Teaching Agencies?

Can someone please explain a few queries I have on my mind.

I am currently a student in my 2nd year at uni, starting my 3rd year in september. I am doing a Bsc Biomedical Science.
After my 3rd year, I plan to take a gap year to gain teaching experience before I apply for my PGCE.
Firstly, is this a good idea? I really dont want the stress of interviews and applications alongside my 3rd year as well as gaining experience hence why I thought I would take a year out to do all this (alongside a part time job hopefully). ?

Ive read all over the internet people are joining agencies. Some before completing their pgce, some after?!
To be honest, I'm not sure what teaching agencies are and what they do? (I assumed you got you QTS, then applied for jobs from school websites?) Could anyone give me any examples of teaching agencies?

I appreciate any information anyone has for me!

I think taking a year out is a good idea, so long as you manage to use it productively. Getting some experience outside of your own academic studies is definitely going to be beneficial, and if you can get some teaching experience it can help you decide whether teaching is really for you, help you with your applications and interviews, and help you to hit the ground running on placement.

Regarding agencies, there are two different aspects to this.

There are supply agencies which schools use when they need someone to fill in on a short-term basis because someone is off sick. They may also use these to fill longer-term posts (eg: maternity cover) if they haven't been able to find someone via other means (adverts on school website, TES, etc.).

There are also agencies which recruit for longer-term posts. Some schools do use these (eg: Hays, Reed) but it's not typical - it's cheaper for them to do their recruitment themselves.

Reasons you might sign up for an agency:
-You don't have a full-time post lined up, so you are going to do day-to-day supply or hope to get a longer-term post via supply.
-You don't want a full-time post and the additional pressures/responsibilities that go with it. You would prefer to go into a school for a day or two, then leave without a massive stack of marking and planning to do at home.
-You want to see a variety of schools and get experience to help you decide what type of school you want to work in in the long run.

I worked for a teaching agency in the year prior to starting my PGCE. It wasn't an intentional decision - they found my CV online and contacted me for a specific fixed-term post, but then once that role ended I did day-to-day work, later leading to longer-term roles in my subject specialism.

I liked the fact that I got to see lots of different schools and roles - I worked in some really rough schools, some really good schools, a Pupil Referral Unit, a special school, etc. I was a techician, a cover supervisor, a teaching assistant, an unqualified teacher, and on one occasion a dinner lady! It was really helpful when it came to applying for teaching posts because I knew a lot of the local schools. After my PGCE, I ultimately ended up accepting a permanent contract in one of the schools I had done supply in.

The big downside is the pay - it's not particularly good or reliable. As a cover supervisor, I got £65 per day, and when working in my subject specialism for several weeks (but still not "teaching" as such - other people set the work which I delivered) this rose to £80. As a TA or technician it was only £50 per day. Obviously for qualified teachers the pay is higher, and it depends whereabouts you are and how high demand is. I imagine in the current climate (recruitment/retention crisis) you're in a stronger position to negociate pay.

When I first started out doing day-to-day work, I sometimes only got 1 day's work per week. But you build up a reputation/relationship with schools and they start asking for you back - at which point the work gets more reliable and you have a steadier income. I did 5 weeks covering my subject in one school and 11 weeks in another. I much preferred this to the day-to-day work because it was stressful not knowing in the morning whether the phone would ring and I'd have to drive 20 miles to somewhere I'd never been, to find my way around an unfamiliar school and cover whatever lessons were thrown at me.

It's insecure work and you can't rely on it to keep you financially stable, but I wouldn't rule it out during your year out, if you can't find a longer-term post (eg: as a cover supervisor or teaching assistant within one school). It's a good way to get experience of a lot of different schools with reduced pressure because if it all goes wrong and you hate a particular school, you're not contracted to work there and don't have to go back again tomorrow.

But once you gain QTS (or rather, when you're on track to do so, during the PGCE) definitely apply direct to schools (posts mostly advertised on TES) to get a permanent post with more job security.

You could apply for teaching assistant jobs/learning support jobs with no experience. I did, it took a few interviews as I was up against people with experience. The pay is is not great, but it's a great job that is extremely rewarding. You should start looking now though as at my school we start hiring for september starts as soon as people give their notice in.

This is very useful information, thank you!

I didn't realise you were able to apply for Teaching assistant jobs before getting your PGCE. Neither did I know that you could do cover work through an agency before a PGCE and getting your QTS? Am I reading that right? Would I technically be allowed to do this straight after finishing my 3rd year (technically during my year out)

When can you apply to teaching agencies? How many can you apply to? Is there a limit?

What would you say are the best teaching agencies?