Schools to share training tips

Training schools will pass on their expertise to others

Nearly 50 schools which excel in initial teacher training are to share £2m this year to help them pass on their expertise to other schools.

School Standards Minister Estelle Morris has announced the names of the first 48 schools which successfully bid for training school status.

The 33 secondary and 15 primary schools, which will receive up to £100,000 a year over a three-year period, will use the money to develop and disseminate good practice in school-based initial teacher training.

They will also be expected to pioneer new approaches to initial teacher training, and become involved in research.

'Improvements needed'

Ms Morris said: "The best teachers of tomorrow stand to learn the most from the best teachers of today. They must have the opportunity to observe and learn from good teaching in the classroom."

She said the training schools would share their expertise in a range of areas, such as assessment and recording, literacy and numeracy, managing and mentoring newly qualified teachers, and working with classroom assistants.

The quality of training in many schools and initial teacher training colleges was already good, and the standard on offer was rising - but more improvements were needed.

She said that schools involved in teacher training could enjoy "significant benefits".

These included being able to recruit newly qualified teachers already familiar with the school community and its methods.

Further opportunities

Mentor training could also be an important source of development training for existing teachers, and could provide ongoing improvements in teaching practice.

Schools training teachers through the employment-based graduate teacher training programme would also receive £13,000 per trainee per year, in addition to the existing grant of up to £4,000 they already receive.

The government expects there will be futher opportunities for school to apply for training school status, depending on the progress of the first tranche.

The school which have been awarded training status are:

Primaries

Anchorsholme Primary School, Blackpool
Arbury County Primary School,Cambridge
Broadlea Primary School, Lake, Isle of Wight
Colegrave Primary School, Newham, London
Dovelands Primary School, Leicester
Horringer Court Middle School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Lake Middle School, Lake, Isle of Wight
Malvins Close First School, Blyth, Northumberland
Mesty Croft Primary School, Wednesbury, West Midlands
Newington Junior Foundation School, Ramsgate
Oakthope Primary School, Palmers Green, London
St John's Walworth C of E Primary School, Walworth, London
Stukeley Meadows Community Primary School, Huntingdon
Two Mile Ash Middle School, Milton Keynes
Vale First and Middle School, Worthing

Secondaries

Alsager School, Stoke on Trent
Aylsham High School, Aylsham, Norfolk
Banbury School, Oxfordshire
The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School, Hereford
Bishop Rawstorne C of E Language College, Croston, Lancashire
Blurton High School, Blurton, Stoke on Trent
Bramhall High School, Stockport
Brislington School, Bristol
Callington Community College, Callington, Cornwall
Cheadle Hulme College, Cheadle, Cheshire
Chelmer Valley High School, Chelmsford, Essex
Chipping Norton School, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Chiswick Community School, London
Claverham Community College, Battle, East Sussex
Coundon Court School and Community College, Coventry
Deacon's School, Peterborough
Hayfield School, Doncaster
Hockerill Anglo-European College, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire
Holyhead School, Birmingham
Jack Hunt School, Peterborough
King Edward VII School, Sheffield
Malet Lambert School, Kingston Upon Hull
Matthew Moss High School, Marland, Rochdale
Oathall Community College, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Regents Park School, Southampton
Sandown High School, Sandown, Isle of Wight
Sharnbrook Upper School, Bedford
Shenfield High School, Shenfield, Essex
Southfields Community College, Wandsworth, London
St Thomas More R C High School, North Shields
Swanshurst School, Birmingham
Tolworth Girls' School, Surbiton, Surrey