Schools in county rack up £200,000 supply bill

Shropshire schools spent more than £200,000 on supply teachers in 12 months, it has been revealed. The biggest spender was a Shifnal school.

Idsall School spent £73,560 and used four different agencies from April 2009 to April this year.

The figures were released following a Freedom of Information request to Shropshire Council which was published on the website whatdotheyknow.com.

It shows other high figures for Sir John Talbot's School, in Whitchurch, which spent £16,928, and the Marches School, in Oswestry, which was billed for £15,932. And Bridgnorth Endowed School used eight different agencies, spending a total of £12,181.

But some schools used hardly any cover, with Stokesay Primary School, in Craven Arms, Stoke-on-Tern Primary School, in Market Drayton, Welshampton Primary School, in north Shropshire and Longden and St Mary's Primary Schools, in Shrewsbury, only paying out £19 each.

The total figure for all schools covered by Shropshire Council was about £202,370.

Fiona McEvoy, from the Taxpayers' Alliance, today said: "Continually hiring supply teachers is not only disruptive for pupils, it's also an unnecessary cost for taxpayers. This practice is making a dent in schools' budgets and diverting money away from much-needed educational resources.

"It's vital that, where possible, schools employ permanent members of staff."

Michele Leith, human resources manager for children and young people's services at Shropshire Council, said: "Schools manage supply teacher use."

This month it was revealed schools in Telford spent £900,000 on supply teachers in the same period.