ALTRINCHAM Grammar School for Girls in Trafford is to benefit after news that every school in the country is to get greater access to expert teacher training and development, under plans announced by the Department for Education.

The teaching workforce will get best-practice and expert advice on how best to engage with pupils, lesson planning, and classroom management, as part of new teaching school hubs being rolled out across the country.

Eighty-one hubs will be added in all corners of England to provide high-quality professional development to teachers and leaders at all stages of their career and play a key role in helping to build up trainee teachers as they enter the workforce.

Each hub, all of which will be operational and helping schools from September, will have its own defined geographical patch and will be expected to be accessible to all schools within that area, serving on average around 250 schools each.

The programme is being rolled out as teachers continue to deliver remote education for pupils, with the current attendance restrictions in schools and colleges remaining in place until March 8 at the earliest.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: “We know teachers are already providing the best education possible for pupils, and this is especially true while schools are closed to most pupils. These new Teaching School Hubs will further support the profession by providing the best possible training and development opportunities.

“It is important that teachers and school leaders feel supported in their career.

“The hubs will make this substantially easier, with expert practitioners able to give experienced advice to those schools able to benefit from it.

There will be 87 hubs for teacher training and development. This comes from £65m of new funding, with the hubs set to run for an initial three years.

The hubs will also help in delivering the Early Career Framework reforms when this is available nationally from September, as well as in delivering a reformed suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) including new specialist NPQs.

They will also deliver Initial Teaching Training and additional high-quality evidence-based professional development.

Richard Gill, Teaching School Council chair, said: “The Teaching Schools Council congratulates all 81 schools and/or trusts which have been designated as a teaching school hub.”