Two local schools chosen to help train the next generation of teachers

Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) and The Castle School Education Trust (CSET) have been awarded national ‘teaching school’ status as part of an innovative new partnership, recognised for their excellence as separate organisations and now working together on key aspects of local education provision.

BSCS is named as the ‘lead’ school, basing operations at its site in Bradley Stoke, although CSET is an equal partner and staff will work alongside each other on a day-to-day basis to deliver the provision, alongside all seven Olympus Academy Trust schools.

Teaching schools take a leading role in recruiting and training new entrants to the profession. They identify and develop leadership potential, provide support for other schools to bring about school improvement, and work with schools across their teaching school alliance to raise standards of teaching.

The collaboration is one of over 65 organisations in England to be granted teaching school status in the latest recruitment round.

Steve Moir, headteacher at BSCS, said:

“In partnership with our colleagues at CSET, we now have a key role in recruiting and training new entrants to the profession, leading peer-to-peer professional and leadership development and delivering research and development activity.”

Will Roberts, CEO at the Castle School Education Trust, said:

“Teaching schools play a fundamental role in developing a system where trainee teachers learn from the best, professional development is school-based and classroom focused, and staff demonstrating potential are encouraged to lead.Our collaboration with The Olympus Academy Trust is developing in a way that feels as if the potential for our joint impact on the education of local children could make an increasingly positive difference.”

Roger Pope, chair of the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), an executive agency of the Department for Education, said:

“I’d like to congratulate BSCS and CSET – they should be very proud of this achievement. Teaching schools are at the heart of school improvement. They’re supporting other schools, attracting and training the best new teachers and developing the next generation of leaders. At NCTL, we want to do all we can to support their work.”

Related links:

• What are teaching schools and system leaders? (NCTL)
• The Teaching Schools Council