Connex Education Partnership

An example of Connex’s commitment to social mobility was its funding last year of more than 500 formal qualifications for classroom supply staff from Level 2 Certificate in Special Education Needs and Disability through Level 4 Certificate for Higher Level Teaching Assistants – all part of its supply staff career pathway. It is a particular focus for Connex in underrepresented communities in school roles where course fees could present a barrier to a career in education. The company’s investment in skills development, formal qualifications and career progression for our supply staff has been significant and essential to improve the quality of education and the education outcomes for pupils.

Judges’ comments

“They support not only their own staff, candidates and wider community but also the ultimate stakeholders: pupils. Social value is clearly central to their offering, through the training given through the in-house Connex Academy to allow workers from other sectors to start a career in education, to paying their staff fairly and operating by the principle that people have basic fundamental rights and access to an excellent education, irrespective of postcode. Their driving motivation is to ‘Do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do’ and, clearly, that does not conflict with building a successful business at the same time.”