarding, SEND support, classroom expectations and compliance requirements.
How can schools compare teaching agencies?
Schools can compare agencies by looking at compliance standards, candidate quality, communication, local knowledge, cost transparency and school feedback.
Can Milk Education help with urgent school cover?
Yes. Milk Education supports schools with urgent daily cover, long-term supply and permanent education recruitment.
