The Denbigh Teaching School Alliance was formed in 2011 as part of the first wave of National Teaching Schools. Led by Denbigh School in Milton Keynes, the Alliance provides high quality staff development and school support across all subject areas and at every level of experience, from support staff to ITT, through to Senior Leadership Level.

 

In September 2014 the Enigma Maths Hub was launched to develop teaching and learning in maths across the region.

To improve teacher training provision across Milton Keynes, the Tommy Flowers SCITT has been developed and will accept its first cohort of trainees in September 2015.

 

The Alliance has quickly developed a national reputation for the quality and impact of its work through its prepared and accredited programmes as well as its bespoke and creative responses to specific requirements. We are a strong Alliance led strategically by partners including three Higher Education Institutions and six schools, comprising three secondary schools; two of which have National Teaching School status and one of which is a Catholic school with a strong tradition of success in Initial Teacher Training. The other three schools comprise two primary schools, and a cross phase Special School. We have found this rich collaboration of outstanding providers has helped to create a blend of experience and perspective which has been pivotal in forming high quality relationships with other schools. Our capacity to support schools with a depth of expertise and experience is enhanced by our experienced team of National Leaders of Education, Specialist Leaders of Education and Local Leaders of Education. Many of these are actively involved in leading training, supporting school improvement or developing the quality of teaching and learning at whole school or department level, both nationally and locally.

 

As a Teaching School Alliance we share responsibilities to develop capacity and we structure our offer around the National College's 'Big Six': 

> Initial Teacher Training

> Continuing Professional Development & Leadership Development

> School Support

> Specialist Leaders in Education (SLEs)

> Succession Planning & Talent Management

> Research & Development

 

We find these six themes useful in providing a framework within which our school support can be offered. As an Alliance we are unique in our flexibility to go beyond this framework in response to locally identified needs through such resources as our high quality Leadership and Training Centre based at Shenley Brook End School and our Training Facility at Denbigh School. We are very proud of the links that we have developed in a short space of time and look forward to seeing our avenues for collaboration grow in such a way that benefits the Alliance as a whole and the quality of provision for students across the wider school system.