Chelmsford Teaching Schools Alliance

The Chelmsford Teaching Schools Alliance (CTSA) is a phase 3 Teaching School Alliance. There are currently 27 Alliance members; 15 Primary Schools, 10 secondary Schools, a Special School and one University.

The Lead School in the Alliance is Newlands Spring Primary Academy Trust. The Headteacher, Susannah Edom-Baker, is the Director of the Alliance and it is managed by Bev Gardener.
Members of the alliance benefit from access to all of the resources of the CTSA:
Continual Professional Development opportunities
School to school support
Access to Teaching School grants
Initial Teacher Training support (Primary for 2014-2015)
Research and Developement opportunities

The CTSA Management Group consists of:
Newlands Spring Primary School Academy Trust
Little Waltham C of E Primary School
Chelmer Valley High School Academy
The Boswells Academy
Thiftwood Special School
Anglia Ruskin University

CTSA is particularly focused on the following areas:
Continual Professional Developement (CPD)
Initial Teacher Training (ITT)
School 2 School Support (S2S)
Research and Development

The Alliance currently offers Primary School Direct placements for Initial Teacher Trainees (ITT) together with Essex Primary SCITT. CTSA offers high quality training for graduates through a one-year full time course leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Applicants who wish to train for the teaching profession in September 2014 can apply through the UCAS Application portal which opened on 21st November 2013.

We offer a range of CPD, including training for teaching and support staff in all Key Stages and for all phases from Professional Studies for Beginner teachers (ITTs and NQTs) to Middle and Senior Leader training.

CTSA has joined together with the Billericay Community Trust Teaching Schools Alliance to produce a Senior and Middle Leader course for Primary colleagues that we are running over the next few months.

Earlier in the year, the joint Teaching School Alliance was successful in bidding for funding from the National College for Teaching and Leadership to run courses that would support colleagues to make steps through their careers that would eventually lead them to Headship. Each course consists of 4 half-day sessions which are being led by outstanding practitioners from Essex schools.

CTSA is committed to school improvements. This is achieved by mutual support within the alliance and by the work of our National Leaders of Education (NLEs) and Local Leaders of Education (LLEs) in both primary and secondary schools.

We can provide peer to peer support through a variety of channels. We currently have 3 Specialist Leaders in Education (SLE0 who are available for deployment. Their specialisms include Primary Curriculum, Literacy, Science and G & T and Secondary Re and Behaviour for Learning.

In addition we have a number of skilled practitioners who can offer support in a variety of subjects including: TEFL, Ofsted Inspections, Primary MFL.

As part of our remit from the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) Alliance Schools are requested to identify key personnel who may lead research and innovation in their schools.

Current research being undertaken includes: ‘Closing the Gap: Test and Learn’ – This is an evidence based research project to help close the attainment gap led by Newlands Spring Primary School Academy Trust and is commissioned by the NCTL. The project is driven by the Centre for the use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE).

Please visit our website for further details.