The National Institute of Teaching represents a dynamic and new approach – but one that the system has been working towards for years. The potential of what this can achieve – for teachers and therefore for children and young people – is what really excites me.
We have been talking for many years about the system leading the sector and here we have four large academy trusts coming together alongside numerous Associate Colleges and world-class partners – this is system leadership coming to life as part of a genuinely school-led approach.
The spread of these partnerships across the whole country is extraordinary and will provide genuine scale that we have never seen before, reaching all parts of the country including cold spots which can lack high-quality professional development opportunities. The NIoT will bring equity to the sector – wherever the school and whatever the type, the NIoT is there for schools, teachers and children and young people. This is game-changing.
A key part of the NIoT is that it will be drawing on the very best research, and generating its own, to form the design and delivery of the courses – all the way from initial teacher training through to NLEs and beyond. Best practice will be shared from schools – who know what works because they can assess it against student outcomes – and be made available to everyone so that teaching quality is ever-improving in every classroom and having a positive influence on every child’s life. This will be an iterative process, with the NIoT assessing the data as we go, adapting, learning and innovating.
We want a world-class education system that delivers for everybody. The NIoT is a central part of achieving that, establishing a pipeline of talent that energises and empowers schools and teachers, and enthuses and enriches our children and young people.