What We Do

What We Do

Vision
The philosophy of the Northern Saints Teaching School Alliance is based strongly on partnership and that collaboration between schools in the Alliance and the wider school community is the only way to continually develop and improve teaching and learning for the benefit of students and the communities in which we work.

Underpinning this vision and reflected throughout the work of the Alliance is a strong Catholic ethos.

Aims and Initial Priorities

The National College for Teaching and Leadership provides teaching schools with three main key areas to help structure teaching school delivery. Northern Saints Teaching School Alliance will focus on these three key areas with the aim of raising standards in schools by enabling self-sustaining improvements in the quality of teaching and the quality of leadership.

The three key areas:
  • School to School Support: The Alliance will focus on creating and supporting school improvement networks. This will be achieved by:
    • Responding to the needs of schools within the Alliance
    • Responding to requests from other schools
    • SLE recruitment and deployment
  • Workforce Development: The Alliance recognises that there is a need to ensure that talent in the teaching profession is nurtured and retained whilst improving outcomes for pupils. With a focus on school improvement and future proofing the talent supply chain within our schools, the Alliance will:
    • Strengthen and develop networks across schools within the Alliance
    • Provide opportunities for research and professional development
    • Work to realise talent and grow teaching and leadership potential within and between schools
  • Initial Teacher Training: Linked to the above area, it is critical that schools attract, develop and retain effective teachers. In order to achieve this, led by the Teaching School the Alliance will:
    • Improve links with primary schools within the Alliance
    • Maintain strong links with Teach First
    • Support the transition and training of teacher trainees to become excellent teachers
    • Focus on recruitment into underrepresented areas

"Thank you for your fantastic training. Can you stay here for 3 months?! We want to bottle your dynamism and knowledge. A lot of staff have been so enthusiastic about it, and have been sharing lots of ideas and using it in the classroom."

Assistant Headteacher at a whole school CPD event, focusing on metacognition, delivered to a school in Birmingham, 7 January 2019

"The session was great. Feedback was really good from staff.
"

Lead at the Directed Differentiation CPD session, delivered to a further education college, 16 January 2019

"Really engaging. Good to have strategies to take away and use."

Participant at the Making the Learning Stick CPD session, 30th January 2019

"Thank you. Really useful explanation as to why adolescents act and behave as they do. I will definitely be able to apply some of the techniques to my work. Brilliant presentation! I could have listened for hours!"

Participant at A Child’s Stages of Development CPD session, 10th December 2018

"The coaching training session was very beneficial to not only myself for CPD but also for my school. It is a great way for members of staff to support each other and develop new skills whilst also creating the opportunity to develop new initiatives within school."

Participant at the Coaching Training session, 23rd March 2017

Testimonials