From initial teacher training to senior leadership, we offer a range of professional development within a nurturing and committed community of Hackney schools. We aim to support and develop teachers at every level via a comprehensive range of courses delivered by a network of committed experts. View the full Professional Pathway
Leadership exchange programme
or leadership placements.
Opportunities to support HTSA programme delivery
National Leaders of Education,
Local Leaders of Education.
Bespoke peer coaching and mentoring.
Access to partnership group meetings and
annual headteacher conference.
Looking to take your first steps into teaching? Train with the Hackney Teaching Schools’ Alliance and get your career off to a strong start with our postgraduate teacher apprenticeship, and continue your journey along our professional pathway with some of Hackney’s most successful schools.
The HTSA is a long-standing, supportive partnership of 16 schools incorporating nursery, primary, secondary and specialist provision. The alliance is steered by our executive board which comprises of two outstanding National Teaching Schools, Kingsmead Primary School and Clapton Girls' Academy, an outstanding National Support School, Stormont House School, and Millfields Community School. Along with our network of partnership schools we work to improve the quality of teaching and leadership through effective collaboration and personalised support. Who we are
We offer a structured training route going beyond Initial Teacher Training all the way to senior leadership. Our high retention of teachers is based on our reputation for excellence in Initial Teacher Training, and many of our former trainees are now successful teachers in our schools.
The schools in our network are diverse and we carefully match trainees with their placement school to ensure a successful fit, and outcomes for each trainee and the class they are placed in. While you gain invaluable experience in the classroom, you will be supported by knowledgeable experts from within our schools who will mentor you towards Qualified Teacher Status and your PGCE.
Our apprenticeship is a school-led, employment-based route which means that you will earn the inner London Unqualified Teacher’s salary (from £25,831) during your training and there are no tuition fees to pay, as they are met by the apprenticeship levy.
We offer a supportive local network led by specialists with expertise in teacher development, and the opportunity to access additional high-quality professional development through our tailor-made HTSA training programme which is designed to complement the course elements led by our partner university, London Metropolitan University.
What you can expect:
Fortnightly face-to-face training sessions at LMU’s Holloway Road campus in Islington, combined with school-based off-the-job training, which makes up 20% of the overall course.
An online reflective portfolio for academic assignments, which allows evidence-building for QTS and EPA (End Point Assessment).
Access to the University’s facilities, e.g. the university library, resources, Students’ Union, student support services and campus facilities.
LMU’s Focus on the London Context: Training designed to meet the needs of apprentices working in London schools.
A course that is underpinned by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Professional and academic support from a highly experienced team of tutors, all of whom are ITT professionals. Tutors make regular visits to observe and ensure that trainees are on track.
Quality Assurance from the university’s ITT team, to advise and ensure that individual school programmes are viable and compliant.
Proof of the following qualifications will be required if you are invited to interview with us:
GCSE English Language (Grade 4/C)
GCSE Maths (Grade 4/C)
GCSE Science (Grade 4/C)
Degree certificate
Any postgraduate qualifications (if applicable).
The Hackney Teaching & Schools’ Alliance ECT programme is a successful professional development opportunity for early career teachers.
The programme will equip teachers from a wide range of training providers to work in inner London schools. Our ECT Programme draws on the experience of expert practitioners, meeting the needs of new teachers through a range of practical input. Sessions are lively, thought-provoking and supportive with demonstrable impact.
Who is the training aimed at?
Early Career Teachers at primary phase
What is the duration of the training?
1 full day session every half term and 1 twilight session every half term
£850 for alliance members
£1100 for non-alliance members
The Hackney Teaching Schools’ Alliance’s Successful Classroom Practice course is a hands-on, practical course for primary school teachers in their second or third year of their careers to ensure that post-NQT year, they are supported to hone their classroom skills and develop as outstanding practitioners.
By harnessing the professional learning techniques which we know have the most impact in the classroom - peer observation, self-reflection, and collaboration - delegates will work together to explore best practice, define what successful teaching and learning looks like, and embed this in their classrooms.
Primary school teachers in their second or third year of teaching, who demonstrate the ability to become highly effective practitioners. They must demonstrate a strong commitment to professional development and improving their classroom practice, and willing to be reflect, collaborate and open up their classrooms to their peers and to SLEs. Teachers attending should be willing to summarise the impact of their learning in a presentation to senior HTSA staff.
This is a six part course is taught via three live sessions with three gap tasks in between.
Participants will cover the following as well as much more:
Building a positive climate for learning
Understanding the learning journey
Responding to the needs of learners
Harnessing formative assessment throughout lessons
The final full-day course will be presented by Mark Burns, the author of Teaching Backwards. It will draw on learning in his bestselling book. It will focus on unpicking and analysing teaching practice, before applying ‘thinking steps’ to planning for progression through a module of learning or topic. Primary school teachers who have completed the whole course will finish the day presenting to a panel of HTSA senior staff.
HTSA members receive one free place
£600 - Per extra place for HTSA members
£900 - Per place for external schools
The Hackney Teaching Schools’ Alliance is delighted to offer this highly interactive and practical programme for all school staff in middle-leadership roles. By identifying and developing the skills and qualities required for effective leadership, participants are given the tools to manage, lead, and inspire their teams – now and in the future.
Those currently in, or potentially moving into middle leadership roles. We are looking for the high-performers of the future If you believe you have the ambition, commitment, confidence, passion and courage to face the challenges of management and leadership in our schools, we encourage you to apply. If you want to encourage a culture of healthy challenge, celebration, high-achievement, emotional intelligence and trust in school, this is the programme for you.
Our course will be delivered in partnership with the UCL Institute of Education and will result in the university awarding a certificate of completion to successful participants.
Since September 2008 the Every Child Counts Mathematics intervention programmes have successfully supported over 150,000 children who were significantly below expected attainment to catch up with their peers and continue to make excellent progress learning Maths in class. Children have made average gains of between 13 and 17 months progress in about a term.
Kingsmead with HTSA offer the full range of ECC Mathematics programmes delivered by Garry Minto, an accredited ECC lead trainer and Primary Mathematics consultant. Garry has been involved in Maths intervention for 14 years and has been training Teachers and TAs in Mathematics intervention for 9 years. He runs the HTSA’s Maths programme for School Direct students and has trained over 90 Numbers Count teachers, and around 400 TAs in the lighter touch 1stClass@Number and Success@Arithmetic interventions.
ECC provides:
High quality interventions which genuinely help children who struggle with numeracy to catch up with their peers so that they can continue to learn alongside them.
High quality in depth PD support for TAs and teachers to both deliver the interventions and to understand the mathematical and pedagogical issues well enough to enable them to be more effective teachers of mathematics in any context.
High quality professional development to help schools and teachers to raise teaching standards and sustain high achievement for all children.
Ground breaking teacher led intensive support intervention programme for children who find Mathematics extremely difficult to learn (the lowest attaining 5-6% of children).
Numbers Count is delivered by a trained specialist teacher. Trainees will receive 7 full days of face to face training in their first year and 3 half-day trainer visits wherein they will receive coaching, support and quality assurance of their work. The school is also supported in the best use of the Programme. Teachers can gain accreditation from Edge Hill University after 2 terms as long as the rigorous standards demanded by the university are achieved.
Numbers Count Teacher’s expertise is developed to the point where they can have a wider impact in supporting colleagues throughout the school, impacting on mathematics standards in all classes.
Over 50,000 children so far have achieved average gains of 17 months progress in around a term from 22 hours of tuition so far substantially catching up with their peers.
There are two versions:
Numbers Count 1 – for children in Years 1 to 3
Numbers Count 2 – for children in Years 4 to 6 and beyond
7 days of training, 3 half-day trainer support visits and email and phone support
£2,200 per teacher
TA led, small group Maths interventions for children who need a helping hand catching up with their peers.
1st Class@Number is aimed at specially training TAs to deliver 24-30 half-hour sessions to a group of up to four children.
TAs receive 1 full and 5 ½ days of high quality face to face professional development spread over a term, plus all the specialist resources, lesson plans and guidance they will need to run the interventions, plus email and phone support for a year. We train link teachers from your school too so that they can support the work of the TA. Developing reasoning, problem solving and self-assessment skills are embedded in every lesson.
Children have made average gains of 13 months progress in a term from 24 or 30 lessons with a TA. 1stClass@Number has a huge impact on children’s attainment, on their attitudes to learning, and on TAs effectiveness and self-confidence.
There are three versions:
Becoming 1stClass@Number – for children in Year 1 who need to secure the early learning goal for mathematics. This focuses on developing Number sense around numbers up to 20, understanding part whole relationships and early place value (teens)
1stClass@Number 1 – for children who need to secure the current Year 1 Programme (typically in Year 2. It works for children in a range of year groups).
1stClass@Number 2 – for children who need to secure the current Year 2 Programme (typically in Years 3+4. It also works for children in a range of year groups)
1 full and 5 half days of face to face PD, email and phone support, resources website access, all lesson plans and specialist resources necessary to run the programme.
£990 per TA
A choice of two small-group programmes for pupils in KS2 and KS3 who need support with mathematical fluency and written arithmetic.
Success@Arithmetic: Calculation is a TA and Teacher led small group mathematic intervention for pupils in Key Stage 2 (Years 5 & 6) or Key Stage 3 who need support to become fluent in understanding and applying formal written calculation methods. The Programme gives children the deep knowledge of the operations and procedures which enable them to apply effective formal calculation to solving problems confidently.
TAs and a lead teacher (who manages and supports the TAs) are trained together for 2½ days spread over about 7 weeks in both running the programme and adapting it to different children’s needs. Trainees will also explore the deep mathematical and pedagogical knowledge which will allow them to apply their learning to whole class maths teaching.
As above but for children in Year 3 and 4 who need to acquire the number bond and multiplication fact knowledge as well as the derivation and deep place value understandings and skills they need to be ready to learn formal calculation.
Children have made average gains of 14 months progress from these programmes in less than a term.
5 half days of face to face small group training, email and phone support, resource website access and a full set of guidance booklets lesson plans, and the specialist resources needed to deliver the programme.
£990 per TA and link pair
£250 for an extra TA
£350 for an extra set of resources
If you would like any further information please contact Garry Minto at: GMinto@kingsmead.hackney.sch.uk
