DCSF concludes in-depth investigation into Randstad Education

Released 18/03/2010

The department for children, schools and families (DCSF) investigation of Randstad Education's nationwide chain of supply teacher branches has now been completed.

Randstad Education’s Commercial Director Lee Smith

Speaking at the Training of Teachers - Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, Mr Jon Coles, Director of 14-19 Reform, Department for Children, Schools and Families said:

"...obviously, it is difficult for us to determine the decisions of individual head teachers within the maintained school system about professional development, but it is harder still to determine the decisions made by private sector-very often-supply agencies. The use of the Quality Mark has been an attempt to push supply agencies towards professional development. ...some agencies are much better at this than others."

The government auditor - DCSF Quality Mark manager Angie Nicholls MIRP CertRP - announced: "Each Randstad Education branch received a 100 percent result. Randstad Education is a credit to the reputation of the industry. This outcome formally acknowledges Randstad Education's commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest standards in recruitment."

The DCSF strongly recommends that schools only use agencies and local authorities with the Quality Mark. The Department launched the Quality Mark audit in 2002, to monitor standards for agencies and local authorities to reach in areas such as the way they recruit supply teachers and the way they manage the performance of supply teachers. In order to achieve the Mark, an agency or authority must provide evidence that they:

solicit and record feedback on teachers' performance from schools, including any identified development needs;
provide information about professional development opportunities;
assist and support teachers' preparation, provide/facilitate access to professional development and curriculum materials and equipment as required, and monitor teachers' needs for further development;
contribute to the compilation of a personal portfolio of training and development for each teacher (covering training undertaken, assessments, qualifications, and appraisals); and
provide opportunities for specific personal development for newly qualified teachers (opportunities for induction), and for overseas trained teachers (opportunities to pursue Qualified Teacher Status through employment-based training routes).

"The DCSF Quality Mark Award acknowledges the hard work, dedication and professionalism that our teams apply every day to ensure that the DCSF's stringent standards of compliance are always met,"' said Randstad Education's commercial director Lee Smith, adding "Supply teachers make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools and this result further demonstrates our commitment to child safety, which is at the foundation of the service we provide to all our clients in the education sector. Even though the DCSF only applies the Quality Mark standards to the recruitment of qualified teachers, Randstad Education applies equally rigorous checks to everyone it appoints, including all teaching assistants and support staff generally."

http://www.randstadeducation.co.uk/

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