Press Release- May 2014
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the lead school in the Catholic Schools Partnership (CSP) Teaching School Alliance, has been selected by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) to become a national teaching school – an important role in raising standards.
Teaching Schools and Teaching School Alliances will take a leading role in recruiting and training new entrants to the profession, identifying leadership potential and providing support for other schools.
Introduced in 2011, teaching schools are all rated as "outstanding" and mark a shift towards school-centred training. They work with partner schools in an alliance, including at least one university, to ensure high quality school-led initial teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers at all stages of their career.
They raise standards through school-to-school support, engage in research and development, and ensure that the most talented school leaders are spotted and supported to become successful head teachers.
Mary McAndrew head teacher of St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School and National Leader of Education said:
"The CSP Teaching Schools Alliance is a group of schools in Bradford and Keighley who are committed to raising standards within Bradford and beyond by offering our pupils learning opportunities of the highest possible quality, enhanced by our distinctive Catholic ethos."
"Combining the wealth of expertise from our Alliance Members, including primary and secondary schools, sixth form colleges, the Diocese of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University, we are able to offer professional development opportunities in a wide range of fields and bespoke school to school support, which will ensure that the CSP is at the forefront of improving outcomes for children."
"The greatest benefit of being part of the CSP alliance is that it is owned by all our schools, all working together ensuring that a distinctive Catholic element is woven throughout all our work. Our firm belief and guiding principle is: 'Not my school but our schools'."