Amount spent on supply and agency teaching Staff (FOI)

Request

A

How many supply teachers have been engaged on assignments in the past two academic years (to present day), including how many were:

i) engaged on ad-hoc, day-to-day supply; 

ii) engaged on assignments in excess of a week, but less than 12 weeks; and

iii) engaged on assignments in excess of 12 weeks?

B

How much has been spent on supply or agency teachers in that time?

C

How much has been spent on travel and accommodation costs for supply or agency teachers during that time?

D

How many teachers are currently engaged on short-term or supply assignments in excess of a week (so not permanent staff contracts)?

E

Please provide details of the amount paid to recruitment agencies for the procurement of supply teachers?

Please show the resanswers broken down between primary and secondary schools.

Response

A ii

The numbers below represent how many employees have been paid under the finance code for supply teachers in the last two academic years:

• In the academic year 01 September 2021 – 31 August 2022 there were 443 
• In the academic year 01 September 2022 – 31 August 2023 there were 462 

The nature of supply work is that schools can request support from supply teachers on an ad hoc basis which could range from a few hours to a few weeks and longer. Supply can also be provided by contracted teachers working additional hours in the same role and school on a second contract as per their additional pay arrangements. It has been concluded that the information, as requested, is not held in recorded form. The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 does not require a Scheduled Public Authority to manipulate data in order to provide a response. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 therefore applies.

A i and iii

It has been determined that to review all employee records that have been paid from the Supply Teacher finance code would exceed 12.5-hour timescale as prescribed in the Freedom of Information (Costs)(Jersey) Regulations 2014. Therefore Article 16(1) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

B

The nature of supply work is that schools can request support from supply teachers direct.  Therefore, this information is not held in a recorded format. The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 does not require a Scheduled Public Authority to manipulate data in order to provide a response. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 therefore applies.

C

How much has been spent on travel and accommodation costs for supply or agency teachers is not currently held in a recorded format. This would require investigation into all staff currently claiming travel and accommodation costs from the Supply Teacher code and to produce the data would exceed 12.5-hour timescale as prescribed in the Freedom of Information (Costs)(Jersey) Regulations 2014. Therefore Article 16(1) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

D

The number of teachers who are currently engaged on short-term/supply assignments in excess of a week is not currently held in a recorded format. This would require investigation into all staff currently claiming from the Supply Teacher code and checking how long they have been claiming for and to produce the data would exceed 12.5-hour timescale as prescribed in the Freedom of Information (Costs)(Jersey) Regulations 2014. Therefore Article 16(1) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

E

Please find below the total amounts paid to recruitment agencies for the procurement of supply teachers for the past two academic years. This information is not held in a recorded format broken down between primary and secondary schools. The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 does not require a Scheduled Public Authority to manipulate data in order to provide a response. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 therefore applies.

Articles applied 

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations.