There has been a proliferation of music teaching agencies setting up in recent years offering a range of services. These may operate in direct competition with the local music service or hub, or cover areas that more traditional teaching providers don't.
Agencies operate in a variety of ways. Some work well for teachers who are perhaps starting out on their teaching careers, or just want to do the teaching without any additional admin. Good agencies will make sure you have a DBS check in place or help you get one. They will also check that you have public liability insurance and ask for references. They will allocate you work, sort out invoicing, perhaps collect fees, chase bad debts and sort out any teaching issues for you. For this they will charge a proportion of the hourly teaching rate, typically between 15 and 20 percent.
Agencies, when they work well, can provide a support network and enable you to work as a professional teacher under an umbrella organisation which, if it has a good reputation, can be beneficial as you build up your teaching portfolio. They may also provide CPD opportunities and mentoring, or give you access to work that would be difficult to find as an individual.
Unfortunately, not all agencies operate this way, so it is always worth exploring what you get from signing up to one that you could not get by building up your own teaching practice. Always look at what the agency is offering as a complete package and then work out if the agency fees are worth it.
Contracts
Some agencies use very onerous contracts with many restrictions, so it is always worth getting contracts checked before you sign them. If you are an MU member you can get any contract checked out by our legal team. Remember that once you have agreed to any terms and conditions you are legally bound by them.
Restrictions of trade: a contract might stipulate that you cannot work for other schools in the area, and there might be limiting clauses on what work you can take if you leave the agency. Some of these may be unenforceable in practice, but this could still mean an expensive legal challenge, and if the clauses were agreed in the first place then the agency can justifiably say that the contract has been broken. A recent agency contract seen by the MU had restrictions in place for two years after the teacher had left. This is more restrictive than any employment contract, but the teacher had agreed to the clause, and arguing that it is unfair afterwards is harder than checking before signing.
Rates of pay: ask questions about the pay per hour and what you are supposed to deliver for that money. It is always worth finding out what the client is paying so you know what the agency is taking, and make sure you are clear about the agency's and your responsibilities from the start.
An MU member recently gave us an agency contract to check. We discovered that the agency would be taking £10 off the hourly rate for teaching for only an introduction to pupils with no ongoing support, fee collection or debt chasing. The teacher concluded that it wasn't worth signing the contract.
Promise of work
When signing up to an agency, be realistic about your expectations. Many agencies will promise much to encourage teachers to sign up, when in reality there may be minimal work opportunities, often in places far distant from each other. Always look at the bigger picture – is there a chance to build on the work offered, or is travelling for 50 minutes to teach a 20-minute lesson actually not worth it?
To sum up, approach agencies with an open mind. Look at what they can provide for your career and income, and consider all the options before you sign up. You can contact the MU for further advice on working for agencies, and always send us any contract to be checked before you sign it.
Email teachers@themu.org with any queries. You can join the MU for £1 at www.themu.org
