Tuesday 3 June, 2025
As schools across the UK battle rising absence rates and increasing burnout among staff, Schools UK has been appointed as a supplier on the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) Staff Absence Protection and Reimbursement Services framework — giving schools, academies, and multi-academy trusts (MATs) a trusted, fully compliant route to secure absence protection and wellbeing support.
A Crisis in Education Workforce Health
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Department for Education highlight a growing national issue: workforce absence is at critical levels. In 2022, the UK saw its highest sickness absence rate since 2004, rising to 2.6% of working hours lost — equating to a record 185.6 million days lost due to sickness or injury across all sectors ONS, 2022.
In schools specifically, recent figures show that on 21 July, 5.5% of teachers and school leaders and 5.1% of teaching assistants and other staff were absent for any reason from open schools — painting a clear picture of ongoing disruption in the education workforce DfE, 2022.
This mounting pressure is also reflected in the 2023 School Workforce Census, which reports:
468,700 FTE teachers in state-funded schools, up only slightly from last year 282,900 FTE teaching assistants, up by 1,800 A 20% increase in teacher vacancies from 2022 to 2023 A continuing rise in pupil-to-teacher ratios, especially in nurseries and primary settings The highest number of temporarily filled posts in recent years
These figures paint a stark picture of the growing demand for dependable absence protection and staff wellbeing services in schools.
Schools UK’s appointment to this national framework arrives at a critical time, offering fast, FCA-regulated absence insurance with added human-first wellbeing support — all delivered through a pre-vetted route schools can trust.
Why Schools Choose Schools UK via the CPC Framework
As an FCA-regulated and FSCS-protected provider, Schools UK offers insurance-backed absence protection with guaranteed claim payment. This is real-world support that’s secure, simple, and responsive to the current climate – helping schools continue operating efficiently even when absence rates are high.
Key features include:
AXA-underwritten absence insurance Average payment time of just 3 days for valid claims 100% of valid claims paid – no exceptions FCA-regulated & FSCS-protected – built-in financial security Secure, paperless claim portal with live claim tracking Gold Wellbeing Programme, provided by Schools UK Health – supporting staff, governors, and close family members, even if they are not included on the staff absence insurance policy. This programme is included free with every policy as standard.
With over 27 years of experience and thousands of schools already supported nationwide, Schools UK delivers practical solutions that support both operational continuity and the wellbeing of your workforce.
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