We’re pleased to provide this dedicated space for schools and education partners looking for information about the RM6376 Supply Teachers and Educational Services framework. This hub brings together everything you need in one place — from framework guidance and compliance information to service updates and helpful resources — making it easier to work with The Staff Room through RM6376.
The Staff Room Agency Limited has been named as a supplier on the Government Commercial Agency’s (GCA) RM6376 Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment Framework.
Building on eight years of experience across the two framework iterations, we continue to provide schools and trusts with a compliant, reliable, and high-quality supply staffing services – now fully aligned with the latest government requirements.
What Schools, MATs and Education Leaders Need to Know About the 2026 Supply Staff Changes
The education recruitment landscape is undergoing one of its biggest procurement changes in years.
In April 2026, the Government Commercial Agency (GCA), formerly known as Crown Commercial Service (CCS), launched a brand-new national framework agreement for supply teachers and education recruitment: RM6376 Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment. The framework replaces the previous CCS supply staffing agreement and introduces a significant new requirement for academy trusts from September 2026 onwards.
For many schools and trusts, the framework will not dramatically alter day-to-day booking arrangements. However, it will fundamentally change how academy trusts must procure supply staff and how they demonstrate compliance, value for money and procurement transparency.
This guide explains everything schools, MATs and education leaders need to know about the new framework, including what is changing, what remains the same, how procurement now works, and what practical steps schools should take ahead of the September 2026 deadline.
RM6376 is the Government Commercial Agency’s national framework agreement for recruiting temporary, fixed-term and permanent education staff across the public sector. It officially launched on 30 April 2026 and runs until 29 April 2029, with an optional one-year extension.
The framework was procured jointly by GCA, YPO and ESPO under the Procurement Act 2023 and is designed to give schools and trusts access to compliant, pre-approved recruitment suppliers under standardised terms and capped supplier fees.
The agreement covers a wide range of staffing categories including classroom teachers, teaching assistants, SEN specialists, cover supervisors, tutors, senior leaders and operational support staff such as administrators, finance staff, IT technicians, caretakers and facilities personnel.
The most significant development within RM6376 is the new Department for Education mandate affecting academy trusts.
From September 2026, both single academy trusts and multi-academy trusts must procure agency supply staff through the GCA framework agreement, or through an alternative procurement route that fully complies with Procurement Act 2023 requirements and does not exceed the framework’s pricing structure.
The requirement is formally published within the 2026 Academy Trust Handbook and is intended to improve transparency, reduce excessive agency fees and deliver better value for money across the academy sector.
For MAT leaders, CFOs and trust procurement teams, this effectively creates a new governance and compliance obligation. Trusts will increasingly need to demonstrate that their supply staffing arrangements align with framework pricing, procurement regulations and the Department for Education’s expectations around financial oversight.
Local authority maintained schools are not mandated to use the framework, although they are encouraged to do so voluntarily. Independent schools are not eligible to access RM6376.
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the framework is that schools will be forced to change recruitment partners. In reality, schools can continue working with their preferred agencies provided they have a compliant arrangement that satisfies the Procurement Act 2023. In reality using a RM6376 supplier will be the go-to route to ensure compliance.
This means that for many schools the operational experience of booking supply staff may remain very familiar. The key difference is that bookings must now sit within a compliant procurement structure.
When the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) is published in September 2026, it will include a clear requirement that trusts must use the GCA RM6376 framework for their supply staffing needs unless they have an alternative compliant arrangement with rates that do not exceed those available through the framework.
Trusts choosing not to use the framework will need to satisfy two tests:
Trusts should also be alert to pressure from agencies to sign agency-specific terms and conditions rather than the official GCA call-off terms. Doing so risks voiding the contractual protections the framework provides, including the rate caps, the 12-week free-to-permanent provision, and safeguarding and audit standards.
Trusts with existing contracted arrangements will not be forced to exit them early but are advised to review their current rates against framework rates ahead of renewal.
RM6376 is divided into two separate lots which are designed for different procurement needs.
