Maintaining high standards in teaching quality and provider accountability

In this blog, we explore how professional standards are maintained in the supply teaching sector, and how Class People are accountable for this when recruiting education professionals, for example, for supply teaching jobs in Devon.

As a regional education recruiter providing educational staff across the South West, we experience a whole range of teaching standards here at Class People.

Whilst covering three very different geographical areas (Gloucestershire, Bristol and Exeter and Devon), we work with a whole range of teaching professionals, both in age and experience, and encounter a range of different motivations for carrying out supply work.

Looking at the spectrum of teachers and motivations, we consider how professional standards are maintained, and how we as an agency are accountable.

Read on to find out more...

An exploration into identifying, maintaining and continuing teaching standards:

1. How can a supply teachers professional standard be identified?

Expectations for teachers are high and rising each day. Education needs to do more to create a teaching profession that owns its professional practise – i.e., building a profession of teachers by empowering and enabling them to improve equity and outcomes for all.

When teachers feel a sense of ownership over their classroom their profession and their learning, this is when productive learning takes place. When teachers assume that ownership, it is difficult to ask any more of them than they ask for themselves.

So, the key is to engage teachers in order to get them to this point.

2. How can a supply teachers professional standard be maintained?

This can be achieved through strengthening trust, transparency, professional autonomy and the collaborative culture of the profession at the same time.

In full time employment, teachers have continual access to professional development across all platforms, such as collaborative learning, mentoring, action learning and outsourced training courses. In most cases, they’ll receive good leadership and guidance in order to direct and engage in developing their own learning.

As a provider, the challenges come when teachers are not contractually linked to a school: i.e., working on a supply basis. Engaging teachers to assume responsibility for their own professional practise can at times be difficult.

Whilst rigorous onboarding is carried out from the supplier’s perspective in relation to safeguarding, references although based on teaching standards legislation as of 2012, updated July 2021, can often be open to interpretation and the professional standard can only be judged when physically in the classroom.

Teachers taking part in a training session, representing teaching standards and supply teaching jobs in Devon

The spectrum of teachers that we provide include NQT’s, enthusiastic with fresh update knowledge, hungry for future development as a teacher and often looking for their first post. This is always evident in the larger towns and cities that we work with, Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

Despite Exeter being a thriving university town, the surrounding areas or North Devon, Torbay and Paignton – often known as the English Rivera – appear to be high on the list for retirees. Supply teaching jobs in Devon are particularly popular here.

Whilst this can bring a wealth of experienced teachers who are able to enjoy the flexibility that supply brings (on average our teachers in this area work 1.9 days a week.), it can at times prove challenging if they have not received any CPD.

3. How can a supply teachers professional standard be continuously improved?

As a provider, we make sure that all teachers have access to ongoing training; however, we are not able to force this. In the ever-changing challenges of school structures and curriculum it remains key for good practice, although uptake is often very limited.

While we are accountable for the standard of the teacher, we have no control over the choices that the teacher makes. When we look at engaging with a profession of teachers taking ownership over their own learnings, it is advisable to follow other professions and implement mandatory CPD on a yearly basis.

The benefits of this are double sided for all:

Keeping teachers up to date with key curriculum, developments.
Updated methods of teaching.
Maintain standard of teaching outlined in the Teaching Standards.
Give piece of mind for all parties: schools, teachers and providers.
Enable experienced teachers to maintain supply teaching without worrying about becoming ‘out of date’ in their chosen profession.

This would also support teachers in creating a profession of engaged and empowered professionals across our regions.

A checklist of teaching professionalism standards for supply teaching jobs in Devon

Looking to learn more about our standards at Class People?

If you’re looking to work with an established supply teaching recruitment agency with high standards at their core, then be sure to get in touch with us today; we’d be delighted to discuss our commitment to schools with you in more detail, and how we can help you find truly passionate and dedicated staff for your setting.

Alternatively, if you’re a teacher looking for supply teaching jobs in Devon or anywhere else in the South West, or you’re simply considering what steps to take next in your education career, register with us today and look at the opportunities we currently have available!