Step Teachers
Step Teachers is a UK-based independent family-run education recruitment agency placing qualified supply teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff into primary, secondary, SEND, early years, and FE settings across England via five regional branches and an online booking platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersFriern Barnet, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Step Teachers does
Step Teachers is a UK-based, independent family-run education recruitment agency that places qualified supply teachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors, HLTAs, early years practitioners, and SEND specialists into primary, secondary, independent, SEND, nursery, and further education settings across England. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Friern Barnet (North London), the company operates five regional branches — North London, Norwich (East Anglia), Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire (trading as Class Act Teaching Services), and Plymouth (South West) — supplemented by sub-brands Class Act (Oxfordshire) and Tiny Step (early years). It serves what the company describes as 'thousands of schools' each year, with over 200 active vacancies at the time of source capture.
The technology stack is a web-based recruitment platform: a public vacancy listings site, a candidate registration system, an online booking system that lets schools self-serve supply bookings, a benefits portal (Step Perks & Pay, offering 24-hour online GP access and discounts), and a CPD portal with 360+ video courses delivered through partnerships with Creative Education and The National College. The proprietary 'Step On' training programme, co-developed with Norfolk County Council's Norfolk Steps team, delivers behaviour-support and de-escalation training exclusively to Step Teachers supply staff. The company is REC Audited (Education Gold Standard) and is a Crown Commercial Service & DfE preferred supplier on the Supply Teachers Framework.
Step Teachers makes money through two intertwined streams. First, schools, colleges, and nurseries pay placement/transaction fees for each filled shift on a daily or hourly basis (candidate pay rates range from £85.50 to £150 per day, or £14.25 per hour for early years practitioners). Second, the company acts as the legal employer of placed supply staff under PAYE rather than Umbrella arrangements, retaining the margin between candidate pay and school-billed rates. Marketing and distribution run through regional branch account management (enterprise), the online booking channel (self-serve), the CCS framework (government procurement), and content/SEO/social channels at the top of the funnel.
Step Teachers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Step Teachers
- Legal name
- Step Teachers Ltd
- Website
- https://stepteachers.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Step Teachers is a UK-based independent family-run education recruitment agency placing qualified supply teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff into primary, secondary, SEND, early years, and FE settings across England via five regional branches and an online booking platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Step Teachers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Staffing Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Direct Hire (Teachers/Administrators) (BPACAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM)
Keywords
Where Step Teachers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Friern Barnet
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Step Teachers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Education Recruitment Placement Fees: Step Teachers charges schools, colleges, and nurseries for providing qualified supply teachers and support staff. The company operates on a placement/fill rate basis where schools pay for the staffing services to cover teacher absences, temporary staffing gaps, and specialist subject needs.
- Supply Teacher and Support Staff Wages: The company pays supply teachers and support staff directly through PAYE (not Umbrella companies), meaning they act as the employer. Teachers earn daily rates ranging from £85.50 to £150 depending on role, qualification level, and location.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Teaching Assistant / Cover Supervisor roles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HLTA (Higher Level Teaching Assistant) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Early Years Practitioner |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Early Years Teacher with Employee Benefits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Step Teachers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Step Teachers is an independent, family-run education recruitment agency supplying qualified supply teachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors, HLTAs, SEND specialists, and early years practitioners to UK primary and secondary schools, nurseries, colleges, and SEND settings. The agency operates regional branch offices across England and an online booking platform, vetting candidates and providing schools with Assignment Confirmation & Vetting Checklist before placement. Supply staff are employed directly by Step Teachers on PAYE terms, with free CPD, benefits platform access, and the exclusive Step On behaviour-support training programme as value-adds.
Product overview
Step Teachers operates as a supply teaching recruitment agency offering a portfolio of services centred around connecting schools with qualified teaching and support staff. The core offering is the supply teaching service, supported by sub-brands Class Act Teaching Services (Oxfordshire) and Tiny Step (early years). Additional value-add services include Step Perks & Pay (benefits platform), Free CPD (online training courses via Creative Education and The National College), and the Step On Training programme (behaviour support and de-escalation training developed with Norfolk County Council). The company is REC Audited and holds preferred supplier status on the Crown Commercial Service Supply Teachers Framework.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Class Act Teaching Services: Teaching services division operating in Oxfordshire
- Tiny Step
Products and services
- Step Teachers Supply Teaching Service Core recruitment service placing qualified supply teachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors, HLTAs, SEND specialists, and early years practitioners into UK primary and secondary schools, nurseries, and SEND settings. Schools can book daily cover, long-term placements, and specialist roles either through dedicated consultants or the online booking system. Supply staff are employed by Step Teachers on PAYE terms.
- Class Act Teaching Services Regional sub-brand of Step Teachers operating in Oxfordshire, providing supply teachers and support staff to local schools under the Class Act name while leveraging Step Teachers' compliance, CPD, and benefits infrastructure.
- Tiny Step Early Years Recruitment Early-years-focused recruitment service brand offering placement of nursery assistants and early years practitioners into nurseries, preschools, and early years settings, with hourly-rate pay structure (£14.25/hour).
