We help schools find staff
HISTORY Mary Stuart, an experienced Human Resources Manager with many years teaching experience, as well as HR experience in an independent school in Johannesburg, became aware of the need for a specialised teacher recruitment agency. The focus was initially on relief/locum teachers, but in response to schools’ needs, it broadened to include permanent staff too.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES ENVIRONMENT Mary has over ten years’ experience in Human Resources (industrial relations, recruitment and selection, employee benefits, etc) at such companies as Dorbyl Marine, Sandoz Products (Chemical Division) and Coates Brothers, all in Durban, as well as in the education environment while teaching at St Andrew’s School for Girls in Bedfordview.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT Mary taught Gr 8 – 10 English (Dundee High School), Gr 10-12 English and Gr 8 Zulu (Westville Girls’ High School), then Gr 8-12 Vocational Guidance and Counselling at Westville Girls’ High School. After a break from teaching, she taught Zulu at St Andrew’s School for Girls and part-time at Holy Rosary School in Johannesburg. She has English “Matric Marking” experience, and was Convenor of the IEB Gauteng Zulu User Group. She co-authored three Zulu second language text books (Masizwane 4, 5 and 6) for Macmillan Publishers.
MODUS OPERANDI As a rule, we prefer to interview candidates face-to-face before putting them forward – but due to COVID and time pressures on the clients’ side, this is not always possible. We also prefer to visit schools before making a placement but again, due to COVID, cannot do this now as much as we’d like to. It is as important to us as it is to the school and the candidate that there should be a good “fit”. Should we not find someone suitable for the position, or if the school – for whatever reason – chooses not to employ the candidate(s) put forward by us, or if our candidate turns down the school’s offer, irrespective of how much time we may have spent on the assignment, there is no charge to the school. If our candidate is successful, the school pays us as per the standard Terms of Business.
CONFIDENTIALITY: Given that the world of education can be a small world, we appreciate the importance of confidentiality – for both our client schools and those who send us their CVs. Any CVs sent to client schools are to be treated confidentially and destroyed if the candidate is not successful. They may not be forwarded to anyone else.
ETHICS We do not charge applicants a registration fee. Charging a registration fee is considered unethical by the industry’s professional body, and is usually illegal in terms of The Skills and Development Act 97 of 1998 (Sub-regulation 8A & B) – unless the registration fee is less than R 1 (one Rand).
HEADHUNTING/POACHING We do not poach. We work with CVs that have been freely and voluntarily (and generally confidentially) sent to us.
TRANSPARENCY We hope that website speaks for itself.
OTHER: ACADEMIC, PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS Mary has a B.A. from the University of Natal, Durban, and a post-graduate Secondary Teachers Diploma from the University of Cape Town (UCT’s equivalent of PGCE at the time). She completed the Advanced Business Programme at Technikon Natal, Durban, (rated M+4 by the HSRC), and has attended many Industrial Relations courses and seminars, as well as recruitment industry specific courses and seminars. She has a FGASA (Field Guide Association of South Africa) Level One qualification.
We help schools find staff.