FAQs

It’s really easy! Contact us first and have a chat with us about what you’re looking to do, and then we’ll arrange a registration meeting. In this meeting, we will need to do some safeguarding checks with documents you will provide us with and then we’ll discuss your requirements.

Have a read of our blog ‘How to Register with your Specialist Supply Agency, Moore Teachers, as a Primary School Teacher: A Complete Guide’ to find out more about the process.

The registration meeting normally takes around 30 minutes. Once we have met with you, our clearance team will start their processes, which involves obtaining references, assisting you with applying for a DBS if needed, checking your documents and ensuring relevant training is up to date. This can take from a few days up to a few weeks. Once you are cleared for work, we can then speak with you about roles.

We have to have an overview of your work history, experience and qualifications. The easiest way of having this is via a CV. As part of our safer recruitment process and for safeguarding reasons, we must explore any gaps in your work history, so it’s useful to have this prior to a registration meeting.

No! There is no cost to register with Moore Teachers. However, there may be other aspects in which you may be subject to a charge, most likely an Enhanced Child Workforce DBS if you don’t already have one on the Update Service. Details about the charges for a DBS can be found in the Key Information Document (KID) that will be sent to you prior to our meeting. DBS are processed by UCheck and payment is made directly to them; Moore Teachers do not take payment for these.

Find out more about the registration process here.

A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) is a way for employers to check a person’s criminal record history. It is a legal requirement for staff to be checked by the DBS when working with ‘vulnerable’ groups, such as children. DBS checks replaced the older CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks. There are several levels of DBS checks. Staff working in schools require an Enhanced DBS check with barred list check: this is the highest level. If you have any questions or concerns surrounding this process, please speak with a member of the Moore Teachers team who will be able to advise you further.

There is no official expiry date or a DBS, but you may need a new DBS if a new role required it. The DBS Update Service allows individuals to keep their DBS check information up-to-date, and employers can use it to verify the status of a DBS check.

Moore Teachers can only accept a Child Workforce Enhanced DBS with barred list check that is registered on the Update Service.

If you have a DBS from another employer (i.e. a school, or a different agency) that isn’t on the Update Service, then it is only valid for the original employer. This would mean that you would need to get a new DBS, which Moore Teachers can help you with.

Other reasons that your DBS might not be valid are (even if it’s on the Update Service):

• You’ve lost the original certificate
• Your subscription to the Update Service has expired or failed due to payment issues
• The position applied for on your DBS is ’Child and Adult Workforce’ or ‘Adult Workforce’
• You have a recent conviction that doesn’t show on your original DBS certificate
• It’s not an Enhanced DBS with barred list check

If you require a new DBS, Moore Teachers can assist with this process.

It is not compulsory to subscribe to the DBS Update Service but, in doing so, it keeps your DBS current and makes it portable to other employers. It allows employers to check online that there have been no changes to your DBS, but it does not allow employers to view your actual certificate. This service enhances safeguarding processes and can save you time and money as you would not have to apply for another DBS.

The cost of the subscription is £16 a year and starts from the date your DBS certificate was issued.

Link to subscribe to the Update Service https://secure.crbonline.gov.uk/crsc/apply

Option 1: Once you’ve applied for your DBS, and before you receive your certificate, you will receive a DBS Application Number which you can use to register on the update service.

Option 2: Once you’ve applied for your DBS, and after you receive your certificate, you will need to use your DBS certificate number which you will find on the paper copy of your certificate.

• You only have 30 days from the issue date on your DBS certificate to subscribe to the Update Service

Once you successfully subscribe to the update service, you will be provided with an Update Service ID. This is personal to you and should not be shared. You can then log into your account to make changes to your personal information, card details, add/remove certificates etc.

If you have not received your DBS certificate in the post, you can request a new DBS within 93 days of issue. You can track the progress and issue date of your certificate using the DBS tracking service.

You are only eligible to request a reprint if you have never received your DBS certificate in the post, and within 93 days of it being issued.

