Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have awarded £100,000 to The Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI) to support the work of the Schools Programme.
The funding, which is part of wider support for The Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation (PWCF), will support the expansion of the Schools Programme and help the PTI to increase the stretch and challenge within school departments.
Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “The work carried out by the PWCF and the charities it supports is truly innovative, and I am delighted that support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery will enable The Prince's Charities to raise the aspirations of more young people across the country and enable them to reach their potential.”
The Schools Programme encourages schools to engage in curriculum improvements and projects that will result in better subject provision and motivates teachers to deepen their subject knowledge. The programme also connects secondary school teachers to a network of other teachers across England and Wales.
In their recent February 2018 report Developing great subject teaching, The Wellcome Trust found that there is a “need for an increase in effective CPD in the UK” for teachers, and that it is “particularly important to build awareness of the importance of subject specific CPD”.
The report also found that effective teacher CPD relies on the “involvement of external subject specialists… and the use of structured peer-to-peer support to embed approaches”, both of which are intrinsic elements of the Schools Programme.
Rick Moss, Head of Geography at Ullswater Community College, said: “The Schools Programme is unlike any other CPD for teachers that I have been involved in. The programme has been consistently inspiring, and is giving us the confidence to drive improvement within our department.
“It is invaluable to talk to fellow geographers and teachers from other subjects and share ideas. As a head of department, the Schools Programme helps me to bring a focus on developing both aspiration and excellence within my department.”
The Schools Programme is made up of more than 700 school departments in almost 300 schools in England and Wales. Last year more than 85% of members felt they were able to better challenge their students and provide them with a richer subject experience as a result of their membership.
Member departments benefit from one-to-one peer consultation, gain access to PTI online resources and get discounts on PTI CPD Subject Days for all teachers in their department. Member departments conduct research projects to inform and improve their practice, and the results are shared through the PTI network of schools.
Chris Pope, Co-Director of the PTI, said: “Thanks to the generous support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we will continue to grow and develop the Schools Programme. We want to make sure that as many teachers as possible have access to high quality subject-centred professional development opportunities.
“We know from first-hand experience that the Schools Programme is one of the most effective ways that schools are able to transform their teaching and affect the outcomes for their students.
“Through actively taking part in research, and benefiting from the insights of the country’s most authoritative experts as well as teachers from around the country, members are able to revitalise their department’s work and make sure that all students learn from passionate teachers who are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach.”