The Eastern Education Show 2025 –
Schools Supply Staff Collaboration – Register Here
Schools attending the Eastern Education Show 2025 19th June 2025 opportunity to guide the school’s supply staff collaboration.
The collaboration is designed for schools to improve supply staff transparency and choice, with school specific detailed supply spend reporting.
AvailabilityGrid are exhibiting at the Eastern Education Show and look forward to meeting you – see the exhibitors list here.
Get involved with this important efficiency initiative, join the collaboration, register your interest here.
The challenge with School Supply Staff
Schools are not usually reliant on external supply agency staff; although there are plenty of schools who occasionally are, with many last-minute requests for unplanned staff gaps along with varying short- and long-term placements.
Education supply agencies do a great job filling most requests quickly, and do their best to provide good quality supply teachers at a sensible cost, whilst paying teachers fairly too.
Has the traditional model moved on?
There is a general feeling amongst schools that the cost of supply staff is too high, with agencies accused of high profit margins for mediocre supply staff. Is this really the case?
Supply Spend Reporting
Schools often don’t know what they have spent on a day, week or monthly basis – they just need cover. Supply costs are typically known at a school level after the invoices arrives or are consolidated by the Academy Trust or school business manager.
Comparing actual supply staff costs and value for money is difficult without accurate up-to-the minute comparable spend data.
With the supply staff collaboration schools now have far better live reporting on all supply staff spend.
AvailabilityGrid Schools Supply Staff Collaboration offers full transparency of local supply staff from any agencies, whilst providing detailed reporting on all requested cover, assigned workers, days and hours booked, subjects covered, and costs. All in one place for schools & academy trusts.
Optimisation of flexible staffing
The jury is out, is demand for flexible agency supply staff increasing or decreasing, it has been an “odd” academic year with many agencies indicating demand has reduced.
Regardless it’s incumbent on public sector organisation to optimise staffing efficiencies, including spend on temporary staffing, a necessary aspect of schools workforce management best practice.
Be part of the collaboration
Help your school and other local schools by being part of the Schools Supply Staff Collaboration. A free programme to improve outcomes for schools, supply staff and agencies.
Register your interest to be part of the collaboration
Add your contact details and register your interest in supporting schools.
Review how others use the free service and jump in if you recognise the value your school and others benefit from.