Welsh education group opens Cheshire office amid rising demand

AN education specialist approaching its 10th anniversary has expanded into Cheshire, launching a new base in Crewe to meet growing demand from schools and education providers across the North West. 

Educate Group is headquartered in Wrexham and also has an established base in Rhyl.  

The move marks another step in the business’ growth from a specialist recruitment agency into a wider education support provider, offering Initial Teacher Training, Alternative Provision and Children’s Residential Care services. 

Employing over 50 staff, the company works with schools, nurseries, further education providers and alternative education settings across North Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire, with plans to open further offices in North Wales and England within the near future. 

The Crewe expansion will be led by Head of Recruitment Charlie Carr, who brings 17 years of education recruitment experience and strong relationships with schools across the county.  

Charlie, from Nantwich, said: “This isn’t just about opening another recruitment agency.

“We’ve built something that offers schools an end-to-end education solution, from recruitment and bespoke Alternative Provision, through to Initial Teacher Training and Assessment Only routes to Teaching.

“Schools are looking for long-term partnerships rather than simply filling vacancies, and that’s exactly what we provide. Having a permanent base in Crewe allows us to be even closer to the schools and education providers we already work with while developing new relationships across the region.” 

Unlike traditional agencies, Educate Group combines recruitment with school-centred Initial Teacher Training and Assessment Only routes to Teaching, enabling people from a wide range of backgrounds to gain qualifications while working in schools.  

The company also delivers tailored Alternative Provision, including individual support, small group learning, catch-up education and vocational programmes for young people – work Charlie said opens doors for people who might not otherwise thrive in education. 

She said: “As a DfE-accredited Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provider, our pathways enable us to identify talented individuals, place them in schools, and provide the training and support needed to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

“We develop confident, classroom-ready education professionals while helping schools address recruitment and workforce challenges.” 

Charlie added: “We also offer a highly successful Assessment Only route to QTS, enabling experienced teachers currently working in schools without Qualified Teacher Status to gain QTS through assessment against the teachers’ standards.” 

Educate Group was founded in 2017 by Mark Jones, David Norman and Nick Edwards. The three directors have a combined 55 years’ experience of working in senior roles within schools and engaging with learners from exceptionally varied backgrounds. 

Mark said: “When we started Educate Group our aim was simple, to improve outcomes for schools, learners and education professionals by offering a genuinely high-quality service built on our own experiences in education. 

“We understand the pressures schools face and wanted to create a business that could support them in a much broader way than traditional recruitment agencies. The fact we can also train teachers through various mechanisms really does set us apart from our competitors and allow us to be a truly comprehensive education support partner to schools.

“The new Crewe office is another important step in our journey. It strengthens our presence in an area where we’ve seen increasing demand, creates new employment opportunities and enables us to provide the personal service that has always been at the heart of what we do. 

“As the busy academic year continues, we’re recruiting teachers, teaching assistants, nursery practitioners, cover supervisors and other education professionals, to ensure schools have access to the high-quality staff they need when they need them.  

He added: “Approaching our 10th anniversary is a fantastic milestone and gives us chance to consolidate and continue our growth trajectory.

“We’ve grown because we’ve always focused on quality, built lasting relationships with schools and listened to what the education sector needs.”