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Blog by Flexzo

Finding Teacher Work Outside Agencies

Published On: May 11, 2026

Most education professionals find supply and temporary work through a recruitment agency because it is the path of least resistance. It is visible, familiar, and requires minimal effort to get started. But agency work is not the only route into teaching employment, and for many professionals it is not the best one.

This article covers the practical alternatives: how direct hiring works, what it means for your pay and rights, and where to find work without an intermediary taking a cut.

Why Education Professionals Look Beyond Agencies

The motivation is usually financial. Agency markups on supply teacher costs regularly exceed 30%, meaning the gap between what a setting pays and what you receive can run to tens of pounds per day.

But pay is not the only issue. Agency supply teachers cannot access the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, rates are set independently of the STPCD, and transfer fee clauses can complicate the move from a supply placement into a permanent role at the same setting.

Our article on teaching jobs through agencies vs direct platforms covers these distinctions in more detail.

What Direct Hiring Looks Like

When a setting hires you directly, without an agency acting as intermediary, you are employed by the setting itself. The pay the setting budgets for your role is the pay you receive.

Direct employment by a school or local authority also means you are paid in line with the STPCD from day one, and you contribute to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme automatically unless you choose to opt out. These are not trivial benefits. For many education professionals, the pension contribution alone represents a meaningful part of their total remuneration.

The NEU’s Alternatives to Agencies guidance sets out how it is possible to work directly for schools as an on-call, on-payroll supply teacher, and notes the financial and professional advantages of doing so. It requires more effort upfront than registering with an agency, but the return is greater clarity, better pay, and more control over your working arrangements

Routes to Finding Work Directly

There are several practical approaches to finding education work without going through an agency.

  • Settings you have already worked in: if you have done supply work at a setting and made a positive impression, that relationship is the starting point. Check your agency contract for transfer fee clauses before approaching the setting directly, and confirm when those clauses expire.
  • Local authority supply pools: some local authorities maintain their own register of supply teachers and support staff that settings in the area can access directly. These vary considerably by region and not all areas have active pools, but it is worth investigating what exists in your area.
  • Teaching Vacancies: the government’s free job listing service for state-funded schools lists permanent, long-term, and some flexible roles directly from settings, with no agency intermediary involved.
  • Direct platform registration: a platform that connects education professionals with settings without an agency model in the middle allows you to reach a wider range of settings than individual outreach alone, while keeping the employment arrangement direct.

What to Think About Before Going Agency-Free

Going entirely without an agency is not the right approach for everyone, and it is worth being realistic about the trade-offs.

What Agencies Still Provide

Agencies handle your compliance checks, maintain your records, and contact you when work becomes available. If you are new to supply teaching and need to get started quickly, an agency removes significant administrative friction. The question is whether that convenience is worth the ongoing cost in terms of the margin taken from your pay.

When Direct Routes Make More Sense

For experienced education professionals with an established track record and existing relationships with settings, the case for direct routes is stronger. You are not relying on an agency to vouch for you. Your professional reputation does that.

Using Both Routes Together

Many education professionals use agency and direct routes simultaneously, using agency bookings to fill gaps while building the direct relationships and registrations that provide more consistent and better-paid work over time. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive.

What to Check When Leaving an Agency

If you are currently registered with an agency and want to move towards direct work, there are a few things worth checking before you act.

  • 1
    Review your agency contract for transfer fee clauses. These specify what a setting would need to pay if they hire you directly after an agency placement, and how long the clause applies. Some clauses expire after a set number of weeks. Others run longer.
  • 2
    Consider whether you need to remain with the agency while your direct relationships build. There is no obligation to deregister. Keeping multiple options open while your direct network develops is a practical approach.
  • 3
    Make sure your compliance documents are in your own name and accessible to you independently. Your DBS certificate, QTS record, and right to work documentation belong to you. If your DBS is registered on the Update Service, settings can verify it directly without needing the agency to do so on their behalf.

Flexible Work Outside Agencies

Finding agency-free work is not limited to traditional supply cover. The shift towards flexible working in education, including part-time roles, job shares, and fixed-term contracts arranged directly with settings, creates additional routes for education professionals who want flexibility without the agency model.

Our article on flexible teaching jobs covers the full range of flexible arrangements available and what each means for your pay and rights.

Using Flexzo Teach as a Direct Platform

Flexzo Teach is a collaborative staff bank built specifically to enable direct connections between education professionals and educational settings.

You set your availability, rate expectations, and compliance profile once. Settings across mainstream, specialist, alternative, and further education provision can find you, contact you directly, and book you without an agency taking a margin from the arrangement.

Key features of the platform include:

  • Direct contact from hiring managers, not agency intermediaries
  • Full visibility of your rate expectations before any contact is made
  • Compliance and safeguarding infrastructure built in from the ground up
  • No transfer fee between a supply placement and a permanent role
  • Coverage across all phases and provision types throughout the UK

You can find out why education professionals join Flexzo Teach and explore the full range of platform features before registering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. There is no legal requirement to use an agency to find supply or temporary work. Schools can hire supply teachers directly, placing them on their own payroll.

Not necessarily. Your DBS certificate is yours. If it is registered on the DBS Update Service, any setting can verify it with your permission. You will need to provide your documentation directly to settings or platforms rather than via the agency, but the documents themselves do not need to be reissued.

Yes. Without an agency setting your rate, you negotiate directly. The STPCD daily rate for your experience point and region is your benchmark for what a directly employed supply teacher should receive.

Initially, possibly. Agencies have established networks and generate consistent volume through their relationships with settings. Direct routes take longer to build but typically produce better-paid work and more control over where and when you work.

Get in Touch

If you have questions about finding teaching work outside agencies or want to understand how Flexzo Teach works, the team is happy to help.

Visit our contact page or register as an educator to get started.

Flexzo Teach: A Collaborative Staff Bank

Flexzo Teach is a collaborative staff bank connecting education professionals directly with educational settings, built by Healsgood with compliance and safeguarding infrastructure built in from the ground up.

Find out why education professionals join Flexzo Teach or explore the platform features in detail before registering.

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