Keystage Recruitment

With four years experience looking after schools and local teachers Julie Richardson felt that it was time to make some big changes to the way a Teacher Agency should operate. Many schools in the local area previously had no alternative than to pay these large expenses for supply staff. Schools previously had fewer cover supervisors and had to just put up with the cost, due to the requirements for temporary teaching staff. One Middlesbrough School gave KeyStage last years total spend for supply and according to the new reasonable KeyStage charge rates they would have been £57,000 better off.

It wasn’t just the cost that seemed to be a problem with the schools but the calibre of staff and the lack of support and training offered by the teacher agency. All larger agencies’ claim to offer training as a selling point, however it was clearly apparent that this wasn’t happening.
The whole ethos for KeyStage Recruitment was developed from local schools requirements and using feedback from them KeyStage has developed a very professional and reliable Teacher agency that understands the local everyday needs of our schools.

Since KeyStage Recruitment launched in September 2005, we have been overwhelmed with requirements from local schools, and teachers alike have migrated over as we pride ourselves on paying to scale and offering support and training on a very personal level. KeyStage Recruitment now employ 5 staff members and plans to recruit further members will be addressed at Christmas.

Choosing Stockton Business Centre as a base for the agency was one of the very best decisions due to the support from SBC Staff and the facilities. The training centre based in the KeyStage office block allows us the facility to train groups of teachers using state of the art interactive technology and projectors to give our teachers the very best training, covering previously overlooked vital subjects like Classroom Management, Child Protection & Discipline Procedures. In addition to this we cover all the other area’s that schools want a supply teacher to know, saving them time when they need a teacher ASAP.

Teacher’s and visitors find that Stockton Business Centre is a very central location to find, and we experience a high number of regular teachers calling in just to say hello. Other agencies meet teachers once for registration if at all some feel it adequate to recruit using the internet. Here at KeyStage our teachers are met by friendly reception staff that guide them to the office, and are encouraged to discuss concerns, achievements & problems by the KeyStage staff.

KeyStage has been so fortunate and has achieved so much that plans are underway to launch a second office. This is due to requests for our support from further a field as requirements from schools need dealing with by local people that are a stones through away.

Company owner Ms Julie Richardson, Teesside University Business Management Student would like to encourage young entrepreneurs to seek advice from Stockton Business Centre and Walker Hall Associates through Business Link. "Running your own company, that you 110% believe in, and can change if your clients need you to, is the most satisfying and rewarding thing that you will ever do. If you see an opportunity to do things better give it a go."

For further information regarding KeyStage Recruitment please visit our website www.keystagerecruitment.co.uk or contact us on 01642 678010