Schools have sounded the alarm over 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 supply cover costs draining budgets amid soaring staff illness and widespread teacher shortages, costing the sector hundreds of millions a year. Recently filed annual accounts from large academy trusts reveal the toll of the sector鈥檚 shrinking workforce. Separate Schools Week analysis shows maintained schools spent a combined 拢622 million on supply cover in 2021-22, up more than a third year-on-year. They spent 拢171 per pupil on supply costs last year 鈥 a five-year high and up from 拢160 per head in 2019, before Covid. Leora Cruddas Figures from jobs site Indeed show 2,000 live adverts for supply teachers, with postings more than doubling as a share of total jobs on pre-pandemic trends. Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, said schools were “undoubtedly” more reliant on supply staff, linked to not only sickness absence but also the “very serious crisis in recruitment and retention”. Sickness cover drains budgets Cabot Learning Federation鈥檚 supply costs hit 拢2.3 million, up 拢500,000 on pre-Covid levels and rising twice as fast as its increased school numbers. A spokesperson said Covid’s “lingering impact” pushed absence well above pre-pandemic trends, with cover demand at “unprecedented highs”. CLF has had to look beyond its usual contractors to find staff, which “inevitably” hiked costs. Plymouth CAST also saw bills jump from 拢500,000 pre-pandemic to 拢636,000 in 2020-21 and 拢979,000 last academic year- despite a slight fall in school and pupil numbers. The accounts state schools 鈥渆xperienced significant pressure of teaching supply costs, due to heavy sickness through winter and spring of the academic year鈥. Creative Education Trust noted staff 鈥渟tress levels and absence were high鈥 in 2021-22, and highlighted 鈥渓oss of key staff through resignation, ill health or otherwise鈥 as one of the major risks facing its 17 schools. It spent 拢2.85 million on agency staff. Last week Schools Week showed how high sickness absence continued into this academic year. Data from software firm Arbor showed staff absences last term at double 2019 levels, amid surging Covid and flu cases. Recruitment woes exacerbate demand Gavin Beart Gavin Beart, education managing director at recruiters Reed, said Covid absences have 鈥渁dded fuel to the fire鈥 of pre-pandemic recruitment challenges in recent years. Northern Education Trust accounts noted recruitment had been 鈥渟ignificantly challenging鈥, leaving some posts vacant throughout the year 鈥 鈥渄espite rigorous efforts to recruit staff and increased employee incentive schemes鈥. Its agency bills reached 拢3.6 million, up from 拢2.7 million two years previously. The 34 per cent jump is twice the rate of its growth in school numbers. Even a trust founded by former academies minister Lord Agnew warned of a 鈥渘ationwide shortage of qualified teachers, with high numbers of individuals leaving the profession鈥. Inspiration Trust added 鈥渟oaring鈥 wider costs and higher-than-expected staff pay would force it to tap reserves and limit some spending plans 鈥 blaming this too on 鈥減olitical instability鈥. Pupil numbers have risen 27 per cent faster than teachers since 2017, with 3,600 more teachers needed to keep pace, analysis of official figures shows. Recruitment targets have been repeatedly missed, and an Institute for Fiscal Studies suggested recruitment and retention 鈥渉ave got worse this year鈥. The National Education Union called this 鈥渘o surprise鈥 given real-terms pay cuts, warning pupils will 鈥渟uffer greatly鈥 from teacher shortages and linking it to its current strike ballot. 翱蹿蝉迟别诲鈥檚 annual report last month warned staffing shortages and Covid absences had 鈥渃ompounded鈥 the pandemic鈥檚 impact on children鈥檚 progress since schools re-opened. 鈥淚t also delayed the return of sports, drama, music and other programmes,鈥 it added. Knock on supply teacher shortages Niall Bradley Niall Bradley, chair of the National Supply Teachers Network, said demand had evaporated during lockdown closures, but then been high for much of the pandemic – including autumn last year despite Covid isolation rules being relaxed. Supply matching service Zen Educate saw demand last half term jump almost a third year-on-year. But Ofsted noted Covid absences 鈥渓eft gaps not easily filled by the limited number of supply teachers鈥. Figures are unavailable for England, but Wales saw an 11 per cent drop in supply teachers between 2019 and 2021. Beart claimed while Reed had not hiked costs, some agencies 鈥渉ave used this time to capitalise鈥 with higher demand driving up teachers鈥 rates. However Bradley said many supply teachers were still earning no more than a decade ago, with staff not covered by national pay frameworks. Half the earnt under 拢125 a day. One leading academy trust recently advertised for supervisors to cover classes but not teach for as little as 拢74 a day, and secondary supply teachers as little as 拢110. Beart said many new teachers鈥 first jobs were in supply, but some leave teaching altogether due to 鈥渄ire rates and lots of pressure鈥 – suggesting higher rates could help wider retention problems.