Connex Education Partnership

What Connex Education Partnership does

Connex Education Partnership is a UK-based private education recruitment and staffing company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Chester, operating as a portfolio company of the Bluestones Group diversified conglomerate. The company operates a two-sided marketplace connecting 3,000+ education professionals (teachers, teaching assistants, support staff, tutors) with 3,900+ UK schools, nurseries, early years settings, Multi Academy Trusts, and local authorities each year. Its revenue model is primarily transactional: placement fees on supply-day, long-term, and permanent recruitment assignments across 26 regional branches in England and Wales, supplemented by tutoring services through the Connex Tutors sub-brand and recurring CPD training revenue through Connex Academy.

The company's product portfolio spans core recruitment (Connex Education Partnership), specialized tutoring and intervention (Connex Tutors, including SEN, PMLD, SEMH, and core subject pathways serving over 100,000 pupils annually), and accredited professional development (Connex Academy with 34+ courses). It holds approved supplier status on the Crown Commercial Service GCA Supply Staffing Framework RM6376 for public sector procurement, and maintains ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and REC memberships. The firm operates a consultant-led, sales-driven go-to-market through its physical branch network, with no proprietary technology platform disclosed.

Distribution is dominated by direct field sales through 26 regional branches, augmented by self-serve online job portal traffic, multi-channel social media presence, and referral programs (Refer a Friend, Refer a School). The company has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no app, and no public API; matching is human-driven. Strategic positioning emphasizes social value (Magic Breakfast partnership, Social Value Champions programme) to support public sector tender competitiveness in a UK education sector characterized by persistent teacher shortages.

Name

Connex Education Partnership

Legal name

Connex Education Partnership Limited

Website

https://connex-education.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Connex Education Partnership is a UK-based education recruitment and staffing agency connecting 3,000+ education professionals with 3,900+ schools, nurseries, and Multi Academy Trusts annually across 26 regional branches in England and Wales, also delivering tutoring and CPD training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Education Staff Recruitment: Placement of teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff into schools, nurseries, and early years settings on a supply (daily/hourly) or permanent basis.
2. Tutoring Services: Delivery of tutoring and intervention services to pupils, including SEN, PMLD, and core subject tutoring.
3. CPD Academy: Continuing professional development courses through Connex Academy, providing accredited education-specific training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Connex Education Partnership is a UK education recruitment and staffing agency that places teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff into schools, nurseries, and early years settings on a daily supply, long-term, or permanent basis. The company also delivers one-to-one and small group tutoring and intervention services, including SEN and PMLD specialisms, and provides accredited continuing professional development (CPD) courses through its Connex Academy platform.

Product overview

Connex Education Partnership operates as an education recruitment and staffing platform offering a unified portfolio of services: their core recruitment platform connects UK schools, nurseries, and specialist settings with qualified supply and permanent staff; Connex Tutors provides specialized one-to-one and small group tutoring including SEN, PMLD, and core subject interventions; and Connex Academy delivers CPD and skills development via their online training platform. The company also participates in the government GCA framework RM6376 for public sector staffing procurement. The platform spans 24+ branch locations across England and Wales, supporting over 13,000 staff placements annually to approximately 3,900 schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connex Tutors: A sub-brand providing tutoring and mentoring services to schools, local authorities, and EOTAS settings, delivering intervention sessions to pupils.

Products and services

• Connex Education Partnership Recruitment Services Core recruitment and staffing service connecting UK schools, nurseries, and specialist units with qualified teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff for daily supply cover, long-term cover, and permanent placements.
• Connex Tutors Specialized tutoring and mentoring service providing one-to-one and small group tuition for pupils across all age groups, including intervention pathways for SEND, SEMH, and PMLD needs.
• Connex Academy
• SEN Tutor Service
• PMLD Tutor Service Specialized tutoring for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities, delivering personalized 1:1 intervention sessions using multi-sensory, creative, and therapeutic approaches including Makaton, PECS, and assistive technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,900 schools supplied last year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Magic BreakfastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnex Education Partnership has partnered with Magic Breakfast to fund 1 million nutritious, stigma-free breakfasts for children across the UK facing food insecurity. The company participates in fundraising activities including cycling challenges, marathon running, and mountain climbing to support this initiative.
• Bluestones GroupcoreOthersConnex Education Partnership Limited is part of the Bluestones Group, a larger parent organization.
• The Classroom PartnershipminorOthersRelated entity under the same umbrella, focused on education staffing and classroom support.
• GCA Supply Staffing Framework RM6376coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnex Education Partnership is an approved supplier on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) GCA Supply Staffing Framework RM6376, enabling them to provide supply staffing services to public sector organisations including schools and academies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Protocol Education: One of the largest UK education recruitment agencies, placing teachers, TAs and support staff into schools nationwide. Directly comparable to Connex on customer base, services (supply, permanent, international), and consultant-led distribution model.
• Teaching Personnel: UK education recruitment specialist supplying teachers, teaching assistants and support staff across primary, secondary and SEND settings. Competes head-to-head with Connex in supply cover and permanent placement, with similar branch network coverage.
• Career Teachers: UK-focused education recruitment agency placing teachers and support staff in daily supply, long-term and permanent roles. Direct competitor to Connex with comparable school customer base and UK-wide branch presence.
• Academics: UK education recruitment agency specializing in teacher, teaching assistant and SEND placements across primary and secondary schools. Operates a similar branch-led model and serves the same school and academy customers as Connex.
• Engage Education: UK education recruitment agency placing teachers, TAs and SEND specialists across mainstream and alternative provision settings. Closely comparable mid-sized direct competitor with similar supply/permanent service mix.
• Aspire People: UK education recruitment firm supplying teachers, support staff and SEND specialists to schools and academies. Comparable branch-led model and customer overlap with Connex across daily supply and permanent placements.

Broad incumbents

• Hays Education: Education staffing arm of Hays plc, a global recruitment group. Offers overlapping teacher and education support placements as part of a much wider portfolio across multiple sectors, providing scale advantages but less specialization than Connex.
• Reed Education: Education division of Reed, one of the UK's largest recruitment brands. Competes with Connex on teacher supply and permanent placements but operates across many other sectors with broader employer relationships.
• Randstad Education: UK education arm of global staffing firm Randstad. Supplies teachers and support staff to schools as part of a multinational workforce solutions platform, competing with Connex on permanent and supply placements at scale.

Emerging players

• Explore Learning: UK provider of after-school maths and English tuition for children aged 4-14, overlapping with Connex Tutors in the supplementary tutoring space. Comparable on tutoring delivery but operates a centre-based model rather than school-delivered intervention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ConnexEducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/connexeducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connex-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/connexeducation
• TikToktiktok.com/@connexeducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Connex Education Partnership