Reaction among education recruiters has been overwhelmingly negative to the news that the Department for Education will not continue its Quality Mark accreditation for supply teachers beyond 31 March.

The contract for the scheme developed as a joint initiative by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and the Department for Education (DfE) in July 2002, sets minimum standards for agencies and local authorities to reach in areas such as the way they recruit and interview supply teachers, the way they check and manage their performance, and the way they stay at the forefront of changes in the teaching sector.

Darryl Mydat, managing director at agency TLTP Education (The London Teaching Pool), says: “We are deeply disappointed at the DfE's decision to abandon the recruitment agency Quality Mark. The high standards of the Quality Mark ensured schools that used agencies that had obtained the QM of the highest standards of recruitment practice and safeguarding of children.

“With the closure of the Quality Mark I have serious concerns relating to the safeguarding of children, without proper checks and audits. I pray we do not see another Soham disaster* as a result. With the Quality Mark in place our clients, the schools, were assured that we operated to the highest standards. TLTP will continue to operate to these standards, however many of our competitors may not and may place children at risk.”

Supply teaching agency Aspire People described the news as a “shock”, with the scheme having “raised the standards of supply teachers and ensured that recruitment agencies are carrying out the necessary safeguarding and vetting checks properly. Further to this agencies will no longer be accountable”.

In a statement, education recruiter Simply Education adds: “As there are no current plans for a replacement scheme, Simply Education feels this decision leaves the teaching recruitment industry in a vulnerable place. Schools are losing the benchmark, which distinguishes those agencies who comply to stringent compliant and vetting, from the cowboy ‘quick buck’ businesses.”

The REC branded the decisions “a retrograde step”, with chief executive officer Kevin Green saying it will write to the DfE “to challenge this decision”, although noting we “also have to be realistic about the chances of ministers having a change of heart”.

* The 2002 murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman by school caretaker Ian Huntley.