Will the Minister provide an update on how supply staff are paid in schools?
Under the Staffing of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations, school governing bodies have responsibility for ensuring that they have an effective workforce in place, appropriate to the needs of the school and its learners. Head teachers and governing bodies make decisions on how to staff their schools, and which type of cover best meets their requirements. Schools can recruit supply staff directly, via their local authority, or via a supply agency. Supply teachers employed directly via schools or local authorities are paid in accordance with the school teachers’ pay and conditions (Wales) document (STPC(W)D). Supply teachers engaged via agencies will be paid via that agency. The National Procurement Service’s (NPS) Supply Agency Framework was established in 2019, resulting in improved pay and conditions for agency staff, transparency over fees and greater agency regulation.