The Client

Leeds Teaching School Hub is a dedicated centre of excellence for teacher development, serving schools across the Leeds city region. Their mission is to deliver the “golden thread” of teacher development – from Initial Teacher Training through to Executive Leadership – while keeping the educational performance of disadvantaged children as their central focus.

Recognising that schools and trusts often struggle to navigate fragmented CPD offerings or lack a strategic, joined-up approach to career-long development, Leeds Teaching School Hub provides access to truly exceptional, expertly delivered programmes. Their vision ensures that colleagues at every career stage are supported and guided, with a steadfast commitment to improving outcomes for children whose lives are characterised by privation.

Strategy and Implementation

1. Coherent Career-Long FrameworksThe Hub structures development as a continuous, progressive journey:
   • Golden Thread Alignment: Programmes mapped from early career to executive level, eliminating siloed training.
   • Phase-Appropriate Support: Specialist pathways for Early Career Teachers (ECTs), mentors, middle leaders, and aspiring headteachers.
   • Evidence-Based Content: All CPD rooted in the latest educational research and practical classroom application.
2. Targeted Focus on DisadvantageClosing the opportunity gap is embedded into every programme:
   • Priority Lens: All training modules explicitly address how to raise attainment for disadvantaged pupils.
   • Practical Strategies: Equipping teachers with tools to overcome barriers of privation, from attendance to vocabulary gaps.
   • City-Wide Commitment: Uniting schools across Leeds around a shared responsibility for the most vulnerable children.
3. Accessible, Collaborative DeliveryThe Hub makes high-quality CPD available to every school in the region:
   • Local Hubs & Partnerships: Delivering training in accessible venues across Leeds to reduce travel burdens.
   • Expert Practitioners: Facilitation by serving leaders and Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs) with real-time classroom insight.
   • No “One-Size-Fits-All”: Bespoke support for individual school contexts, from small primaries to large secondaries.

The Result

Leeds Teaching School Hub has become an indispensable partner for schools across the city region:

• Strengthened Teacher Retention: Schools report higher confidence and career satisfaction among early-career staff following Hub-led mentoring and ECT support.
• Measurable Impact on Disadvantage: Member schools show increased awareness and intentionality in planning for disadvantaged pupils, with early indicators of narrowing attainment gaps.
• Unified City-Wide Approach: The Hub has successfully created a shared language and collective responsibility for teacher development, ensuring that “Leeds: our city, our people, our children” is more than a strapline – it is a lived reality.