Our safeguarding checks to protect you and the children in your school are rigorous and detailed in Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2016 and the updated guidance, September 2019, issued by the DfE.

• Current DBS Enhanced Disclosures are held by all our supply teachers and all teachers are registered on the DBS Update Service. If there is any conviction on a DBS, the school will be informed.
• The Teacher’s DBS are all checked routinely on the Update Service for any changes. Additional checks will take place when prompted by a break in service. New Enhanced DBS are taken out if necessary. Additional checks are undertaken for individuals who have lived or worked abroad, and as a minimum, have carried out overseas checks on candidates who have spent any time overseas within the last 5 years.
• Children’s Barred List checks undertaken and checked regularly.
• All teaching assistants checked on Children’s Barred List.
• All candidates providing early years teaching have signed a declaration to confirm that they are not disqualified directly under Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006.
• Recent written professional references are taken up to include last employer.
• Face to face personal interviews for all teachers.
• Passport/Driving Licence photo identity checked and verification of teacher’s current address.
• Right to work in the UK checked.
• Qualifications checked, CVs and employment history examined.
• TRA lists checked on appointment. TRA Prohibition and Sanction Lists checked regularly.
• All teachers have recent Child Protection and Safeguarding Children training.

To book a teacher call our office on 01225 706726. We are open from 7.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Thursday and 7.00am to 5.00pm on a Friday. Out of hours and during the weekend, our telephone will be monitored to ensure your requests are dealt with in a timely manner. During office hours you are welcome to email us at staff@westcountryagency.co.uk

We need to know the school start and finish times, and also lunchtimes.

It is helpful if you can provide useful landmark information to help find the school and also if you can provide information on car parking options.

Providing your behaviour and marking policies will enable us to attach them to our booking confirmations so teachers can have access to them in advance.

Sometimes it can be necessary for us to contact the school out of hours it is very useful for us to have an emergency contact number on our records.

For advanced bookings we ask our teachers to be at the school a minimum of 30 minutes before the start of the school day. For a last-minute booking on the day this will not always be possible, but we will always try to ensure that we give you an estimated arrival time when confirming your teacher to you.

A supply teacher cannot mark to the same depth as a regular class teacher, they do not know the children so therefore cannot assess work. However, all of our teachers are expected to “light-touch” mark the children’s work stating it is marked by supply. The children should know that their work is appreciated and valued – they should not see a day with a supply teacher as a wasted day.