Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support supply teachers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools.

Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers. There are various approaches to providing supply teachers.

The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. More information about the deal can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.