A LEADING North East secondary school has been selected to help train the next generation of teachers and play a critical role in raising standards.
Emmanuel College, in Gateshead, which was recently described as “leading the field” and tops a number of educational measures, was chosen by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) to become a national teaching school.
The college has been rated continously as “outstanding’ by Ofsted since opening in 1989 and was one of only 200 primary and secondary schools in England to be granted teaching school status in the latest designation round.
Teaching Schools take a leading role in recruiting and training new entrants to the profession, identifying leadership potential and providing support for other schools.
Introduced in 2011, the system marks a shift towards school-centred training. Teaching Schools work with partner schools in an alliance, including at least one university, to ensure high quality school-led initial teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers at all stages of their career.
They raise standards through school-to-school support, engage in research and development, and ensure that the most talented school leaders are spotted and supported to become successful headteachers.
Jonathan Winch, Principal at Emmanuel College, said: “Being chosen as a Teaching School is a wonderful endorsement and recognition of the tremendous effort put in by all the staff at Emmanuel College.
“We are extremely honoured to have been selected and delighted to be able to share our experience with other schools and, indeed, in the training and professional development of teachers.”
Emmanuel College is also part of the School Direct initiative, giving high calibre graduates the chance to earn their craft at the region’s top state secondary school, combined with study to Masters level at Newcastle University.
NCTL has responsibility, in partnership with headteachers from the Teaching Schools Council, for the designation and quality of the teaching schools programme.
Charlie Taylor, the Chief Executive of NCTL, said: “Emmanuel College should be very proud of their teaching school status. It recognises the college’s outstanding performance and its track record of raising standards through supporting other schools.
“There are now more than 500 designated teaching schools around the country with more to follow. In an increasingly school-led system, they are leading the way in training new teachers and helping existing teachers develop their skills - ensuring we’ll have the best people teaching our children for generations to come.”
Staff from the successful schools attended a formal induction led by the Teaching Schools Council this month.