About the CLF Institute

The CLF Institute education training and development programmes benefit from the resources and experience within our trust, the Cabot Learning Federation. These include:

• Subject, phase and curriculum experts working across a 3-19 age range
• Professional service leaders with expertise in Finance, Governance, Health & Safety, Human Resources, IT/EdTech, Safeguarding​ and Communications
• Education leaders with diverse experience at all levels​
• 10 years supporting new teachers, from initial teacher training through newly qualified and early career stage​
• Conference delivery for internal and external colleagues to support high-quality professional development and sharing of best practice
• Dedicated professional development venue at the CLF Institute​.

Teaching School Hubs

• The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) has been a Teaching School for 10 years. The Teaching School network was designed so that every school could access local high-quality professional development and support for school improvement. Our Teaching School activity has been located within the CLF Institute.​ From September 2021 the Teaching School network is being replaced by a new system of Teaching School Hubs.
• The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) is a strategic partner of Venturers Trust and working also with Mangotsfield CoE Primary School to lead the *Five Counties Teaching School Hubs Alliance, serving Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North-East Somerset. 
  
• Teaching School Hubs remit is to provide high-quality, evidence-based Professional Development: from Initial Teacher Training (ITT), through the Early Career Framework (ECF) for Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and support for Statutory Induction as an Appropriate Body (AB), and the suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for leaders at all levels. This is described as the Department for Education’s (DfE) ‘golden thread’ of career-long professional development for teachers and leaders, a key lever for school improvement.
  

Five Counties Teaching School Hubs Alliance

• The Cabot Learning Federation also supports schools and trusts in their development and improvement drawing on specialist and leadership expertise commissioned through the CLF Institute.
• The CLF Institute’s work is underpinned by the CLF’s HEART values and our belief that at the core of school improvement and achievement for every child is investment in teacher professional development.​
• Every teacher throughout their career should be able to access high-quality, evidence-informed professional development led by credible expert teachers and leaders, so that they can continue to improve their practice for the children they teach. This can be accessed through professional networks, subject communities, collaboration on developing curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and through participating in accredited professional development programmes.
• As a mature trust we also know how vital all professional services and school support roles are to the ongoing smooth running of our schools and continuous improvement of our provision for our children and families. We believe in investing in professional development for all staff and leaders working in education organisations.

The Cabot Learning Federation

• The CLF is an exciting and inspiring place to work and learn. We are the largest non-diocesan Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) in the South West, with over 20 entities, incorporating Primary, Secondary, an all-through 3-19 Academy, Post 16, a Studio School and alternative provisions. The CLF employs around 2,000 members of staff and we educate approximately 12,000 children and young people, from the greater Bristol city region. Our contexts include urban, inner-city, suburban, rural and coastal catchment areas in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset.
• The core purpose of the CLF is at the HEART of all that we do. Our vision is simple, we believe that by working together rather than in isolation we can accelerate school improvement and embed excellence in our academies. In doing so we create more opportunities for life-long success of our students as they become young adults.

• The CLF is jointly sponsored by Rolls Royce PLC and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), who we partner with in order to provide an excellent school-based initial teacher education and training programme leading to PGCE and QTS.