Teaching School Hubs

Summary

School Teaching Hubs in the UK comprise a network of 87 school-led centres aimed at enhancing teaching and leadership training standards across the country. Strategically located to ensure national coverage, these hubs serve as key points for teacher professional development (TPD), Initial Teacher Training (ITT), and programs like the Early Career Framework (ECF) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). By offering high-quality training and development opportunities, these hubs are crucial in maintaining and improving the quality of education in the UK.

Despite their many benefits, implementing technology within these hubs is not without challenges. Manual administrative tasks, financial constraints, and the substantial workload on staff can hamper process management. Schools face difficulties in adopting new technologies due to limited funding, affecting their purchasing power and ability to invest in necessary resources.

Looking ahead, the future prospects for School Teaching Hubs are closely tied to the continuous advancement of educational technologies. AI, VR, and other emerging technologies offer promising avenues to further enhance the teaching and learning experience. However, effective integration requires ongoing professional development and support for educators. Collaboration between educators, technology providers, and education experts is vital to unlock the full potential of these innovations, ensuring that the UK’s education system remains at the forefront of global standards.

Overview

School Teaching Hubs in the UK leverage technology to streamline various educational processes and enhance teaching and learning experiences. The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in these hubs acts as a lever for educational change and innovation, enabling educators to develop and evaluate Teacher Professional Development (TPD) models effectively.

The integration of advanced technologies like AI and VR in eLearning environments also enhances the quality and effectiveness of learning experiences, making education more dynamic and accessible.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of technology in education became even more critical. It enabled the continuity of learning through remote and blended models, fostering crucial connections between teachers and students when in-person interactions were limited. Technology has thus proven to be a vital component in modern education, supporting various learning modes and adapting to the needs of learners worldwide.

Types of School Teaching Hubs

Teaching School Hubs in the UK are designed to serve as school-led centres of excellence for teacher and leadership training and development. The network, which comprises 87 hubs, is distributed across designated geographical areas to ensure national coverage and accessibility for all schools. Each Teaching School Hub is responsible for providing high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers and serves on average around 250 schools within its area.

School-Based Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

One of the primary roles of the Teaching School Hubs is to deliver school-based Initial Teacher Training (ITT). This involves working closely with accredited providers to support trainee teachers through high-quality, practical training experiences. By integrating ITT within a school setting, the hubs help ensure that new teachers are well-prepared for the classroom environment.

Early Career Framework (ECF)

The Early Career Framework (ECF) is another significant component delivered by the Teaching School Hubs. Starting from its national rollout in September 2021, the ECF is designed to provide structured support to newly qualified teachers during their first two years in the profession. This framework aims to enhance their professional development and retention by offering tailored mentoring and professional development activities.

National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)

The Teaching School Hubs also play a crucial role in delivering the new specialist and leadership National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). These qualifications are aimed at teachers and leaders seeking to develop their skills further in specific areas of expertise or leadership. The hubs offer NPQs in various specializations, ensuring a robust pathway for career progression within the education sector.

Appropriate Body Services (AB)

In addition to the aforementioned roles, Teaching School Hubs provide Appropriate Body (AB) services for early career teachers. These services include induction and support to ensure that new teachers meet the required standards for professional practice. The hubs act as a bridge between local needs and national policies, ensuring compliance and fostering professional growth.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

The Teaching School Hubs are committed to offering other high-quality, evidence-based Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for teachers and school leaders. This includes a variety of training programs, workshops, and resources aimed at enhancing teaching practices and improving student outcomes. By leveraging the expertise of some of the best schools and multi-academy trusts in the country, the hubs ensure that the professional development needs of educators are met comprehensively.

Role and Function

School Teaching Hubs in the UK serve as pivotal centres aimed at enhancing the quality of education through strategic governance, expert delivery, and the effective utilisation of technology. These hubs operate under a structured leadership framework that involves strategic groups and expert delivery teams. Each strategic group includes an independent chair, key partners from various educational phases, the Executive Director of Teaching School Hubs, local authority representatives, and a colleague from the Research School Network. This diverse composition ensures a comprehensive approach to decision-making and service delivery, holding the hubs accountable for maintaining high standards of education across the region.