To request a reprint, contact the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) on 03000 200 190

If the certificate was lost after delivery, or it is outside of the 93-day period, you will need to apply for a new DBS at the current cost.

Since April 2020, all employment businesses must legally provide you with a KID when you register with them. It is the first document you receive after you register and provides you with information about your relationship with the employment business and any third parties, including:

• who will pay you
• what you can expect to be paid and how often

You will be provided with an illustrative example; the figures shown in the KID are not a reflection of your actual pay. It is intended to provide you with an example of how deductions work and help you understand how these may affect your take-home (NET) pay. Your actual pay will be agreed separately with your consultant based on your requirements.

The KID will help you understand the details of your intended arrangements with the employment business, and any umbrella companies (sometimes referred to as intermediaries).

It should give you information on:

• your pay
• deductions
• holiday entitlement
• any additional benefits

Moore Teachers do not use intermediaries and pay you directly under PAYE.

It is a legal requirement in England that teachers working in mainstream primary schools have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It signifies that you have met the required standards to teach and are qualified to work in these schools.

Academies, free schools or independent schools do not legally require teachers to hold QTS at any point.

Absolutely! Firstly, you will need to have your qualifications confirmed by ENIC and obtain a Statement of Comparability. This can generally take up to 15 days to come through.

When you register with Moore Teachers and meet with one of our consultants, we will speak with you about gaining experience to support your teaching within English schools. For some teachers, the English school system is quite different to what they have experienced previously, so some teachers choose to work as a Teaching Assistant to gain some insight before taking on the role of a Class Teacher. Doing daily and short-term supply can help OTTs develop an understanding of the National Curriculum, and teaching and learning strategies in the UK. Moore Teachers are here to help with a smooth transition to teaching in England and are very experienced in assisting Overseas Trained Teachers with this.

It is important to note that OTTs can only teach in the UK without QTS for up to 4 years from the first day of teaching in the UK. This is known as the 4-year rule. After the four-year period, OTTs must obtain QTS to continue teaching in state-maintained schools and non-maintained special schools. Although it’s not a legal requirement in all types of schools (for example, academies, free schools and private schools), you’ll find it easier to get a teaching job in England if you have QTS.

Read more in our blog ‘Overseas Trained Teachers: How to succeed in UK primary schools with support from Moore Teachers’.

If you are an Overseas Trained Teacher, or an unqualified teacher with experience, you may be able to get Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through an assessment only programme.

This involves a series of assessments which may include lesson observations, providing a portfolio of evidence to show you meet the teachers’ standards, or written assessments. This depends on your provider.

The AO route takes up to 12 weeks and fees range between £1500 and £4000 depending on your provider. This is generally self-funded, although some schools may pay for this on your behalf.

More information about eligibility and training providers can be found on the ‘Get Into Teaching’ government website.

Find out more from our blog ‘Achieve QTS via the Assessment Only Route’.

Yes. There are some requirements surrounding this: you would need to be in a long-term position for at least one full term; the role would need to be with full class responsibility; and the school would need to agree to support you with your induction.

Read more about how we can support you by reading our blog ‘How ECTs can work on supply and complete their induction’.

Definitely. In fact, working on supply as an ECT is a great of exploring schools and developing your teaching practice before committing to a school to undertake your induction terms. Finding the right school to start your career is important, and Moore Teachers can help with this. With our knowledge and experience of schools (and having been through the induction process ourselves!), we can support you with this.

ECTs can work on supply, undertaking daily and short-term roles as well as longer-term positions. Induction terms can be completed while working on long-term supply.

ECTs can work on supply for up to five years from the date of being awarded QTS without the need to complete induction, so there’s no need to rush! After five years, ECTs working on supply would only be able to accept long-term assignments that would contribute to induction.

ENIC (European Network of Information Centres) is the UK’s national centre for recognising and evaluating international qualifications.

