Placements with purpose: Education Placement Group on scaling in the education sector

We sat down with CEO, Robyn Johnstone, and CFO, Garry Clarke, from Education Placement Group (EPG) to explore their remarkable scale-up journey in the UK education sector. 

Guided by their mission, ‘placements with purpose’, EPG is on a journey to drive excellence in education by providing a holistic set of services, from teacher recruitment and leadership development to specialised training and curriculum support. 

In this interview, Robyn and Garry reflect on the challenges they’ve faced, the lessons they’ve learned, and the strategies that have helped them navigate the complexities of scaling a business while making a meaningful impact on schools, educators, and students nationwide.

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Hi Robyn. Tell me, how did Education Placement Group come into being?

Robyn: Education Placement Group began in 2015 as a private equity-backed venture, with the goal of creating a specialist education service that could really make an impact in the UK education sector. The journey started with the acquisition of two key companies, Synarbor and justteachers, which gave us a strong foundation and immediate access to a network of schools and educators. It was essentially a private equity model where businesses were bolted together with the intention of eventually selling them as a larger entity. The initial acquisitions provided a springboard for growth, but didn’t necessarily work together from the start.

Since then, we’ve continued to expand, acquiring more companies to fill gaps and seize new areas of the market. This includes eQualitas, which helped us make a pivotal move beyond recruitment into teacher training. 

What were some of the challenges you faced with those initial acquisitions? 

Robyn: The biggest challenge initially was integrating these different businesses into a unified strategy and dealing with unexpected operational issues. Synarbor in particular was a fix-up job and required immediate intervention. The branch network was overstretched, and the business model relied heavily on big billers, creating risk concentrations. So our first challenge was really to stabilise and restructure, which included rebranding Synarbor under Supply Desk and moving to a hub model for better efficiency.

Luckily, our other acquisition, justteachers, was already performing well and didn’t require dramatic changes. Its model was complementary but distinct from Synarbor, and so we were able to leverage the strengths of justteachers to improve Supply Desk without undermining the autonomy and success of either. 

This strategic decision allowed us to create group-level functions and synergies incrementally rather than forcing premature integration. Over time, as we scaled up and brought on more acquisitions, the group structure evolved naturally, enabling us to share resources and back-end systems while maintaining operational focus in different markets.

Did you look for any external support or guidance when making these early decisions? 

Garry: Beyond our own personal networks, we were very grateful for the support from BDO's tax team, especially during the early stages of restructuring. Their advice was instrumental in navigating the complexities of integrating these companies into a proper group structure, including achieving an MBO and implementing employee incentives that aligned with our long-term growth strategy.

When thinking about growth through acquisition, what do you look for in potential acquisition targets?

Robyn: We’re thinking about their alignment with EPG's mission of “placements with purpose.” We look for businesses that demonstrate a shared commitment to supporting schools and communities, a solid operational model, and growth potential – this could be in terms of broadening our market scope or helping us expand into new areas like teacher training or SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). 

e-Qualitas working with the Supply Businesses is a prime example of this approach. By attracting graduates and seamlessly integrating them into the recruitment side of the business, we not only address immediate staffing needs but also establish a sustainable pipeline of high-quality educators who may go on to train with eQ, reinforcing our commitment to supporting schools at every level.

What unique challenges does the education industry face and how are you working to address them?

Robyn: The education sector faces cyclical budget constraints, teacher shortages, and competitive recruitment conditions. Diversifying has definitely played a key part in helping us withstand the more challenging times, including creating apprenticeship-funded teacher training programmes through e-Qualitas. This has allowed schools to access training opportunities through the apprenticeship levy, providing an affordable solution to teacher shortages.

Additionally, we adapted to the impacts of COVID-19 by leveraging our teacher training programs to maintain revenue streams during school closures. Diversification has been key to our resilience during periods of uncertainty.

Garry, from a financial perspective, how do you balance the need for investment in growth with maintaining financial stability?

Garry: It’s a constant challenge. We’ve developed a disciplined approach, where proper planning and visibility into cash flow are essential. It’s critical to identify challenges early and work proactively with stakeholders, whether they’re banks, equity partners, or even government agencies. For instance, forecasting cash flow gives us the time needed to tackle issues before they escalate, ensuring we remain resilient.

A unique challenge we face in the education sector is managing up-front costs while waiting for delayed funding. For example, in teacher training, significant resources go into recruitment and curriculum preparation, yet government payments don’t arrive until trainees start their courses. This requires careful liquidity management, where we make calculated decisions about where to allocate resources, ensuring our investments are sustainable and strategic.

What would you say has been the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome on your scale-up journey so far?

