Career Advice

How to choose a teaching agency

Choosing a teaching agency to register and work with can be daunting; there are so many teaching agencies out there so how do you know which one to go for? That's why we put together this short guide: to give those looking for teaching jobs and other work within schools an idea of things they should consider when choosing a teaching agency. 

 

Does the teaching agency specialise in a specific area?

Whilst a lot of teaching agencies cover all sorts of vacancies with all sorts of schools, others focus on specific areas. For example, one agency might mainly supply teachers with SEN experience, others may only offer temporary work and other may only have permanent jobs available. 

At Coyle Education, we supply all education staff to many different types of school, including teachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors and other support staff. Whilst most of the work we offer is temporary or on a contract basis, we do occasionally place teachers in permanent roles as well. 

 

Registration - how easy is it to get registered and is it free?

All teaching agencies will have a slightly different registration process depending on their procedures. The amount of information required to register may also vary between agencies, depending on their compliance requirements. Another big difference with registration is that some agencies will need to conduct a face-to-face interview, whereas others are happy with just a conversation over the phone.

At Coyle, our registration process is fairly comprehensive, and we do ask our candidates to complete an interview. This is so we best understand their skills and preferences and can then place them in a school which we know they are suited for.

 

Is the teaching agency accredited?

There are several different accreditations available for education recruitment agencies, such as Standards in Recruitment, APSCo and REC. It is worth finding out whether an agency you want to work with is accredited, and to what level. These accreditations are generally more relevant to the schools the agency works with but bear in mind that a highly accredited agency may have a greater range of schools for you to eventually work with.

Coyle Education is proud to be APSCO Compliance+ Accredited and a member of the CCS Framework. This means our compliance and safeguarding goes beyond normal requirements, giving our candidates access to a wider range of schools. Click here to find out more about working with an agency on the CSS Framework.

 

Where is the teaching agency based and what locations does it cover?

The geographical locations that a teaching agency covers may also be a deciding factor when choosing one to work with. Once again, how this impacts you will be down to your circumstances and preferences. Many large teaching agencies in the UK work with schools across the whole country, and many work on a local level. A national teaching agency will usually have a greater number of vacancies to fill, but you might have to travel a bit further to get to the school you’re working at. On the other hand, a smaller, local agency is likely to work with schools local to you, but then again may have fewer opportunities.

Coyle Education fits in somewhere in the middle. We focus mostly on London, Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and work with many schools in these regions. While we cover a fairly large area, we always aim to offer a friendly, local service to our education staff. If you’re looking for work in one of these areas, get in touch today and find out what we have to offer!

 

What other benefits are offered?

The last thing to bear in mind when looking for a teaching agency is the other added benefits they offer to their education staff. The benefits offered can vary greatly depending on the agency, but at the end of the day, the best thing they can do is offer a high-quality service. Some agencies will offer training opportunities to help their staff improve their career prospects, and some may even offer access to special discounts and perks.

At Coyle Education, we believe our key point of difference is the service we offer our staff. We get to know all our education staff, from teachers to support staff, and match them with a school that we know they will love working with. On top of this, we take time to understand the career goals of all our candidates so we can offer advice and guidance on the best way to achieve them.

 

To finish off...

There are so many education recruitment agencies out there, so do your research before choosing one to register with. If you can find one that you feel is a good fit for you and build a strong relationship, you could be in a good place to find the work you want and get further in your career. If you have any more questions about teaching agencies, get in touch with our teams at Coyle Education.