New Teaching School Hubs announced for West region
The Department for Education announced this week recently the 87 new Teaching School Hubs that will be at the forefront of providing high quality professional development for all teachers in future.
In the West, the new Teaching School Hubs have been awarded to Colston’s Girls’ School (CGS), which will be renamed Montpelier High School from September 2021, run by the Venturers Trust, and Mangotsfield Primary School.
CGS successfully bid for the Bristol and North Somerset Teaching School Hub, and was also awarded the Somerset Hub by the Government. Mangotsfield Primary School successfully bid for the South Gloucestershire and B&NES Teaching School Hub.
The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) supported CGS’s and Mangotsfield Primary’s bids and will act as a strategic partner for both of the Venturers Trust Hubs.
Sian Kinder, Head of Teaching School at Mangotsfield, said:
“It is an honour and privilege to be able to build upon the partnerships grown and sustained over the past number of years in this region and beyond, to harness the expertise and experience to ensure the new Hubs are successful.”
Faye Kitchen, Headteacher at Mangotsfield, said:
“Our passion and vision are centred around the value of excellence and each and every young person having the best chances in life. The Teaching School Hub collaboration will certainly make that difference.”
David Watson OBE, CEO of Venturers Trust, said:
“Building successful partnerships to develop and share best practice is a crucial part of delivering school improvement. The Teaching School Hubs will allow schools to work together more effectively than ever before and this collaborative approach will benefit all students.”
Kerry McCullagh, Principal of CGS, said:
“We are thrilled to have been selected by the DfE to lead two Teaching School Hubs, with strategic support from the CLF, a trusted and collaborative partner to Venturers Trust over many years. We have the capacity and the capability to deliver the requirements of the Teaching School Hubs to the highest standard. We are developing an innovative collaboration across the city and beyond with partners who have a proven track record of delivering substantial teacher and leadership development. This is underpinned by our shared understanding of existing provision and future needs across the region.”
The CLF’s support for the bids brings together a coalition of partners willing to collaborate under the ‘Umbrella’ of the five counties and three Hub areas to provide all the essential ingredients, expertise and experience to ensure they are successful.
Alison Fletcher, Director of the CLF Institute, which will lead on delivery for the CLF, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Colston’s Girls’ School and Mangotsfield Primary School and a collaboration of great partners working together to deliver the remit of these brand new Teaching School Hubs. We have extensive experience delivering School Centred Initial Teacher Training, supporting early career teachers after qualification and developing leaders throughout their careers. We will bring this experience into our ongoing input to professional development and school improvement in the region.”
The Teaching School Hubs are the next step in the Department for Education’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which is reshaping the delivery and provision of education training and development, to ensure all children and young people experience excellent teaching in schools led by excellent leaders. There are currently 83 Teaching Schools in the South West, and these will be replaced by 11 Teaching School Hubs in the new network announced today, including those 3 in our part of the region.
Steve Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the CLF, said:
“We are undergoing a seismic reform in the education system landscape and Teaching School Hubs are a part of that change. We are proud of the responsibility we now hold in trust for all of the schools in our community and the young people in these five counties.”
The Hubs will deliver high quality professional development for teachers and leaders as the route to school improvement. The Hubs’ responsibilities will include delivery of Initial Teacher Training, the Early Career Framework, National Professional Qualifications for leaders, and CPD, working with partners including Research Schools, Maths and English Hubs and other specialist providers.