FEATURE FOCUS: RECRUITMENT
the first six months of the 2024/25 academic year, schools posted 24,143 job adverts on MyNewTerm—of which 14,651 (over 60%) were for support roles, compared to 32% for teaching positions and 5% for leadership roles. Support roles range from cleaners and teaching assistants to site agents, administrators, and business managers. While some are full- time, many are term-time only. Historically, schools had little difficulty recruiting for these positions. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment has become more challenging as other sectors offer increased flexibility, remote work options, and higher pay.
Data from MyNewTerm illustrates this shift: • 2020 & 2021 – 7.5 applicants per support role • 2022 & 2023 – 5.0 applicants per support role
• 2024 – 6.5 applicants per support role (still below pre-pandemic levels)
Since support staff often consider roles outside of education, a streamlined application process is crucial to attracting candidates.
Compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE)
Over 30 Applicant Tracking Systems are used within the education sector, each offering different features. One of the primary reasons schools adopt an ATS is to enhance efficiency. However, not all ATS platforms are designed specifically for education.
Schools must comply with KCSiE guidelines, which include obtaining a candidate’s full employment and education history and identifying gaps in their employment. A sector- specific ATS automates these compliance requirements, saving schools significant time and effort while ensuring full adherence to safeguarding regulations.
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www.education-today.co.uk March 2025
Leveraging data for smarter recruitment A key advantage of an ATS is the ability to track and analyse recruitment data. Metrics such as Time to Hire (how long it takes to fill a vacancy) provide valuable insights. In 2025, the median time to hire for schools using MyNewTerm is 55 days—from job posting to candidate onboarding.
Benchmarking against national data further empowers school leaders. For example, MyNewTerm data for 2024/25 shows that the average distance candidates apply from their chosen school is 7.0 miles for teachers and 2.2 miles for support staff—helpful insights for targeting recruitment advertising effectively. Additionally, an ATS facilitates equal opportunities monitoring and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) analysis, ensuring that schools can track and refine their recruitment strategies to foster a more inclusive workforce.
Recruitment as a long-term strategy While a digital recruitment process significantly enhances efficiency, simply adopting an ATS will
not solve all recruitment challenges. Schools and trusts face unique hiring difficulties influenced by both local and national factors. However, schools can control key aspects such as employer branding and candidate engagement. Senior leaders should consider applying for a role within their own organisation to experience the process firsthand. This exercise can reveal inefficiencies and highlight areas for improvement.
Over 4,000 schools and MATs now use MyNewTerm to digitise and streamline recruitment. The MyNewTerm ATS integrates directly with the free DfE Teaching Vacancies service, which saw a record 700,000 unique job visitors in January 2025.
By adopting a modern, education specific, digital-first recruitment strategy, schools and MATs can attract top talent, improve efficiency, and provide candidates with a seamless, positive experience—ensuring they remain competitive in an ever-evolving job market.
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