‘Missed opportunity’ as teaching hubs lose CPD role

The Department for Education has been accused of a “missed opportunity” after it emerged teaching school hubs will no longer provide additional CPD from the autumn.

The DfE named the TSHs that will continue from September after a reaccreditation process.

The 87 hubs will play a role in delivering school-based initial teacher training, national professional qualifications, the early career framework and appropriate body services.

TSHs, which cover geographical patches, were established in 2021 and had also previously offered additional professional development programmes in areas such as behaviour and special educational needs. 

However, Kathryn Morgan, senior capacity improvement advisor at the Teaching School Hub Council, said that will no longer be the case.

‘Let’s not muddy the water’

She added “because we are so powerful as a network of hubs, using that local intelligence, I think for us to not be able to provide other professional development is somewhat of a missed opportunity.

“That doesn’t mean though, I don’t understand why that’s happened. Obviously they want hubs to be able to focus on the core bread and butter of the golden thread and with appropriate body services, and that’s a significant amount of work.

“So, I think from the department’s perspective, it’s what you’re doing, let’s do that really well, not muddy the water with lots of more CPD,” she said at the ASCL conference in Liverpool.

“Let’s let other providers be able to do that. And let’s make sure that hubs continue to be facilitators of the golden thread, but also conveners of other approved professional development that might be out there in the sector.”

A DfE spokesperson said Teaching School Hubs “will continue to signpost Continuing Professional Development opportunities that are available through our approved training programmes.”