Over recent week’s I have spent time speaking with Hermione Thomas, the founder of TeachBack, and it is clear she has built something valuable in the education space. A solution that is practical, fair, and genuinely needed.
Teacher recruitment in the UK remains one of the hardest operational challenges for school leaders. Agency fees can run between £5,000 and £10,000 per hire and job adverts costing hundreds or thousands often bring limited results and varying quality. Schools lose time, money, and momentum when vacancies remain unfilled.
At the same time, there is a strong population of British trained teachers working internationally. Many want to return home, bringing deep curriculum knowledge and global experience, yet they often struggle to find a clear route back into UK schools.
This is where TeachBack comes in.
Hermione has created a not for profit membership model that gives UK schools direct, affordable access to returning teachers. There is no commission structure and no per hire costs. Teachers gain visibility to quality schools in locations that suit them. Schools gain access to experienced, UK eligible talent that has been fully reviewed by a panel of headteachers to ensure capability and fairness.
One of the most distinctive elements of TeachBack is the Dubai recruitment event, which offers far more than a typical meet and greet. Every teacher takes part in a structured interview with a panel of UK headteachers, ensuring evaluation is consistent, thorough, and impartial. Schools that attend the event get face to face insight that cannot be replicated through CVs alone. Schools that cannot attend still receive access to the full interview materials, enabling informed decisions without being in the room. It creates transparency for teachers and confidence for schools.
What stands out about Hermione’s approach is her commitment to building something that serves both sides of the education system. TeachBack is not transactional. It is not driven by margins. It is a structure designed to help schools recruit more sustainably and to help teachers return home with clarity and support.
For UK headteachers seeking experienced teachers without the financial strain of agency routes, and for British teachers abroad planning their return, TeachBack is a model with real strategic value.
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