A FORMER head teacher from Westbrook hopes to bring diversity and crucial help to schools in Warrington with his new and innovative approach to teacher recruitment.

Jamie Rogers found his passion for teaching after completing his degree at Manchester Metropolitan University and then went on to become one of the youngest head teachers in the country.

He now plans to create an easier and less costly avenue for schools to recruit teachers, through his new company, Diverse Apply, with the aim of ‘disrupting the excessive profits that recruiters make’ by charging a flat fee for all recruitment.

The 34-year-old was previously a headteacher at The Welldon Park Academy, based in Harrow, London, by the age of 27 and he gained first hand experience in the strain of teacher recruitment.

“I felt a bit like Harry Redknapp on transfer day. Around this time of year, the resignation deadline for teachers is May 31, so in just under a couple of months a load of teachers will leave your school and you are then left with a whole host of gaps with only three or four weeks to fill them.”

Speaking on the struggle of recruitment, Jamie said the process is ‘very expensive’ for schools with already ‘tight budgets’, estimating that schools spend £75million annually on filling positions.

“On average a teaching post costs £3,000 per teacher to fill a post and £6,000 per leader to fill a post.”

Jamie, now based back in Warrington wants to expand his customer base to his hometown and grow connections with schools in the area. His company charges a flat fee of £975 to recruit for a position.

“There are more vacancies now than ever before. I would love to start supporting Warrington schools now I am based back in Warrington.”

Part of Jamie’s goals within the business is to help schools recruit a more diverse range of teachers representing different cultures.

“We have a lot of people coming into the community from Hong Kong, and people coming from different parts of England. I think it is a crucial time for Warrington schools to think about their diversity within staff.

“My own children are mixed race. I would love them to have more role models within their school that look like them and sound like them.”

The entrepreneur stated how his competitors charge high rates of commission per position too, but he wants to reduce this expense to one fixed fee for everything.

“Traditional recruitment agencies, they can charge anything from 18% commission of a teacher’s salary, which equates to £5,000 or more as a commission fee to pay that company.

“We will find you a great teacher who can go and work at your school for that fixed fee.”

Jamie, who still works part time at education charity, The Difference, emphasised how in his recruitment process he stressed an importance in ensuring that future and current teachers’ are aware and ready to have ‘important conversations’ that younger generations are having.

“We need to make sure that teaching workforces are ready to have those important conversations that young people are having around race and sexuality.”

“I will be very happy to talk to anyone, even for just a chat around their diversity equity including recruitment strategies or thinking about diversifying their work force – I am really happy to talk to any Warrington based school.”

“We have great schools here in Warrington that are quite far ahead in terms of results academically, but I think in terms of preparing that kind of rounded picture of child is what we need to think about.”

To find out further information visit the website diverseapply.com