Schools in North Kirklees rack up £1m bill for supply teachers

Schools in North Kirklees shelled out almost £1 million on supply teachers in one term.
COVER PRICE Tens of thousands was spent on supply teachers in North Kirklees schools.COVER PRICE Tens of thousands was spent on supply teachers in North Kirklees schools.
COVER PRICE Tens of thousands was spent on supply teachers in North Kirklees schools.

A total of £999,635 was spent on teaching cover in the autumn term last year.

The schools with the highest bills throughout the whole of Kirklees were all in Dewsbury. Westborough High School spent £75,997 on supply teachers in three months, while Manor Croft Academy ran up a bill of £63,609. St John Fisher Catholic High School spent £62,040.

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Westborough headteacher Jennifer Napper said: “There were a number of exceptional circumstances which led to our need for supply teachers being higher than usual in the autumn term. We had temporary staff covering absences including maternity leave and we also recruited high-quality supply teachers to cover some vacant posts.

“Those vacancies have now been filled successfully with permanent teaching staff, which means our expenditure on supply will be substantially reduced.”

Ravensthorpe Infant and Nursery School, now Diamond Wood Community Academy, was the top spending primary school throughout all Kirklees. It spent £35,228. Spen primaries Hartshead Junior and Infant School, Littletown Junior, Infant and Nursery School and East Bierley Primary School all spent less than £500.

Schools have insurance to cover some or all of the cost of supply teachers.