I am very happy to provide feedback based on my experience working with The Classroom Partnership during my time as Chief People Officer, where The Classroom Partnership supported all of our schools across the Trust with both teaching and support staff supply.
Overall, our experience with Connex was very positive and they proved to be a strong and reliable partner to the Trust.
Ability to meet urgent cover requirements
The Classroom Partnership were consistently responsive when urgent cover was required. Schools were able to contact their account manager directly and, in most cases, suitable candidates were sourced quickly, often at very short notice. This was particularly important during periods of high absence where rapid deployment of staff was essential to maintain continuity for pupils.
Ability to meet planned cover needs
For planned cover requirements such as maternity cover or longer-term absence, The Classroom Partnership demonstrated a strong understanding of school requirements and were able to source suitable candidates with the right experience and skillset. They were proactive in working with schools to plan ahead where possible.
Compliance and safeguarding
From a Trust perspective, safeguarding and compliance were critical considerations. The Classroom Partnership maintained robust compliance processes and provided clear assurance that all staff had undergone the appropriate safeguarding checks, including enhanced DBS verification, reference checks and right-to-work verification. Documentation was well managed and readily available when required by our central HR team or individual schools.
SEN and support staff specialisms
The Classroom Partnership were able to support a wide range of roles beyond classroom teachers, including teaching assistants and staff with SEN experience. This was particularly valuable given the level of need within many of our schools, and they worked closely with us to understand the specific requirements of individual settings.
Account management and reporting
Account management was a particular strength of the service. Communication was clear, responsive and solutions-focused. The Classroom Partnership also worked with us under a clear set of agreed KPIs across the Trust, including measures such as time to fill vacancies, fill rates, compliance standards and responsiveness to schools. In practice, they consistently met and often exceeded these performance measures, which provided assurance to the Trust that the service was being delivered to a high standard.
Systems capability and ease of use
The systems used for bookings and candidate management were straightforward and accessible for schools. Whilst schools often used direct communication with The Classroom Partnership team for urgent requirements, the system provided a helpful mechanism for managing bookings and maintaining visibility of supply usage.
In summary, The Classroom Partnership provided a dependable and well-managed supply solution across the Trust. They supported all of our schools and worked collaboratively with both school leaders and the central team. In my experience, they were professional, responsive and delivered against the expectations we set as a Trust, and I would consider them a strong solution for multi-academy trusts looking for a structured and reliable supply partner.