NEW TEACHER TRAINING SCHOOLS BRINGS TOTAL TO 82 - MORRIS

1 May 2001 12:00 AM

Teacher training got a boost today as School Standards Minister Estelle Morris announced an expansion of the ''Training School'' scheme.

Twenty-eight more schools have been designated bringing the total of Training Schools across England to 82. They will receive up to #100,000 per year over a two year period to spread good practice and develop innovative teacher training practices including:

- Using new technology to enhance and improve lesson observations; - developing new ways of assessing and recording school work and results; - improving the effectiveness of teaching materials; - reinforcing the importance of social inclusion; and - developing and modelling the Graduate Teacher Programme.

Ms Morris said:

''I welcome the new round of Training Schools as an important addition to the overall strategy of improving teaching skills and raising classroom standards.

''Prospective teachers and all schools who train teachers as they work towards their Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) can benefit from the innovative training resources and ideas being developed at these Training Schools.

''Across the country these schools are sharing ideas on how to use new technology to enhance and improve lesson observations, how to develop new ways of assessing and recording school work and results, how to improve the effectiveness of teaching materials and how to reinforce the importance of social inclusion.

''Following the success of the first round of applications last year, there was a lot of interest from schools wishing to become training schools in the second round. The Department received over 70 high quality applications from schools with strong training credentials.

''I look forward to these new Training Schools joining the existing network and developing and disseminating good practice and pioneering new approaches in school based ITT.''

NOTES TO EDITORS

This Press Notice applies to England.

1. In all, there will be 6 primary and 22 secondary schools starting work as Training Schools this year, building on the existing network of 39 secondary and 15 primary schools. The 82 schools will share #4.5 million this year (2001-02). Decisions on any further expansion of the scheme will be taken in the light of the success of the existing schools and following the consultation on the Green Paper Schools - Building on Success.

2. The schools have successfully bid for funding from the Standards Fund to develop and disseminate good practice in school-based initial teacher training (ITT) work. Subject to the finalisation of contracts, they will work with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers and other schools for an initial two year period.

3. Examples of newly designated Training schools include:

- Henry Maynard Infants and Nursery School in Walthamstow will build on their existing programme of social inclusion and will provide experience and use of high quality early years materials in core subjects for trainees from an ethnically diverse population;

- Lobley Hill Primary School in Gateshead will develop ITT students'' skills in assessment, planning learning outcomes and differentiation for children with special educational needs;

- The Nobel School in Hertfordshire will establish a ''training classroom'' to allow live observation of trainees, remote viewing by university staff and playback facilities to strengthen the opportunities for constructive feedback;

- Saffron Walden County High School (Essex) and Comberton Village College (Cambridgeshire) will work together to explore a model school''s potential contribution to Fast Track ITT.

4. The newly designated Training Schools are:

Primary Schools LEA

Birley Spa Community Primary School Sheffield Jermyn Crescent Sheffield S12 4QE

Dunmow CofE Foundation Junior School Essex High Stile Great Dunmow Essex CM6 1EB

Greenway School West Sussex Greenway Horsham West Sussex RH12 2JS

Henry Maynard Infants and Nursery School Waltham Forest Maynard Road Walthamstow London E17 9JE

Lobley Hill Primary School Gateshead Rothbury Gardens Gateshead NE11 OAT

Manor Park Primary School Coventry Ulverscroft Road Cheylesmore Coventry CV3 5EZ

Secondary Schools

Beckfoot School Bradford Wagon Lane Bingley BD16 1EE

Birkdale High School Sefton Windy Harbour Road Southport PR8 3DT

Comberton Village College Cambridgeshire West Street Comberton Cambridgeshire CB3 7DU Comberton is working in partnership with Saffron Walden County High School

Crown Hills Community College Leicester City Gwendolen Road Leicester LE5 5FT

Deanery CofE High School Wigan Frog Lane Wigan WN1 1HQ

Deptford Green School Lewisham Amersham Vale New Cross London SE14 6LQ

George Abbot School Surrey Woodruff Avenue Guildford Surrey GU1 1XX

Greensward College Essex Greensward Lane Hockley Essex SS5 5HG

Hurlingham and Chelsea School Hammersmith & Fulham Peterborough Road London SW6 3ED

King James''s School North Yorkshire King James Road Knaresborough North Yorkshire HG5 8EB

Lampton School Hounslow Lampton Avenue Hounslow Middlesex TW 4EP

Lord Williams''s School Oxfordshire Oxford Road Thame Oxfordshire OX9 2AQ

Macmillan College Middlesbrough PO Box 8 Stockton Road Middlesbrough Teeside TS5 4YU

Saffron Walden County High School Essex Audley End Road Saffron Walden Essex CB11 4UH

South Dartmoor Community College Devon Balland Lane Ashburton Devon TQ13 7EW

St Peter''s High School Gloucestershire Stroud Road Gloucester GL4 ODE

Thamesmead School Surrey Manygate Lane Shepperton Middlesex TW17 9EE

The Byrchall High School Wigan Warrington Road Ashton-In-Makerfield Wigan WN4 9PQ

The City of Porstmouth Girls'' School Portsmouth St Mary''s Road Porstmouth Hampshire PO1 5PF

The City Technology College, Kingshurst Solihull PO Box 1017 Cooks Lane Kingshurst Birmingham B37 6NZ

The Nobel School Hertfordshire Mobbsbury Way Stevenage Hertfordshire SG2 OHS

The St Thomas the Apostle College Southwark Hollydale Road Nunhead London SE15 2EB

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