Could you see yourself at the front of a classroom? And what does it take to get started?

The Beryl Gilroy Forum will bring these questions to life on Saturday 3 October, welcoming students, graduates, career-changers and people already working in education. Open to all, the Forum also seeks to encourage greater representation across the profession.

The free event comes at a time when the Department for Education has stopped running its own “Get into Teaching” events, which previously helped people explore the profession, as reported by Schools Week. With national provisions reduced, initiatives like this one offer a way to get direct access to trainers, recruiters and serving professionals.

The Forum is named after Dr Beryl Gilroy, who broke barriers as London’s first Black headteacher and remains a powerful example of what’s possible in education. Her legacy feels still relevant today as so many groups are underrepresented in the profession.

The day is built around three simple but pressing questions: Why teach? Is it for me? How do I get in?

Attendees will hear directly from people shaping the profession, including Andria Zafirakou MBE, Associate Principal at Swiss Cottage School Development & Research Centre and winner of the 2018 Global Teacher Prize, and Dr Jasper Green, Head of Initial Teacher Education and Associate Professor (Teaching) at UCL Institute of Education, alongside voices from teacher training and recruitment across the state and independent sectors.

A panel discussion on teaching will sit alongside a range of hands-on sessions exploring everything from routes into the profession and writing a standout personal statement, to interview tips and navigating job applications.

Everyone is welcome, including students, graduates, career changers and those already working in education. We particularly encourage attendees from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented within the teaching profession.

Event details:

Beryl Gilroy Forum

Saturday 3 October 2026, 10.30am–3.00pm

North London Collegiate School, Dalkeith Grove, Stanmore, HA7 4SQ

Book your place now here