The new phase of designation will mean that Northamptonshire Teaching School will continue to support schools until 2028. Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub was designated by the DfE as a centre of excellence for teacher development in Northamptonshire in February 2021 with Brooke Weston Academy named as its lead school. Both Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub and Brooke Weston Academy are part of the Brooke Weston Trust (BWT) family.

Through collaboration and partnership with national providers, local partners and curriculum hubs, Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub delivers core functions to support schools and trusts to invest in their workforce to recruit, grow, develop and retain the very best teachers, support staff and leaders across the golden thread of teacher development.

Gemma Marks, Director of Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub, said: “We are thrilled to have been redesignated as the teaching school hub for Northamptonshire. This award is a testament to everything we have built through our outstanding regional partnerships over the past three years. It provides a secure foundation to look ahead to the next phase and further grow the success of the hub, to support more schools and their members of staff across Northamptonshire to grow teacher and leader expertise.”

Since its formation in 2021, over 2000 teachers have engaged in world-class, evidence-based training with the Hub through its partnerships with Teach First and Ambition Institute, which is a third of the teacher workforce in Northamptonshire. Over 1500 early career teachers and their mentors have enrolled on the Hub’s ‘Outstanding’ Teach First early career framework and almost a 1000 teachers and leaders have built their expertise through the Hub’s national professional qualifications offer in partnership with the Ambition Institute. 

Andrew Campbell, Chief Executive of Brooke Weston Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been redesignated as the lead school and trust for Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub. We are extremely proud of the work that has been accomplished by the Hub so far. Gemma and her team have achieved so much already, and I look forward to building on this great work together over the next four years.

“Collectively, our aim continues to be a commitment to ensure every teacher in our region has access to the highest quality professional development, that will ultimately improve the standards of teaching and learning, opportunities and outcomes for the young people in our communities.”

Alongside the golden thread supporting teachers to enter the profession, through to headship and beyond, the evolving remit of the teaching school hub includes a new strategic role, working closely with initial teacher training providers across the region to recruit and train new teachers. This important role will help to address the shortage of teachers in our schools. The teaching school hub is also helping to address the quality of support for children with Special Educational Needs in Northamptonshire schools, by launching a new national qualification for school leaders (NPQ SENDCo) in Autumn 2024.

More information about the hub and the services it provides can be found at: www.northamptonshireteachingschoolhub.org.