Lot 1 covers Teachers and Education Recruitment and is the route most schools will use. It allows schools and trusts to appoint agencies directly for day-to-day supply, long-term cover, fixed-term appointments and permanent recruitment.
Lot 2 covers Managed Service Provision. Under this arrangement, a managed service provider oversees an organisation’s staffing requirements and may operate its own wider supply chain of agencies.
The Agency Selection Tool sits at the centre of the framework and is designed to simplify compliant procurement for schools and trusts.
Schools can use the tool to search approved suppliers, compare supplier fee rates, create shortlists and identify agencies based on location and staffing requirements.
We have provided a link to the Framework Agency Selection Tool – in our framework resources section on this page.
One of the most important changes introduced through RM6376 is the introduction of capped supplier fees.
These caps apply specifically to the supplier’s fee or mark-up, rather than the pay received by supply staff themselves.
Under the framework, supplier fees cannot exceed:
• £45 for STEM teachers
• £40 for non-STEM teachers
• £38 for SEND support staff
• £36 for non-SEND support staff
• £55 for senior leadership roles
• £32 for admin and clerical positions
Importantly, these figures represent maximum caps rather than fixed rates. Many suppliers may charge lower amounts depending on volume, geography or the nature of the booking.
Schools can procure through the framework using two different award methods.
The first is Award Without Competition, previously known as Direct Award. This is the recommended route for most Lot 1 bookings.
Under this approach, schools simply identify an approved supplier, complete the short order form and proceed with the booking. This route is intended for straightforward staffing requirements and urgent supply needs.
The second route is Award with Competition, previously called Further Competition. This process is more formal and is generally used for larger or more complex contracts.
It involves a mini-competition process, supplier evaluation criteria, procurement documentation and formal scoring procedures.
RM6376 has been established under the Procurement Act 2023 and incorporates a number of transparency obligations that schools and trusts will increasingly need to understand.
While many individual schools using straightforward Lot 1 direct awards may experience minimal additional administration, larger trusts are likely to see increasing procurement governance requirements over time.
The framework places strong emphasis on safeguarding and supplier compliance.
All suppliers must demonstrate that worker vetting procedures comply with Keeping Children Safe in Education standards.
Suppliers are also required to maintain audited accreditation through recognised industry bodies such as REC, APSCo, Neuven or Lawspeed.
Additional framework checks include Cyber Essentials certification, financial standing assessments and minimum insurance requirements including:
The framework also includes social value requirements and places considerable emphasis on SME participation. Notably, 86% of Lot 1 suppliers are SMEs.
Several popular protections from the previous framework remain unchanged.
Schools can continue to transfer workers from temporary to permanent contracts free of charge after 12 weeks, provided four weeks’ notice is given.
The framework also continues to support nominated workers, allowing schools to appoint recommended workers through approved agencies while benefiting from framework pricing and safeguarding protections.
For many schools, the practical impact of RM6376 may initially appear relatively limited. However, academy trusts in particular should begin preparing early for September 2026.
MATs should review their existing supply staffing arrangements, identify which agencies are already approved under RM6376 and compare current supplier fees against framework pricing.
Local authority schools are not required to use the framework but may still benefit from the transparency, fee caps and procurement protections it offers.
RM6376 represents more than a simple framework refresh.
It signals a broader shift in how the Department for Education expects academy trusts to manage supply staffing procurement, financial oversight and compliance. The framework is designed to improve transparency, reduce excessive agency charging and strengthen governance across the sector.
For schools already working with approved suppliers, the transition may be relatively smooth. For academy trusts operating outside compliant procurement routes, however, the months leading up to September 2026 will be critically important.
The key message is clear: the new framework is not simply another procurement option. For academy trusts, it is becoming the new standard for compliant supply staffing procurement.
The Government Commercial Agency (GCA) is the UK’s central commercial and procurement organisation, connecting public and private sectors to achieve the best outcomes for the UK and its citizens. GCA uses its commercial expertise to create a simpler procurement experience that redirects valuable resources into essential public services – creating value for the nation.
