We are delighted to announce that we have recently completed a £650,000 fundraise for Teacher Booker – the online network of high-quality supply teachers and support staff – far exceeding our original £500,000 target.

Teachers are, quite rightly, being appreciated more than ever during the current Covid-19 crisis. They are keeping schools open to look after the children of key workers and putting their own health on the line in the process, as well as giving invaluable help and advice to stressed-out parents across the UK attempting to homeschool during lockdown. As a result, there are even growing calls for a ‘Clap for Teachers’ show of appreciation to take place, in the same vein as the very popular ‘Clap for the NHS’ which recently took place.

Teacher Booker connects supply teachers directly with schools, completely cutting out the need to use expensive recruitment agencies, meaning these tireless teachers get paid more. It’s shocking to hear that they typically lose 15-20% of their pay due to the high fees charged by agencies and this is something Teacher Booker wants to put right.

Not only is it better for our teachers, but, likewise, it’s better for our schools, as it can help them save up to 90% on their recruitment fees. We all know that our education system is faced with an ever-challenging funding shortfall and Teacher Booker’s research shows that every year over £500m is spent on recruitment agency fees in public sector schools alone – which is money that could instead be invested in schools and their facilities.

Paul Boon, Investment Director at Growthdeck, says:

“We’re delighted that our investors have given Teacher Booker’s model such a resounding vote of confidence, having backed our fundraising campaign far beyond its original target of £500,000 to support the company’s expansion plans.”

“Teacher Booker offers schools a great alternative to expensive recruitment agencies, along with huge cost savings. We believe it can genuinely disrupt how schools bring in supply teachers, and free up money to be spent in ways that benefit pupils, not recruiters.”

“Our all-important teachers also benefit from cutting out the middleman in the process. They can see exactly what work is out there to fit their location and schedule, which is much more convenient for them than having to deal with lots of different recruiters. Crucially, using Teacher Booker also means they aren’t losing, on average, 15-20% of their pay, which is very significant. Now, more than ever, we want to see that money staying with the teachers – they’ve earned it.”

---

Previous Back to index Next