Supply teachers and support staff for academy trusts, on RM6376 Lot 1 Capped by the Framework.
Covered by Coba.
Coba Education is a Lot 1 supplier that sends the checks with each booking and lets you ask for staff by name.
Supply teacher
Booked by Coba Education
- School
- Yours
- Day
- 8.30 to 3.30
- Fee cap
- £40 a day
- Enhanced DBS
- Barred list and prohibition
- TRN and references
RM6376 Lot 1 supplier
Lot 1
4.8
1,500+
Schools that have booked Coba staff
- Northampton Academy
- Magdalen College School
- Hartwell Primary
- Walgrave Primary
- St Anthony’s Catholic Primary
The framework
What the Cap Fixes, and What Coba Covers.
Every Lot 1 agency works to the same rules on RM6376, so choose one on what the fee buys.
| Every booking | Fixed by RM6376 | Covered by Coba |
|---|---|---|
| The agency’s fee | Capped at £32 to £55 a day, by role | Coba’s own rate within the cap, on request |
| The worker’s pay | Shown to you beside the agency’s fee | Agreed with Coba and paid weekly, with timesheets online |
| Vetting | To KCSIE, the DfE’s safeguarding guidance | Met face to face, with the DBS rechecked every three months |
| Who turns up | Left to the agency | Ask for the same supply teacher again, when they’re free |
| Out of hours | Left to the agency | A 24/7 line: “come rain or shine, night or day” |
Cost a cover day
Do the Sums Before You Ring.
RM6376 caps what an agency adds to each day’s pay. Pick the role, the days and the pay, and see the most a booking can cost.
The whole day rate on the invoice, pay included.
The most agency fees can come to
£400
£40 a day, for 10 days, for 1 person
Against what you pay now
Add what you pay now to see the difference.
Pay £160 Agency fee, at most £40
With pay, the booking comes to at most
£2,000
Past 12 weeks with the same person you can move them to a permanent post with no transfer fee, on four weeks’ notice.
Ask Coba to price thisCaps on the agency’s daily fee, not on pay, from the DfE, 29 April 2026 and the GCA’s RM6376 page. Set the pay to your own figure. Coba’s framework rates are on request.
Safeguarding
The Checks Arrive With the Booking.
KCSIE 2026 asks agencies to confirm their checks in writing. Coba’s booking email lists them, ready for your single central record.
- 1
Ring first thing, or book ahead
Ring 01604 646 333 for cover today, or arrange planned cover ahead.
- 2
Ask for someone you know
Name the supply staff your school already likes, and Coba prebooks them when they’re free.
- 3
Sign timesheets online
Bookings, timesheets and vetting details sit in the Schools Area, past and future.
What the booking email gives your record
One row of your single central record, filled for an example booking.
- Name and date of birth
- Full name and DOB
- DBS number and date
- Number and issue date
- Barred list
- Not on the list
- TRN
- 7 digits
- Prohibition
- No prohibition
- ID on arrival
- You check at the door
“Each time I book a teacher, I receive an email within 5-10 minutes with the teacher’s name, DOB and all of their compliance details.”
Long-term cover
Twelve Weeks In,
They Can Stay.
What changes when the same supply teacher stays with your school, week by week.
Week 12
No transfer fee
Move them to a permanent post at no extra cost, on four weeks’ notice. GCA, RM6376.
Week 13
Equal basic pay
In the same role, they now get the basic pay and conditions of a direct hire. Agency Workers Regulations 2010.
A term or more
Induction can count
For an early career teacher a post of a term or longer can count towards induction; short supply can’t. DfE, June 2026.
The team
The Team That Picks Up the Phone.
Desks for secondary and primary schools, a safeguarding lead, a payroll team and one contact for the framework.
Your Lot 1 contact
Karen Thomas
Karen has run Coba Education’s back office and compliance since it began. She’s the contact for Lot 1, and her team checks every candidate before a first booking.
Martin Chamberlain, managing director Running businesses since 1998, Martin leads Coba Education from Moulton Park, Northampton.
Secondary
Supply and long-term teachers, cover supervisors and inclusion support.
Sarah Morgan Secondary team leader since 2018
Laura Bell Senior consultant
Brooke Gillingham Consultant
Primary
Class teachers, teaching assistants and day-to-day cover.
Amy Pepper Consultant
Safeguarding
Vetting, DBS rechecks and the paperwork behind every booking.
Zoë Farran Safeguarding lead since 2023
Pay and timesheets
Online timesheets and the teacher payroll, run from Northampton.
Fiona Lennard Head of finance since 2013
Lewis Ward Finance officer since 2018
Poppy Bedden-Jackson Teacher payroll since 2022
Reviews
Schools That Keep Coming Back.
Bursars, cover managers and schools on working with Coba Education.
“Coba understand how important continuity of supply staff is for us, and always do their best to book staff who have been with us before.”
“One phone call and supply is covered even if it’s an emergency.”
“Coba remember details about our school; who suits us and who doesn’t.”
“Always efficient and quick to respond. Quality of staff used means we keep coming back.”
Is Coba Education on RM6376?
Yes. Coba Education Ltd is a supplier on Lot 1, Teachers and Education Recruitment, of the Government Commercial Agency’s RM6376 framework, which runs from 30 April 2026 to 29 April 2029. Karen Thomas is the contact for the lot. See Coba Education on the GCA supplier list.
Do academy trusts have to book through RM6376?
From September 2026 the Academy Trust Handbook requires single and multi-academy trusts to buy supply staff through RM6376, unless another route meets procurement law and costs no more. Maintained schools can use it too. The DfE’s supply staff mandate guidance has the detail.
What do the fee caps cover?
The agency’s fee for each day, not the worker’s pay: up to £45 for STEM teachers, £40 for other teachers, £55 for senior roles, £38 for SEND support and £36 for other support staff. On the framework you see what the worker is paid and what the agency takes.
Can we book the same supply teacher again?
Yes, when they’re free. Coba invites schools to prebook the supply staff they already know, and books people who have worked with a school before wherever it can.
What checks do Coba’s supply staff have?
An enhanced DBS on the update service, rechecked every three months, plus barred list and prohibition checks, two references, right to work, ID and a face-to-face meeting before their first booking. The booking email lists what your single central record needs.
Where does Coba Education work?
From Moulton Park in Northampton across Northamptonshire, with recent roles in Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. Coba Education also has an office at Inspire Bradford Business Park, on 01274 987 999.
Can we take a supply teacher on permanently?
On RM6376, yes: after 12 weeks you can move them to a permanent post with no transfer fee, on four weeks’ notice. Before week 12, ask Coba how it works.
Bookings
Send the Cover Request.
Two short steps, and it goes to Coba Education in Northampton. For cover today, ring the desk.