A critical function of these hubs is to offer world-class professional development opportunities. Through an open recruitment process, the hubs have been able to attract top operational leaders who bring in-depth local intelligence and expertise to the teaching school hub’s core functions. These functions include initial teacher training, the Early Career Framework (ECF), National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), and continuing professional development (CPD). This comprehensive approach ensures that all aspects of a teacher’s professional journey are covered, from initial training to career progression.

Teacher development is at the heart of the hubs’ mission. This includes both formal training sessions and informal activities like collaborative discussions and the exchange of best practices. Special schools, despite the increased pressures of statutory teacher development, have shown resilience and innovation in managing these challenges. They leverage internal expertise and external practice networks to provide high-quality training for their staff, ensuring that every teacher has the opportunity to develop professionally.

The effective implementation of the ECF is another cornerstone of the hubs’ role. Designed to support new teachers, the framework ensures that they acquire the necessary skills to be effective educators. Mentorship during the two-year induction period is a crucial component, helping to build teachers’ confidence and increasing the likelihood that they will remain in the profession long-term.

Challenges in Managing Processes

Managing processes within school teaching hubs in the UK involves several challenges, often exacerbated by manual administrative tasks. These tasks typically include a significant amount of paperwork, manual data entry, and reliance on physical documents, which can lead to inefficiencies such as delays in processing time and potential human errors. Additionally, accessing and retrieving information can be difficult, and maintaining data accuracy and consistency across various systems can pose significant challenges. This approach consumes valuable staff time and resources, diverting attention from more critical tasks related to student support and academic development.

A critical issue impacting process management is the workload on staff, which can be substantial. Assignments, assessments, attendance tracking, and communication processes are just a few areas where the burden is felt. Implementing automation for these repetitive, time-consuming tasks can mitigate some of these challenges by increasing time and resource efficiency. 

However, schools face financial constraints that complicate the adoption of technological solutions. The National Education Union (NEU) has criticised funding levels, highlighting that school spending power has been cut and remains below the levels seen in 2010. Although funding levels are slowly improving, rising inflation and cost pressures have dampened the impact of this additional funding, leading to a reduction in purchasing power for schools. This financial strain is further compounded by specific needs in areas such as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), which require targeted investment.

To address these financial challenges, schools have several funding options available, including leasing, grants, and wholesale purchases. Leasing, in particular, offers a flexible financial method that can help schools manage their budgets more effectively by spreading costs and freeing up cash as needed. Despite these options, recruitment and retention of staff remain ongoing concerns, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial increases in recruitment figures for teacher training courses have not sustained, posing further challenges to maintaining a stable workforce to manage school processes effectively.

Technological Solutions for Managing Processes

Gridfox is a notable example of a no-code solution that significantly enhances process management within School Teaching Hubs, addressing the limitations of traditional spreadsheets and off-the-shelf software. With the vast amount of data to manage and process, spreadsheets often fall short, becoming cumbersome and error-prone. Furthermore, the bespoke nature of the requirements within School Teaching Hubs means that standard software solutions typically fail to meet their specific needs. While some hubs have attempted to use CRM solutions, these have often proved inadequate, lacking the flexibility required for the complex and unique workflows in educational settings.

Gridfox, however, offers a user-friendly platform that allows educators and administrators to create custom applications without any programming knowledge. This enables the efficient organisation and automation of various administrative tasks, from tracking teacher professional development to scheduling.

By simplifying these processes, Gridfox reduces the workload on staff, ensures greater accuracy and consistency in data management, and allows educators to focus more on their core responsibilities of teaching and mentoring. The adoption of such no-code platforms can lead to more streamlined and effective operations within School Teaching Hubs, ultimately contributing to higher educational standards and better outcomes for both teachers and students.

By leveraging these technologies, School Teaching Hubs can enhance process management, improve operational efficiency, and focus more on their core mission of delivering high-quality education and professional development.

Conclusion

The implementation of technology in School Teaching Hubs in the UK represents a significant advancement in the education sector. By leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT), these hubs are poised to transform educational practices and enhance teaching and learning experiences. ICT facilitates the development and evaluation of effective Teacher Professional Development (TPD) models, enabling educators to make evidence-based decisions that drive innovation and improvement in education.

Discover how Gridfox is transforming process management in School Teaching Hubs by reading the full case study. Learn how bespoke solutions can replace spreadsheets and ineffective CRM systems, leading to streamlined operations and better educational outcomes. Read the full case study here.