At a glance headlines: May 1, 2014

A teaching union has set up a website to enable supply teachers to rate and review agencies. The NASUWT claims that its supply teachers members are “routinely exploited” by agencies and denied pay, training and other support. A survey by the union of more than 1,400 supply teachers finds that 65 per cent have been asked to sign a contract with an umbrella or offshore organisation allowing the agency to avoid their tax and National Insurance liabilities and deny teachers legal rights and entitlements. It also found that 61 per cent are paid just £100 to £149 per day. General secretary Chris Keates said that supply teachers were often “simply too frightened to speak out about their treatment” due to threats of “blacklisting”. The new website will allow supply teachers to find agencies in their area, rate agencies using a star system on levels of pay, quality of training, ease of finding work and support received, and write reviews, explaining their experiences of agencies. Visit www.supplyadvisor.co.uk