A Statement of Comparability from UK ENIC is a document that compares your overseas qualifications to UK qualifications, indicating how they match up to the UK education system, and is often needed when applying for jobs, further study, or professional registration in the UK.

You will need a Statement of Comparability to show that your qualifications are recognised as being equivalent to those required in the UK. For example, that your teaching degree/qualification is equivalent to a teaching qualification in the UK.

More information can be found on the ENIC website here https://www.enic.org.uk/individuals/statement-of-comparability

Moore Teachers works with primary schools across Hertfordshire and West Essex who require a range of different types of cover. Therefore, we can offer varied work depending on your preferences:

• Daily cover (full days or half-days)
• Short-term cover (anything from a few days up to a few weeks in the same school)
• Long-term cover (anything from 12 weeks up to a whole academic year). These roles normally involve full class responsibilities

When you register with Moore Teachers, your consultant will discuss with you the types of roles that you are looking for. If you decide further down the line that you would like to update your preferences (for example, you would like to add or remove working days, or you would be open to discussing different types of roles), just let your consultant know!

An overseas police check (also known as an international criminal background check) is a document that shows whether you have a criminal record in a country where you’ve previously lived or worked. It’s typically issued by the police or another relevant government authority in that country.

If you have lived or worked outside the UK for six months or more within the last five years, you will need to provide an overseas police check. Ideally, you will have obtained this before returning to the UK, as it can be more difficult to arrange once you’re no longer in the country. However, if you need to request one retrospectively, you may need to contact the local police where you were living, the relevant government department, or the country’s embassy or consulate in the UK.

This is an official letter or document obtained in addition to an overseas police check. It verifies a teacher’s good standing and authorisation to teach, confirming that registration to teach has not been suspended, revoked or cancelled for disciplinary reasons.

YOTI is a digital identity and biometric technology that allows individuals to prove who they are through a verified digital ID, and allows us to verify your identity, which forms the basis of the Right to Work in the UK check that all candidates will need to go through.

Yes! We know that some school staff may miss out on training that would normally take place during staff meetings and INSET days, or they may have areas of development that they would like to work on, and we have a huge range of CPD that you can access once you are registered and cleared to work with us.

Moore Teachers pays staff through PAYE with inhouse payroll. This means that we do not use an umbrella company who make deductions and require large admin fees, which comes out of your pay. So, by working with Moore Teachers, you take home what you earn.

Once you are underway with your assignment, you will need to complete a timesheet on a weekly basis and send this over to us. Pay is made on a weekly basis each Friday, so you have more control over your finances.

Moore Teachers has its own payroll and uses the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) model. This means that you are directly employed with us, and we will handle your tax and National Insurance deductions. We are responsible for providing you with a P60 and, if required, your P45.

An umbrella company acts as an intermediary between contractors and clients. When an umbrella company is used, you are employed by the umbrella company who also are responsible for the legal deductions.  However, take home pay is much lower when paid through an umbrella company as they will also deduct an administration fee, employers’ NIC, employers’ pension contributions and an apprenticeship levy.

All workers in the UK are entitled to paid annual leave of 5.6 weeks and this includes staff working through an agency. Moore Teachers includes your holiday pay within your weekly pay (‘rolled up holiday pay’). Before your first assignment – and before you meet for your registration meeting – you will be sent a KID (Key Information Document) which will show you how holiday pay is calculated. This can then be discussed with your consultant at the point of registration.

For clarity, the days you work include holiday pay at the statutory rate; no holiday entitlement accrues for days not worked.

All assignments that are organised through us will be paid through Moore Teachers’ payroll. This includes long-term positions.

If your long-term role became a permanent role after discussions with you, us and the school, then you would become a permanent member of staff at the school, with an employment contract, and would then be paid through the school.

Unfortunately, teachers working on supply through an agency are unable to contribute to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. However, Moore Teachers does offer a workplace pension scheme. As required legally, you are automatically opted in to the pension scheme after 12 weeks. If you do not wish to contribute to the pension scheme, you can opt out at any point.