The National Teaching Services (NTS) pilot has been launched to encourage talented teachers to apply to work in schools across the North West that are struggling to attract the specialist staff they require.
The scheme is part of a wider government initiative to ensure all schools have access to excellent teachers. The NTS plan was announced in November 2015 by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and aims to see 1,500 high calibre teaching staff enrolled in challenged schools by 2020.
Morgan said of the announcement: “I want every child to have access to an excellent education but too many young people are not being given the chance to reach their potential because of where they live.
“The National Teaching Service will match some of our best teachers and middle leaders to schools that need them most, and is a fantastic opportunity for individuals to take on a new challenge and further their careers.
“We have already received hundreds of expressions of interest and I want to encourage even more top teachers and middle leaders to apply and be part of our mission to extend opportunity to young people across the North West from September 2016.”
Underpinning the training will be a new expectation set out in the SEND Code of Practice, confirming that all staff in every nursery, school and college should receive training on SEND and inclusion.
A new report released by the Education Policy Institute and Sync has warned that schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) could be making critical technology decisions without proper guidance.
Colleges and universities in Scotland will be expected to meet additional 'fair work' criteria in areas such as workplace inequalities and the use of zero hours contracts.
The campaign aims to tackle the worrying decline in reading for pleasure, with reading rates among young people dropping to its lowest level since 2005,