Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating that supply staff (a) are paid according to national pay scales and (b) have access to (i) the Teachers' Pension Scheme and (ii) other relevant pension funds.

​​A supply teacher’s pay and pension depends on how the supply teacher is employed.

​Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay.

​The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations currently provide for supply teachers to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) where they are employed by a scheme employer, including local authorities, academies and further education colleges.

​Where supply teachers are self-employed or remain employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a ‘contract for services’, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS as there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme. However, eligible supply teachers working via agencies are entitled to workplace pensions.

​The department does not have plans at this time to assess the potential benefits of mandating pay or pensions for supply teachers.