The Hub will provide support to over 300 schools in the region, giving them direct access to the expertise from school leaders with a track record of improving challenging schools. Support could include delivering tailored professional development for teachers, hosting observations and visits, or deploying system leaders to offer advice and guidance to local schools.

Chorus Education Trust CEO, Mr Chris James, said:

“We are delighted that our founding school, Silverdale, is one of just six schools nationally to have been awarded Teaching School Hub status. However, our bid is actually a local partnership with other schools and Teaching Schools in the region – and we believe it was the strength of this partnership that made the difference. It brings together professionals in primary, secondary and special schools and draws on the wealth of expertise and talent currently within our schools.

“Our hub will coordinate support for local schools that need to improve. This could be anything from, for example, an outstanding English department supporting one elsewhere, to helping leadership teams on specific areas, such as behaviour management, how to make your budget go further, how to best support disadvantaged students, or how to recruit and develop excellent school governors.

“Creating this Teaching School Hub in Sheffield and Rotherham is a positive step forward for local schools, because it puts the power to change things in the hands of those who really know education and know their local area.”

The Sheffield and Rotherham hub partners are:

• Sheffield Teaching School Alliance
• Fields of Learning TSA
• Mercia TSA
• Hallam TSA
• Learning Unlimited TSA
• Silversmith TSA
• Fusion TSA – special school
• Rowan TSA – special school
• Forge TSA
• Learners First

The new hubs will help struggling schools to boost professional development opportunities for teachers, improve school-to-school support and strengthen staff recruitment and retention and will initially be tested in five areas, from February 2020.

This forms part of a new scheme, launched by the department last year, to simplify and strengthen how the government drives up school standards, building on the successes of the Teaching Schools and National Leaders of Education programmes.

Schools Minister Lord Agnew said:

“It is vital that we back our best school leaders and help them to support struggling schools so that we can continue to drive forward the high standards we are already seeing in schools across the country.

“These new Teaching School Hubs will make it easier for the best school leaders to share expert advice and help schools in their local communities, ensuring that those schools facing the greatest challenges are supported as simply and efficiently as possible.”