What’s happening with the CCS Supply Teachers Framework?
As of today’s date, the RM6376 – CCS Supply Teacher and Education Recruitment Framework pipeline notice on the UK Find a Tender Service still shows the publication date as 15th October 2025 for the tender documents……but will it be postponed?
Why do I ask this question? The recruitment rumour mill is going ten to the dozen on this one, but I hope we can bring a little insight into the mix by sharing the information we have gleaned from some extremely reputable sources.
The last 2 iterations of this framework have been almost carbon copies of each other, but we understand that this time, there may be a shakeup, with education being the latest sector to be targeted by the Government for the introduction of more coordinated savings and efficiencies. Currently only about 10% of schools purchase under RM6238 (the current iteration of the framework) and spend a total of only about £75 million framework-wide. We don’t believe that organic growth will increase numbers dramatically unless there is a significant overhaul. We have been advised that this is on the way in the form of DfE intervention in the upcoming CCS framework. We understand that the public sector spending strategy is moving rapidly into education, and this will mean significant changes to impact both pricing and the uptake of the framework by schools.
But what does this mean? And what impact is this likely to have on published timeframes?
We have been advised that the DfE is pushing for several changes to the current framework and has also requested a delay to publishing the new tender while these are implemented. We have also been led to believe the pricing aspect of the upcoming framework will be strongly impacted, with lessons learnt from the NHS. This may mean introducing pricing models in relation to permanent, temp to perm and temporary/supply teaching and associated service lines that nail down pricing much more clearly. Could this include price caps or an equivalent? The simple answer is we don’t know yet, but we have heard that the DfE may push for this framework to be mandated in the same way as the NHS frameworks are for hospitals – meaning that off-framework supply will be increasingly difficult and may become a thing of the past.
How much time will this take to implement? Again, we don’t know, however, we understand that other services within education have been “mandated” (e.g. insurance services where schools now purchase these at a fixed cost based on the number of pupils) and that it may be more straightforward to mandate this framework than many anticipate. This could mean that “mandating” is possible to incorporate into the upcoming iteration of the framework contrary to popular belief!
I realise that this may create more questions that it answers, but it may also mean that education recruiters need to reconsider decisions about whether to bid for this framework if off-framework supply makes up their core business.
If you would like to have a no obligation chat about this, please do get in touch on 01688 400319 or email fiona.brunton@bruntonconsultancy.co.uk.