GovWire

Overview

Teaching school hubs (TSHs) are centres of excellence for teacher training and development, led by some of the best schools and multi-academy trusts in the country. The network of 87 TSHs has national coverage, ensuring every school in England has access to a centre of excellence.

TSHs provide high-quality professional development for teachers at all stages of their career.

They play a significant role in delivering:

• school-based initial teacher training (ITT)
• the early career framework (ECF)
• national professional qualifications (NPQs)
• appropriate body (AB) services for the induction of early career teachers - TSHs will become the main appropriate body providers from September 2024

TSHs also promote and deliver other high-quality evidence-based professional development to school leaders and teachers.

In September 2023, DfE invited applications from schools to become TSHs for the next period of delivery, from September 2024 to August 2028. The application window closed on 20 October 2023. Successful applicants will be announced in 2024.

Funding

TSHs are currently funded for 3 years. They receive an annual grant, subject to conditions, including demonstrating progress against key performance indicators. Each hub has its own defined geographical area and serves all schools within it, although this does not prevent hubs from working with schools outside their area.

Find a teaching school hub

Use the find a teaching school hub tool to search for your local TSH.

Birmingham and Cornwall local authority districts each have 2 TSHs in their area. Select the local authority district you think your school belongs to. The TSH will confirm if youre within their hub area.

Teaching School Hubs Council

The Teaching School Hubs Council (TSHC) is the sector body for TSHs. It advocates for an excellent education for every pupil, regardless of their background, and supports the national network of TSHs in England.

The TSHC has 2 specific functions:

• an advisory function, representing the network of TSHs, engaging with and advising DfE on national policy
• a capacity-building function, supporting the creation and growth of TSHs, ensuring capacity for successful delivery of:
  • the ECF
  • NPQs
  • ITT
  • the AB role
  • additional continuing professional development (CPD)

TSHC members are appointed by DfE. Current membership is as follows:

Members are supported in the delivery of TSHCs 2 functions by a small central executive team.

To contact the TSHC, email tsh.support@tsch.org.uk.

Background

The TSH programme is part of a comprehensive strategy dedicated to supporting teachers throughout their teaching career. It forms part of the implementation of the recruitment and retention strategy to raise teacher quality and effectiveness.

The TSH programme was announced in 2019 and followed by procurement to successfully appoint 6 test and learn hubs. In January 2020, we announced those successful test and learn hubs.

In autumn 2020, DfE invited high-performing schools, rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding at the time, to apply to become TSHs. In February 2021, DfE selected 81 successful TSHs to join the existing 6 test and learn hubs. All 87 began delivery in September 2021. This programme replaced the previous network of approximately 750 teaching schools, which ended in August 2021.