We all remember a teacher who made us feel safe, seen, and cared for, the one who inspired us to do our best. Every child in Croydon deserves that same experience: skilled, caring professionals who support their learning, wellbeing, and future opportunities. Recruiting and retaining talented educators is not just about filling vacancies, it’s about investing in children’s lives. Ensuring Croydon’s schools, nurseries, and colleges are staffed by committed professionals is essential to high-quality teaching and consistent learning environments. When educators stay and grow in their roles, children benefit from stability, strong relationships, and the confidence to thrive.

 

Ensuring that schools, nurseries, and colleges are staffed by talented and committed professionals is essential to the success of Croydon’s education system. High-quality teaching and support staff have a direct impact on children and young people’s learning, wellbeing, and future opportunities.

 

Recruitment and retention continue to be key priorities across the education sector nationally. In Croydon, partners are working collaboratively to address these challenges through practical initiatives that help attract new educators while also supporting those already working in the borough.

 

Through the work of the Croydon Education Partnership’s Recruitment and Retention Working Group, a number of initiatives are helping to strengthen the education workforce and ensure Croydon remains an attractive place to build a career in education.

 

Creating Opportunities Through Recruitment Events

One important initiative is the Croydon Education Recruitment Event, which brings together schools, nurseries, colleges, and training providers with individuals interested in careers in education.

 

These events provide a valuable opportunity for potential candidates to meet education providers directly, learn about different roles, and explore career pathways within the borough. They also allow schools and education settings to promote their organisations and connect with potential future staff.

 

The 2026 recruitment event demonstrated strong engagement from both exhibitors and visitors. Feedback from participating organisations showed that:

• 100% agreed or strongly agreed that the event was well organised
• 92% said the event met their expectations
• 92% would recommend the event be repeated

 

Visitor feedback was equally positive, with the majority saying the event was worthwhile and recommending that it continue.

 

Registration data also highlighted strong interest from individuals exploring careers in education, including people considering teacher training, prospective Early Career Teachers, overseas-trained teachers, and candidates interested in wider education roles.

 

Events like these help education providers connect with potential applicants, reduce reliance on recruitment agencies, and strengthen the pipeline of future educators across Croydon.

 

Improving Access to Opportunities:

Alongside recruitment events, the Croydon Education Partnership Job Board provides a centralised platform where education providers can advertise vacancies across the borough.

The job board makes it easier for jobseekers to find opportunities in Croydon’s schools, nurseries, and colleges, while also helping education settings reach a wider pool of candidates.

Over the past year more than 100 vacancies were advertised.

 

Feedback from schools suggests the platform is straightforward to use and provides a valuable additional recruitment channel alongside national job boards. Several settings have reported receiving applications and successfully recruiting staff through the platform.

 

By improving visibility of vacancies and making it easier to access opportunities in the borough, the job board plays an important role in supporting local recruitment.

 

Supporting Retention and Staff Wellbeing:

While attracting new educators is vital, retaining experienced staff is equally important. Supporting staff wellbeing, professional development, and leadership capacity can help ensure that talented educators remain in the profession.

 

To support this, Croydon Education Partnership has launched an Educator Coaching Programme for senior and middle leaders from April 2026.

 

The programme will provide structured professional coaching for up to 20 educators across Croydon schools. Through personalised coaching sessions, participants will be supported to reflect on professional challenges, develop leadership confidence, and explore strategies for managing workload and career progression.

 

Coaching is widely recognised as an effective approach to professional development and wellbeing. Research from organisations such as the International Coaching Federation and the Institute of Leadership and Management highlights its positive impact on leadership effectiveness, professional confidence, and job satisfaction.

 

By supporting educators at key career stages, the programme aims to strengthen retention and contribute to a more stable and resilient education workforce across Croydon.

 

A Partnership Approach to Workforce Challenges:

Addressing recruitment and retention challenges requires collaboration across the education sector. By working together, schools, training providers, and local partners can create more opportunities for educators and strengthen the overall workforce.

 

Initiatives such as recruitment events, the Croydon Education Job Board, and professional coaching programmes demonstrate how partnership working can support both recruitment and retention.

 

Ultimately, investing in the education workforce benefits everyone. Stable staffing supports consistent teaching and learning, stronger relationships between staff and pupils, and positive outcomes for children and young people across Croydon.

 

Call to Action:

If you are interested in working in education in Croydon, or if your organisation is looking to recruit talented staff, there are several ways to get involved:

• Explore current vacancies on the Croydon Education Partnership Job Board
• Attend future Croydon Education Recruitment Events
• Engage with professional development opportunities across the borough

By continuing to work together, we can attract, support, and retain the talented educators who make a difference to Croydon’s children and young people every day.

 

Author: Christine Lonsdale, Education Partnership Manager, Croydon Council