Here at The Supply Register, we’ve been focused on providing the highest possible standards to the supply specialists we work with who, in turn, can then deliver the best educational outcomes for the pupils under their tutelage. We’ve looked back at some of our work from the past year and provided an overview of the biggest news in education in 2024.
New Government: how did this impact education in 2024?
The headline news from the past year in education was the change of Government in the summer. July’s election saw Labour voted into power with an overwhelming majority of 174 seats, ending 14 years of Conservative leadership in the UK. New Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer was quick to set out his plans for the sector with one of the main focuses being recruiting 6,500 new teachers to help tackle ongoing skills shortages. While the move is well-intentioned, it doesn’t account for the huge number of teachers leaving the profession every year.
We’re looking forward to working with the new Government to ensure that all teachers and educational establishments get the fairest possible deal. We’ll be providing further updates on the evolution of education recruitment under the Labour Government in the near future.
Our blogs
We produced several blogs this year that aim to make the lives of professionals easier in what has been a complex market. Here’s a selection of some of our content from the past 12 months:
How to kick start your supply teaching career
For many teaching professionals, 2025 will represent the start of their experience in the education sector. Earlier this year, we looked in detail at some of the ways new professionals can get their career off to the best possible start. Whether you’re new to the profession or a seasoned expert, the New Year is perhaps the best time to weigh your options and identify whether a career as a supply specialist is for you. This analysis can then help you to pinpoint the direction you want your career to take. We looked in detail at why professionals should consider supply as a viable career option, as well as outlining best ways to start your journey in this field. Take a look at the full blog here.
How to get ahead as a supply teacher
We also provided advice on how teachers can get ahead of the competition in order to thrive in their careers. This piece reviewed the importance of factors like networking and offered tips including why specialists should look to arrive early on their first day on a new assignment, as well as why planning lessons in advance is critical to success. As the adage goes ‘prepare to fail, fail to prepare.’ Find out more in the full article here.
Why training is so key for supply teachers
We also analysed the importance of CPD in career development for supply teachers, particularly with new DfE figures showing that the use of cover specialists has increased by 58 per cent since the pandemic. The value that these development opportunities can offer is one of the reasons why we’re working with The National College. Our partnership means we can provide access to a broad range of online statutory learning opportunities for teachers to strengthen their professional development. You can read our piece on the value of training for supply teachers here.
Of course, these topics represent just a fraction of the content we’ve produced over the past 12 months. To see more of our blogs and learn additional career-boosting tips, visit the insights page of our website.
Winning the CPC Supplier Awards
In our own news, The Supply Register was also acknowledged for its contribution to the education sector. We were delighted to have been awarded both Best Small Supplier Award at the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) Awards in the Summer, and a special recognition prize for Best Cost Reduction Initiative. The ceremony, hosted at The Hilton Manchester, recognised the essential role that affiliated suppliers play across the UK and highlighted how much their contribution is valued by the CPC community of over 10,000 members.
We were particularly proud of the special recognition award, which highlighted our work with L.E.A.D Academy Trust. Our partnership enabled the trust to achieve an average saving of 18% across its 27 different locations and support the development of a fairer framework for future supply teacher recruitment. We are always confident in our ability to deliver an outstanding level of service but it’s another thing entirely to receive awards recognising the value that we add to the education sector. We are proud to have won the award and thank everyone who has contributed to the successful partnership.
We wish everyone within our networks a happy and prosperous 2025 and look forward to working with you all in the new year!
Read more of our blogs or check out some of our latest specialist supply roles.