Teachers to receive additional training following £75m investment

Thousands of teachers are set to benefit from additional training following the announcement of a £75 million Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund.

Six organisations, including the Teacher Development Trust, Teach First and the Institute of Physics, will share a fund worth nearly £17 million as part of the government’s drive to support and spread great teaching.

The successful organisations, which will benefit from the fund, aim to increase existing teachers’ skills, confidence and knowledge in a range of areas including leadership and phonics and early reading.

In addition, there will be a focus on sharing best practice in the teaching of science, technology, engineering and maths and the creation of five professional development excellence hubs across the country.

These hubs, due to be set up in Blackpool, Birmingham, Northumberland, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and West Sussex, will all support individual schools in developing and retaining the high-quality staff they need.

Education secretary Justine Greening said: “We want to ensure every young person can reach their potential, regardless of their background or where they are growing up, and great teachers are at the heart of this.

“The new fund proves our commitment to creating a culture of high-quality ongoing professional development throughout a teacher’s career.

“I hope that thousands of teachers across the country will benefit and I’m particularly pleased that we are targeting the schools where it is needed most.”