Simon Whitcombe

Engage Education are always there for us – day or night! Our consultants are like a member of our team. They know the school well and ensure that we get the right person for the job. Thanks to you both and the team.

L. Singleton

Headteacher

I have had the pleasure of working with Simon for the past four years. Engage provide our school with day to day supply (teacher and teaching assistants), long term supply and recruitment of permanent staff. Day to day covering absence in school’s can be a challenging task. However, working with Simon has made this task much easier. His communication, both via email and telephone is excellent. Simon responds quickly to supply requests, taking the pressure off first thing in the morning. It’s never a problem and he will get it sorted! He regularly asks for feedback on supply staff to ensure the schools are receiving high quality supply cover. Long term supply Simon has supported the school with long term supply teachers and teaching assistants. On occasion, we have contacted Simon and requested a long term supply to start the following day - short timescales don’t seem to worry him. Simon’s positive approach definitely takes away some of the pressure at school and allows us time and space to organise our staffing. These placements are always very well organised. Trial days works well to ensure the supply if the right fit for the school. Permanent contracts Where recruitment has not been successful we have been able to use Simon’s services to recruit permanent members of staff. A process of reviewing CVs, school tours and interviews is organised to ensure the school secures the right candidate. Simon is available to negotiate with the candidates, where necessary. I would recommend working with Simon and his team for all your supply needs.

Ellie Clark

Deputy Headteacher, Hambrough Primary School

I have used Simon at Engage to fill my supply demands, both day-to-day and long term, for over 5 years; I would highly recommend his service. He knows exactly what I need from a teacher in my school and only suggests candidates who he knows will fit in with the ethos at my school. This saves me time and effort which I really appreciate. Simon is very personable and I feel like I get an individual service. Thank you.

Kerry Shilling

Headteacher, Selborne Primary School

Worked with engage for nearly 5 years now. Lovely people who are caring and friendly. Special thanks to Leah and Simon who have always been stars!

Armanii A

Learning Support Assistant

Engage is fantastic if you are looking for supply or permanent teaching roles in London. I have had nothing but success with Engage and highly thank Simon for his friendly and approachable manner.

Elle Harding

PE Teacher

I have nothing but praise for Engage Education and in particular Simon who has helped me immensely in finding very good schools to work in.

Rachel L

Primary Teacher

I am very happy with this very 'engaging' agency, & in particular, with the 2 people who mostly assign my roles, Simon Whitcombe & Craig Manley. They both have very positive attitudes & are cheery, considerate, honest, polite & reliable. Simon was the first to welcome me to Engage & took time to explain carefully, how it all worked. Everyone has their own reasons for considering agency work & their personal expectations. I was sold, not only on Simon's patient, friendly 1-1 approach & the company's guarantee of weekly paid days, once you've mutually agreed to a commitment, but also because I had another career to fit in, & he assured me that this was fine & workable. So far, things have been going smoothly & Engage has proven its flexibility. When I've notified them of my unavailability, either due to ill health, family issues or my other role, they have always shown respect & understanding & have worked around it. Equally, when, on occasion, an assignment for me has been cancelled or altered, they are quick on the ball to notify me of this, & do what they can to bring about the best possible outcome. And on the even rarer occasion of my feeding back that an assignment I've had was undesirable, they have considered my complaint & not reassigned me to that school, showing that they value & respect my opinion. Although this is only my second year with them (feels like I've known them for much longer), they are already like trusted family members, so I am happy to continue working with Simon, Craig & the rest of the team.

June L

Primary Teacher

Have had great experiences working with Engage. I have had daily supply work with them as well as a long term placement and they have always been able to find the perfect work assignments for me to fit with my schedule and other commitments. Simon in particular is friendly, approachable and always happy to help. They also put on social events occasionally which is great for people new to the city. Can’t recommend them enough.

Fiona R

Primary Teacher

Engage Education has made my transition to London incredibly easy. Simon and all the staff have always been there to help answer any questions and provide me with great advice, from the first phone call setting up interviews with schools, to advice about getting a house in London, travel tips and even helping me to gain a sponsorship with the current school I was working with. Their support and guidance is phenomenal and I can’t thank them enough for helping me with my London adventures, every step of the way.

Erin L

Primary Teacher

We have been booking staff from Engage through Simon for a number of years now. Over that time, the service we have received has been so good that we no longer use any other agency. Simon has a really good understanding of our school’s needs and works hard to match us with the best teachers. His communication is absolutely first class. He always responds to emails, calls and texts and keeps me in the loop so that I can make the most appropriate decision. He is absolutely reliable; if he says he is going to do something, I never have a moment’s doubt that it will happen. Even if I book a teacher at short notice, they are usually with us by 8.15am which means we have time to brief them fully before they are in front of a class. This helps them to feel confident about the day ahead. He also tries to prioritise us to ensure the children have the same teacher if a member of staff is absent for more than one day. I appreciate his attention to detail and his commitment to our children. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.

Kirsty Packham

Deputy Head, Oaklands Primary School