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University of Birmingham now specialist partner for newly formed National Institute of Teaching

The NIoT will help drive up standards across the English education system for the benefit of teachers and leaders up and down the country

27 May 2022
Female teacher laughing with a primary school pupil in the classroom.

The School of Education was 3rd in the recent REF, is 52nd globally in the 2022 QS world rankings and is 11th in the UK for student satisfaction in the June 2021 Complete University Guide.

The University of Birmingham, and its School of Education, has been chosen as one of fourteen specialist partners for the newly formed National Institute of Teaching (NIoT).

The NIoT, announced this week by the Department for Education, will be led by the School-Led Development Trust (SLDT), a charity founded by four of England’s leading school trusts. It will evolve teacher and leader development across the country by using its own cutting-edge research on best practice to inform the design and delivery of its high-quality professional development programmes.

Opening in September, and the first of its kind in England, the NIoT will be:

  • A truly school-led organisation. The NIoT will be run by schools for schools. Programme participants will have an experience that is school-based with programme design and delivery benefitting from the input of current practitioners – teachers, senior leaders, headteachers and executive leaders– who understand the demands of teaching workloads.
  • A best practice incubator, which will find, interpret, generate and communicate research, applying the insights to the design and delivery of professional development programmes.
  • A substantial investment in teacher and leader training research in England. The NIoT will make its research available for free to all teacher training providers so that it can be applied to improve teacher development across the country.
  • An impact-focused organisation. Its unique position gives the NIoT the opportunity to link data on teacher and leader development with data sets on pupil achievement, enabling it to see what truly makes an impact on children’s outcomes. This is something not done anywhere in the world outside North America.
  • Once Degree awarding powers are granted, it will become the only university in the UK solely focused on the development of teachers and school leaders combining academic awards with outstanding practice in schools.

The NIoT will help drive up standards across the English education system for the benefit of teachers and leaders up and down the country – and therefore for children and young people. Training will be delivered through four regional campuses. Each will be supported by one of the four Trusts that make up the SLDT – the Harris Federation, Outwood Grange Academies Trust, Oasis Community Learning and Star Academies.

The University of Birmingham as a specialist partner will offer NIOT:

  1. Expert support for the development of its Education strategy and the QA systems and processes that support this.
  2. Enrichment to the IoT’s knowledge-rich curriculum development and cross-curriculum expertise.
  3. Expert support in the development and application of new research, including using the science of learning in. teacher development, and translating lessons from our research for IoT education delivery.
  4. Expert support for and input to IoT leadership development programmes, including bridging from education to wider domains, through our Education Leadership Academy and Birmingham Leadership Institute.
  5. Expert support from our world-leading Jubilee Centre for Character and Values in Education.
  6. Masterclasses and short courses for Teacher Educators led by world-class specialists from across the University.
  7. ‘Virtuoso’ lectures and workshops for trainees, offering the experience of the highest level of academic teaching from world-class specialists from across the University.
  8. Collaboration with the University of Birmingham School, our exemplar Character School.
  9. Access to world-class research library facilities for IoTs educators and trainees.

Professor Richard Black, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Sciences said: "The School of Education has an impeccable record in providing training and support for future schools leaders in developing capacity for leadership and expert practice in schools. Becoming a specialist partner for the National Institute of Teaching will enhance our specialist expertise in education, inspiring the next generation of schools leaders to give all children the high-quality education they need and deserve to equip them for the modern world.”

Nadhim Zahawi, the Secretary of State for Education, said: “A child’s teacher is the single most important factor in the quality of their education, and my mission is to ensure that every single child in this country – wherever they live – is taught by an excellent teacher. Excellent teachers need excellent training, which is why our first of its kind National Institute of Teaching is going to be so important. The Institute is going to revolutionise the way teachers and school leaders receive training in this country, with cutting edge research alongside training delivered by national experts, and I’m thrilled that School Led Development Trust will oversee this exciting new project.”

The School of Education has an impeccable record in providing training and support for future schools leaders in developing capacity for leadership and expert practice in schools. Becoming a specialist partner for the National Institute of Teaching will enhance our specialist expertise in education, inspiring the next generation of schools leaders to give all children the high-quality education they need and deserve to equip them for the modern world.

Professor Richard Black, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Sciences

Melanie Renowden, the Founding Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute of Teaching, said: “The National Institute of Teaching is uniquely positioned to create a bridge between evidence and education practice. As a school-led consortium, we are perfectly equipped to translate evidence on best practice into action that can be implemented in schools up and down the country. It is not just that we know schools and work well with schools. Our trusts and our partners are delivering education excellence in classrooms across England, often in communities that have the toughest of deals, where our work has the potential to make the biggest difference. We will investigate what has been working, codify what we learn and share it across the school system. We are looking forward to the National Institute of Teaching playing a central role in nurturing the talents of teachers and leaders at all stages of their careers, so they can provide children and young people with the world-class education they deserve.”

The School of Education was 3rd in the recent REF, is 52nd globally in the 2022 QS world rankings and is 11th in the UK for student satisfaction in the June 2021 Complete University Guide.

Notes for editors

For further media information, please contact our press office team on: pressoffice@contacts.bham.ac.uk or call +44 (0)7789 921165.

About University of Birmingham

Ranked among the world’s leading universities, the University of Birmingham collaborates with partners across the world to produce ground-breaking research, deliver innovative teaching, and create opportunities for students and staff to gain international experience.

The four campuses will be arranged as follows:

  • The North West Campus supported by Star Academies
  • The North East Campus supported by Outwood Grange Academies Trust
  • The London & South East Campus supported by the Harris Federation
  • The Midlands & South West Campus supported by Oasis Community Learning

Associate Colleges and delivery partners are:

  • Bright Futures Educational trust
  • David Ross Education Trust
  • East Midlands Education Trust
  • Education South West
  • Flying High Trust (Inspiring Leaders)
  • Future Academies
  • Inspiration Trust
  • North East Learning Trust
  • Sea View Trust
  • South Farnham Educational Trust
  • Trinity MAT
  • Unity Schools Partnership

The specialist partners include:

  • ANS
  • Eden Academy Trust
  • Hable
  • Evidence Based Education
  • Microsoft
  • National Teacher Accreditation
  • Place2Be
  • Research Ed
  • Teacher Tapp
  • Teach First
  • The Difference
  • Tom Bennett
  • Newcastle University
  • University of Birmingham

Featured staff

  • Professor Richard Black

    Pro-Vice-Chancellor

    Richard is Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Sciences. An academic geographer and Professor of International Development, he has been a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences since 2012.

    Phone: +44(0) 121 415 8104
    Email: r.black@bham.ac.uk

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