- Step On Behaviour Support Training Programme Proprietary behaviour-support and de-escalation training programme covering factors underpinning behaviour, non-restrictive interventions, and strategies for supporting children with behaviours that challenge. Developed in partnership with Norfolk County Council's Norfolk Steps team and exclusively available to Step Teachers supply staff, with the goal of training all Step Teachers supply staff in Norfolk every half term.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 active job vacancies across the UK
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Step Teachers
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Step Teachers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Step Teachers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Moore TeachersmajorStep Teachers announced a merger with Moore Teachers, with operations coming together from 1st August 2026 following a successful transition period. This represents a significant expansion of Step Teachers' UK presence and candidate pool.
- Crown Commercial Service (CCS) & Department for Education (DfE)coreStep Teachers was awarded preferred supplier status on the CCS & DfE sponsored supply teacher framework agreement, representing the Department for Education's first attempt to regulate the supply teaching market in England and Wales.
- Norfolk County Council (Norfolk Steps Team)coreStep Teachers partnered with Norfolk County Council's Norfolk Steps team to deliver the Norfolk Steps 'Step On' behaviour support and de-escalation training programme exclusively to their supply staff. This is the first time this training has been made available to supply staff. Training sessions are held at various venues including Sewell Park Academy and Wymondham Rugby Club, with the goal of training all Step Teachers supply staff in Norfolk every half term.
- Creative Education & The National CollegecorePartnership provides Step Teachers registered staff with free access to over 360 practical video CPD courses. The National College is a leading provider of professional development for education professionals in the UK.
- Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)minorStep Teachers' sponsored charity for 2025/26. The company supports GOSH which cares for the UK's sickest children, providing them with chances for better futures through specialist care.
- Young MindsminorStep Teachers' previous sponsored charity for 2024/25, focused on young people's mental health support. One in six children aged 5-16 now faces a mental health issue.
- Sewell Park AcademyminorHosted Step Teachers' first Norfolk Steps 'Step On' training session on 22nd December 2025. Provides physical venue for training delivery.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Step Teachers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Protocol Education: One of the largest UK education recruitment agencies, supplying teachers, TAs, and SEND support staff to primary, secondary, and SEND schools. Direct competitor in the same daily-supply, long-term placement, and framework procurement categories.
- Academics: UK-based education recruitment specialist placing teachers, TAs, and support staff into primary, secondary, and SEND settings. Similar mid-size independent agency profile with regional branch coverage.
- Career Teachers: UK-focused education recruitment agency supplying teachers and support staff nationally. Comparable in target buyers, daily-rate model, and SEND focus.
- Teaching Personnel: Major UK education recruitment specialist supplying primary, secondary, SEND, and early years staff nationwide. Closely comparable in business model, candidate pool, and school-buyer focus.
- Clarus Education: London-based education recruitment agency specialising in primary, secondary, and SEND staff placements. Comparable in market positioning, candidate base, and school-buyer relationships.
- Milk Education: UK education recruitment agency with multi-region branch coverage supplying primary, secondary, SEND, and early years staff. Closely comparable scale and independent agency profile.
Broad incumbents
- Reed Education: Education division of the Reed recruitment group, supplying teachers and support staff across the UK. Part of a much broader staffing platform but directly comparable in supply teaching service lines.
- Randstad Education: UK education division of Randstad, the global staffing group, providing supply teachers and support staff. Comparable service lines though operating within a broader portfolio of staffing solutions.
- Hays Education: Education arm of global recruiter Hays, providing supply and permanent teaching staff to UK schools. Larger, multi-sector parent but comparable in service offering and target buyer.
Emerging players
- Zen Educate: Tech-enabled UK education recruitment platform reducing agency mark-ups by connecting schools directly with teachers. Competes in the same supply teaching market with a platform-led GTM model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights2 records
Customer concentration
Step Teachers social profiles
Digital presenceStep Teachers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Step Teachers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Step Teachers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Step Teachers subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Step Teachers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Step Teachers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Step Teachers
What does Step Teachers do?
Step Teachers is an independent, family-run education recruitment agency supplying qualified supply teachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors, HLTAs, SEND specialists, and early years practitioners to UK primary and secondary schools, nurseries, colleges, and SEND settings. The agency operates regional branch offices across England and an online booking platform, vetting candidates and providing schools with Assignment Confirmation & Vetting Checklist before placement. Supply staff are employed directly by Step Teachers on PAYE terms, with free CPD, benefits platform access, and the exclusive Step On behaviour-support training programme as value-adds.
Is Step Teachers a public or private company?
Step Teachers is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Step Teachers founded?
Step Teachers was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Step Teachers based?
Step Teachers is headquartered in Friern Barnet, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Step Teachers make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Education Recruitment Placement Fees are the primary driver. The others are supply Teacher and Support Staff Wages.
Who are Step Teachers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Protocol Education, Academics, Career Teachers, Teaching Personnel, Clarus Education and Milk Education. Broad incumbents are Reed Education, Randstad Education and Hays Education. Zen Educate is listed as an emerging player.
Does Step Teachers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Step Teachers.
What industry is Step Teachers in?
Step Teachers's product category is Education Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAI, Education Direct Hire (Teachers/Administrators), with a secondary code of EDAHAFAM, Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 7361.