It Takes a Village: Why Collaborative Partnerships Are Essential
By Ceri Hadler, Senior Manager — April 2026
In Wales we are navigating a complex landscape: persistent shortages in key secondary subjects, the need to diversify the profession, and the urgency of strengthening Welsh-medium provision.
When public narratives are dominated by headlines about workload, behaviour, financial pressures, policy change and low starting salaries, it is unsurprising that attracting student teachers is becoming increasingly difficult. Against this backdrop, the question should no longer be how providers recruit more teachers, but how we collectively build a community that values, supports and invests in future teachers.
Wales’ national mission calls for a system wide commitment to equity, wellbeing and high quality teaching, grounded in the Curriculum for Wales. Achieving this depends on a strong, sustainable teaching workforce, making it clear that recruitment in Wales must be a joined up endeavour.
The ITE Accreditation Criteria set clear expectations for school–university partnership, but the wider landscape matters too. Collaboration cannot remain a buzzword; it must be the foundation for attracting and sustaining new teachers. This sits at the heart of the OU ITE Partnership approach.
For years, recruitment relied on university and government led marketing, campaigns and application routes. These still matter but are no longer enough.
Today’s applicants want authentic insight into teaching, clear progression, and flexible, family-friendly pathways. They also expect competitive salaries and consistent support.
We must recognise that applicants are not simply choosing a course; they are choosing a profession. If we want them not only to enter teaching but to remain within it, that profession must be visibly valued and respected. Teaching must be understood as an essential, high status career.
Teachers shape the futures of our doctors, scientists, artists, engineers and community leaders. Each of us carries the legacy of a teacher whose influence extended far beyond the classroom. Attracting future teachers must therefore be a shared mission across the professions. By investing in teachers, we invest in the future workforce of Wales in every sector and every community.
In initial teacher education, strong partnerships are the cornerstone of sustainable recruitment. Collaboration with partner schools and local authorities brings vital local insight and responsiveness, while engagement with government provides strategic national direction.
But attracting teachers cannot rest on educational stakeholders alone. Community and third sector organisations play a vital role in widening access, reaching new audiences, and supporting national priorities such as Cymraeg 2050 and Anti Racist Wales. Their involvement helps ensure that the teaching workforce reflects the communities it serves.
Strong partnerships do more than increase application numbers, they diversify the profession. Investment in teacher recruitment is an investment in Wales’s future. Its impact is felt not just in classrooms, but across communities and generations.
If we are serious about attracting teachers, we must strengthen connections across sectors. Recruitment is a national responsibility, not simply a task for university partnerships. Education connects communities, public services, language, culture, and identity.
By continuing to invest in collaboration, we can ensure teaching remains visible, accessible and valued. This requires consistency, shared accountability and a willingness to work beyond organisational boundaries.
It truly takes a village, and ours is ready to shape the future.
