Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many agency staff members have been used to support staff absences in schools in the last week.

Schools have the autonomy to recruit temporary staff according to their own circumstances. They have a number of options to fill staff absences, including through supply agencies.

The department does not collect or hold the information that has been requested. Supply agencies are private organisations and are under no obligation to share this information.

The department does not hold data on the general numbers of supply staff, or any data on whether they are actively deployed as supply teachers at any time.