I worked with ABC Teachers for two years and felt extremely unsupported throughout my time with them. Their main selling point is the “guaranteed pay” scheme—unfortunately, this is incredibly misleading. There are no clear policies in place to protect you if they don’t find you work, and I was frequently left unpaid with no accountability. Schools could cancel on the day, and I had no rights or compensation.
During the most heartbreaking period of my life—after losing my father—I received calls just one to two weeks later asking when I’d return to work, with no compassion or proper bereavement support. Sick pay was abysmal, and formal grievances were completely ignored. HR was indifferent and unhelpful, making an already difficult situation worse.
They often say they value and support their supply teachers, but actions speak louder than words. I was placed in challenging schools with no support, and whenever issues arose, the agency consistently sided with the school to protect their business relationships, not their staff.
I worked with the Birmingham branch, managed by Danny. Despite reassurances about the guaranteed pay scheme—including informal payments made without a contract—I was later told the scheme “had to be renewed annually” with no proper documentation. It felt dishonest and exploitative.
If I hadn’t been going through so much at the time, I would have taken legal action against them for how I was treated.
I’m now in a far better role as a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner within the NHS. Looking back, I can’t believe I allowed myself to endure this for so long. Please think carefully before working with ABC Teachers, particularly the Birmingham branch. Your time, energy, and wellbeing deserve far better.