First for Education

What First for Education does

First for Education is a UK-based education recruitment agency that connects schools with vetted supply teachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors, SEND specialists, and school support staff across the West Midlands. The company operates as a brand within the Operam Education Group (OEG), a BGF-backed multi-brand education recruitment platform, and runs four physical branch offices in Stourbridge, Wolverhampton, Worcester, and Birmingham. Its customer base is segmented across primary, secondary, further education, SEND, early years, and non-teaching school roles, serving thousands of schools in the region.

The core offering is built on a web-based job portal and candidate management system that allows candidates to register, search roles, and submit timesheets online, while schools can submit vacancies through a dedicated client portal. Beyond transactional placement, the company provides an ecosystem of supplementary services including leadership recruitment, CPD support, Early Career Teacher (ECT) programs, apprenticeships, policy assurance, and an educational resource library. Differentiation rests on local branch density, personalized consultant relationships, and group-level compliance credentials (APSCo, Cyber Essentials, Inclusive Employers).

Commercially, First for Education generates revenue through transaction fees on teacher and support staff placements, with pricing varying by role type and contract duration (e.g., SEN TA day rates of £120, permanent roles at £21,700-£24,000 with undisclosed agency fees). The go-to-market is sales-led via direct branch consultations combined with a self-serve online portal for candidates, supported by content marketing, client testimonials, referral programs, and community engagement. Operam Education Group's July 2024 acquisition of Horizon Teachers extends the group's footprint into London and the South East, positioning First for Education within a broader consolidation play in UK education recruitment.

Name

First for Education

Legal name

First for Education

Website

https://firstforeducation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First for Education is a UK education recruitment agency operating under Operam Education Group, supplying vetted teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff to schools across the West Midlands via four branch offices and a web-based portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Staffing and Recruitment

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPACAFAI

Education Direct Hire (Teachers/Administrators)

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Permanent Placement & Direct Hire

Keywords

• Education recruitment agency
• Supply teacher staffing
• SEND recruitment
• School staffing services
• Teacher placement

Headquarters

HQ city

West Stockbridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Teacher Recruitment Placement Fees: Fees charged to schools for providing supply teachers and education staff. Schools engage the agency to source suitable candidates for temporary and permanent positions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First for Education is a UK education recruitment agency that connects schools with qualified supply teachers, teaching assistants, SEND specialists, cover supervisors, and school support staff for daily, long-term, and permanent placements. The company operates four branch offices across the West Midlands and supplements its recruitment service with online candidate and client portals, plus specialist services for leadership recruitment and SEND staffing.

Product overview

First for Education is a specialist education recruitment agency operating as part of the Operam Education Group. The company offers a unified platform combining candidate recruitment services (supply teachers, teaching assistants, SEND specialists) with client-facing tools for schools to fill vacancies. Core offerings include the job search platform, candidate/client portals (My Agency, My Recruitment Agency), and specialist services for leadership roles and SEND placements. Supporting modules provide CPD training, ECT support, apprenticeships, policy assurance, and a resource library. The platform serves the West Midlands education sector across primary, secondary, SEND, early learning, further education, administration, and facilities sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Supply Teacher and Education Staff Recruitment Core recruitment service placing qualified, pre-vetted supply teachers and support staff into schools across the West Midlands for daily supply, short-term, long-term, and permanent positions. Used by primary, secondary, SEND, and further education schools requiring reliable cover.
• Education Leadership Recruitment Service Bespoke recruitment service focused on sourcing and hiring school leaders (e.g., Deputy Head, Headteacher, Head of Year, SENCo, Business Manager). Designed to address the recognised shortage of education leaders and provide schools with a tailored leadership hiring solution.
• SEND Specialist Recruitment Service Specialist recruitment service for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) schools and units, supplying SEND teaching assistants (e.g., £120/day), SEN teachers, and learning support practitioners experienced in EHCP support, Team Teach, and PMLD settings.
• Policy Assurance Service Compliance and policy management support service for schools, covering safeguarding policies, regulatory adherence, and APSCo compliance alignment to ensure agency-placed staff meet statutory requirements.
• Apprenticeship Placement Service Apprenticeship placement service that connects young people with education-sector apprenticeship opportunities within schools and the broader Operam Education Group network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schools report reliable, competitive costs and second-to-none quality of teachers and cover supervisors

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Horizon TeachersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024OEG acquired Horizon Teachers in July 2024, marking OEG's first acquisition in London, strengthening its geographical footprint in the South East. Horizon Teachers operates as part of the OEG brand portfolio.
• Operam Education GroupcoreOthersFirst for Education is a brand within the Operam Education Group (OEG), a BGF-backed education recruitment specialist. OEG operates multiple education recruitment brands across the UK.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Simply Education: UK education recruitment agency focused on supply teachers, cover supervisors, TAs, and SEND staff for primary and secondary schools. Comparable service model and target customer base to First for Education, with multi-region coverage.
• Horizon Teachers: London-based education recruitment agency specialising in supply teachers and support staff, now a sibling brand within Operam Education Group after OEG's July 2024 acquisition. Operates the same supply/permanent placement model as First for Education, serving schools in a complementary geography (South East).
• Teachers UK: UK education recruitment agency and OEG sibling brand, placing teachers and support staff into primary, secondary, and SEND schools. Closely comparable operating model, customer base, and revenue streams to First for Education.
• TimePlan Education: UK education recruitment specialist providing supply teachers, long-term cover, and permanent placements to primary, secondary, and SEND schools. Directly comparable offering to First for Education with similar multi-branch operating model.
• Key Stage Teacher Supply: Education recruitment agency and OEG sibling brand operating across UK regions. Closely comparable supply and permanent placement model, sharing group back-office, technology platform, and candidate pool with First for Education.
• The Education Specialists: OEG sibling brand providing teachers, support staff, and SEND specialists to UK schools. Operates the same vertical recruitment model as First for Education and shares parent-group infrastructure and candidate ecosystem.
• Teaching Personnel: UK's largest specialist education recruitment company, supplying day-to-day, long-term, and permanent teachers, TAs, and SEND support to schools across England and Wales. Closely comparable in core service mix to First for Education but with significantly broader geographic reach.
• Protocol Education: One of the largest UK education recruitment agencies, supplying teachers, TAs, and SEND staff to primary and secondary schools nationwide. Direct competitor to First for Education with a similar supply/permanent placement offering but materially larger scale and national footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Hays Education: Education recruitment division of Hays, the global FTSE-listed staffing group. Supplies teachers, leaders, and support staff to UK schools, leveraging group scale and PSL framework agreements — a meaningful competitor to First for Education, especially in permanent and leadership placements.
• Reed Education: Education recruitment arm of Reed, the UK's largest generalist recruitment group. Competes directly with First for Education in supply teaching and permanent education placements, while also offering broader staffing services across multiple sectors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/first4edsupply
• Facebookfacebook.com/First4Education
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 First for Education