Garry: The government’s reforms to teacher training were a major challenge, especially when combined with an Ofsted inspection during COVID-19. We faced significant criticism because our model, which relies on external consultants as subject experts, did not align with Ofsted’s expectations for centralised curriculum control. Unfortunately, we were given quite a poor rating, but we tried to see it as an opportunity because it also gave us a clear roadmap for what we needed to change.

We acted quickly, investing heavily in redesigning our curriculum to meet the Department for Education's new standards. The accreditation process was rigorous, but we successfully navigated it while also reapplying to stay on the ESFA apprenticeship register – a critical step for continuing our programs. These efforts paid off, and we emerged as one of the two-thirds of providers that secured accreditation, even outperforming some universities.

Looking ahead, we’re now using this experience to scale up our eQualitas programs, including the development of new courses like the Early Years Teacher Status qualification. By staying adaptable and investing in compliance and innovation, we turned a challenging situation into an opportunity to strengthen our offerings and expand our impact.

As a people-oriented business, how important is culture and development across the group? 

Robyn: Culture and development are central to our success, and over the past year, we’ve actually taken an even more structured approach to what we call our people strategy. By engaging staff and management through workshops, focus groups, and anonymous surveys we were able to identify key priorities for our staff, such as hybrid working and flexible arrangements, which we continue to develop collaboratively.

Learning and development is also key for our staff. We focus heavily on upskilling and training to ensure every team member, regardless of their level, has opportunities to grow. This includes creating clear career paths and offering development opportunities that extend beyond job-specific skills. We have a training calendar which gives staff the ability to select growth modules aligned with their career goals. We also recently launched volunteering opportunities through a partnership with Bookmark, allowing team members to support children’s literacy during work hours – reinforcing both our values and our connection to the community.

By fostering feedback, providing development opportunities, and identifying future leaders along the way, we’ve created a culture where our people feel valued and connected to our mission.

And what’s your approach to attracting new talent?

Robyn: We understand that attracting new talent requires more than competitive salaries and benefits – it’s about creating an environment that people want to join. Our Great Place to Work awards and other accolades, like those for well-being and inclusivity, show potential hires that we’re an employer of choice. These awards are supported by continuous efforts to benchmark our offerings against the industry to ensure we remain competitive.

Once onboard, we take a structured approach to training and performance. New hires follow a clear plan for success, with daily schedules, activity tracking, and ongoing feedback to help them develop quickly. We focus on growing our own talent, recruiting individuals from outside the industry and equipping them to succeed through a comprehensive support system. This approach not only expands our talent pool but also ensures we’re not overly reliant on experienced hires who may come with higher costs or expectations.

What’s your group vision for the next five years and what strategies do you have for achieving that vision?

Robyn: Over the next five years, our vision is to continue expanding our impact in the education sector by identifying areas where we can truly add value – whether it’s finding the right people for schools, offering tailored training programs, or growing into underserved markets. For instance, we’re exploring new qualifications, including an international offering, and carefully expanding eQualitas’ training services to ensure sustainability and alignment with the needs of schools. At the same time, we’re focused on developing a nursery strategy, integrating our training capabilities with supply businesses to cover the entire spectrum from nurseries to A-level education.

That said, our growth strategy is measured. We want to remain specialists in what we do and avoid becoming too scattered. While organic growth remains a priority, we’re also open to acquisitions if the right opportunity arises that complements our existing operations.

Do you foresee any challenges on the horizon?

Robyn: A key one for us is navigating government policies. Education is heavily influenced by the Department for Education (DfE), and as policies shift – particularly around funding – we need to remain agile and adapt to these changes. Another significant challenge and opportunity is technology, particularly AI and automation. While we’re already using AI in areas like candidate acquisition, the broader challenge is finding the right applications to balance automation with the human touch. For example, AI can help us automate mundane tasks, allowing our teams to focus on higher-value activities like search and match, but we need to ensure this technology complements rather than replaces the personal element of our business.

Ultimately, the combination of targeted growth, adaptability to external factors, and embracing technology in the right way will be key to achieving our vision over the next five years.

And finally, what advice would you give to other scaling businesses on their journey to growth?

Garry: I have two things. First, when you come up against a challenge, try every solution. Experimentation is key – if you’re not brave enough to try and fail, you’ll never find the solution that actually works for you long-term.

Second, when you identify a strategic idea that ticks all the boxes – whether that’s meeting market demand, leveraging your skill set, or aligning with your goals – focus your efforts there. For example, when we found the teaching apprenticeship program fit perfectly, we doubled down, carefully planning and rolling it out.

Robyn: I would just add that it’s important to keep several irons in the fire because you might be surprised by what ends up working. Having options allows you to pivot and capitalise on unexpected successes. This is especially important in an industry where the goalposts are often beyond your control. 

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