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.”
The Welsh Government has agreed to continue a licensing deal which will give all learners at Welsh state schools free access to Microsoft 365 at school and at home.
Schools will play a greater role in ensuring every pupil has a clear post-16 destination, with a new approach to a guaranteed college or FE provider place available as a safety net being tested.
New data from Ofqual shows that schools and colleges across England are making progress in cyber security training, but are struggling to recover quickly from attacks when they occur.