Who stands at the front of the classroom matters.
It shapes how young people see themselves, what they believe is possible, and how connected they feel to their education.
Yet across England, there remains a clear and persistent gap between the diversity of our pupils and that of our teachers. According to the Department for Education’s School Workforce in England statistics, around 37% of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to approximately 16% of the teaching workforce.
This is not simply a question of representation. It is a question of equity, belonging and opportunity.
At a time when the sector sees an uneven recovery in recruitment pipelines across geographies, school types and subject areas, this gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity. How do we build a teaching workforce that not only meets demand, but truly reflects the communities it serves?
Now Teach, the National Institute of Teaching, and Mindful Equity UK are working in partnership on a West Midlands pilot, funded by Mission 44 through its Diversity in Education Fund. This work is driven by one clear ambition: to increase racial diversity within Initial Teacher Training by opening the profession to more Black and South Asian career changers.
As Recruitment Specialist and Project Lead at Now Teach, I am at the centre of this work. I see the appetite, the potential, and the untapped talent within underrepresented communities. I also see the barriers, from access and awareness to structural challenges that make the pathway into teaching feel out of reach for many.
This pilot is not simply about increasing application numbers. It is about understanding what needs to change if we are serious about building a teaching workforce that reflects the communities it serves.
This work is not only professional for me, it is personal. I trained as a teacher in Birmingham and spent a decade in the classroom, progressing to senior leadership. As a woman from an ethnic minority background, I have experienced first-hand both the opportunities and the challenges that shape the journeys of teachers from underrepresented communities.
Career changers: An untapped opportunity
One of the clearest insights from the pilot is the strength of interest from career changers. At Now Teach, this comes as no surprise. As the only education charity dedicated to supporting experienced professionals to transition into teaching, we see the depth of talent, motivation, and potential within this group.
Through this pilot, we are bringing that expertise into sharper focus, working to encourage more Black and South Asian career changers to enter the profession.
We are engaging individuals from a wide range of sectors who bring valuable skills, life experience, and a strong sense of purpose. Career changers can also play an important role in addressing teacher shortages, particularly in key subjects and regions.
Many of the individuals we speak to are driven by a desire to give back to their communities or to pursue more meaningful, impact-led work. However, career changers are not a quick fix. They require tailored support, clear guidance and reassurance.
For many, the decision to enter teaching represents a significant personal and financial shift, and generic recruitment messaging alone is not enough.
What proves most effective is personalised, one-to-one engagement. Taking the time to build confidence, demystify the process, and help candidates translate their existing skills into the classroom is critical.
Representation drives engagement
One of the most immediate and powerful lessons from this work is the impact of visible representation.
At a recent Get Into Teaching event in the West Midlands, this was particularly evident. As a visibly ethnic minority woman representing the programme, our stand consistently attracted the longest queues throughout the day. I spoke with aspiring teachers from Algeria, Pakistan, India, Iran, Bangladesh, across Africa, and the Caribbean, among others.
Many shared a similar sentiment: seeing someone who reflects their background makes teaching feel more accessible, more credible, and more achievable.
A number of these conversations lead directly to follow-up engagement and applications.
This reinforces a simple but important point: representation is not symbolic, it directly influences who feels able to step forward.
The importance of community trust
Engaging underrepresented communities requires more than targeted marketing campaigns. It requires trust.
Through the pilot, we are engaging with community leaders, local organisations, and networks across the West Midlands. While there is strong alignment with the mission, many community partners are understandably cautious about promoting a programme that requires a significant financial commitment from participants.
This reflects wider findings across outreach and widening participation work. Trust is built over time through consistency, visibility and meaningful partnership, rather than one-off engagement.
For ITT providers, this is an important consideration. If we are serious about widening participation, we must move beyond transactional outreach and towards sustained, community-rooted approaches.
Regional realities matter
A key insight from the West Midlands context is the importance of understanding regional demographics.
Unlike London, where many ethnic minority communities are third generation, a significant proportion of individuals in Birmingham and surrounding areas are first-generation migrants. This brings both strengths and challenges.
One of the most significant barriers we are encountering is visa eligibility. Many strong candidates are unable to proceed because visa sponsorship is not always available through the training route. While this reflects national policy, its impact is felt more acutely in regions with higher proportions of first-generation communities.
This highlights an important lesson: recruitment strategies cannot be one-size-fits-all. They must respond to the specific demographic and structural realities of the regions they serve.
Wraparound support as a differentiator
A further key learning is the importance of wraparound support.
Candidates consistently highlight the value of having a dedicated point of contact, someone to guide them through the process, answer questions, and provide encouragement at each stage. This is particularly important for those who may not have existing networks within education.
In a competitive recruitment landscape, this level of personalised support is a meaningful differentiator.
Looking ahead
The Mission 44 pilot is still in progress, but the initial insights are clear.
Increasing diversity in teaching requires more than raising awareness. It requires:
- A deep understanding of regional and community contexts
- Visible and authentic representation
- Long-term relationship-building with communities
- Tailored support for career changers
- Consideration of structural barriers, including immigration policy
There is no single solution. However, there is a clear opportunity to rethink how we approach recruitment, not just to fill vacancies, but to build a workforce that better reflects the communities it serves.
Because ultimately, who teaches matters.
I am excited about the potential of this work and look forward to returning in a year’s time to share the outcomes and learning from the pilot.
If you know someone with the skills, experience and passion to make a difference in the classroom, particularly Black and South Asian career changers considering a move into teaching, we encourage them to get in touch and learn more about the programme at ayesha.shaikh@nowteach.org.uk.
Ayesha Shaikh is Recruitment & Career Change Specialist at Now Teach, and Project Lead for the Mission 44 diversity pilot.
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