Training school (United Kingdom)

For a juvenile correctional facility, see youth detention center.

A training school was a type of specialist school in England^[1] that specialised in adult education and teacher training.^[2][3][4] They provided exceptional facilities for in-service and work experience training for teachers. There were around 230 training schools.^[5]

They were described "As centres of excellence for training, Training Schools act as experts in adult learning and the transfer of skills, and provide a venue for high quality professional development."^[4]

Initially, there was a requirement that a training school had to have High Performing Specialist Schools status. This requirement was removed in February 2010 to enable special schools to become training schools.^[6]

Training School designation is no longer in use, it was superseded in England by Specialist Teaching Schools,^[7] many working with other schools and strategic partners to form a Teaching School Alliance. The first cohort of 100 Teaching Schools across 97 Teaching School Alliances were designated for the beginning of the 2011–2012 academic year.^[8] Teaching Schools are themselves losing designation from 31 August 2021, with their role passing to regional Teaching School Hubs, of which there will be 87 across England.^[9]

References

1. "Lavington School chosen to teach the teachers". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 19 March 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
2. . Department for Children, Schools and Families. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
3. . Department for Children, Schools and Families. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
4. . Department for Children, Schools and Families. Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
5. "Training schools - FAQs" 2007-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, Department for Children, Schools and Families
6. "Salt Review" (PDF). www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
7. "Ministers answer calls for a College of Teaching". The Guardian. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
8. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/503333/Evaluation_of_Teaching_schools_FINAL_FOR_PUB_25_feb_final_.pdf^{[bare URL PDF]}
9. "Teaching school hubs". 30 November 2021.