The PTI wish to celebrate schools that share our values; we believe long-term commitment to embedding The PTI philosophy into educational practice creates real impact. We want to recognise the courage and initiative of schools who empower inspirational teaching and subject specific pedagogy.
"Our association with The PTI dates back many years, certainly much longer than the six that I have been working at Gordon’s! When I first joined as Head of Maths in 2019, I was fortunate enough to attend the Subject Day in London in the summer term, before starting my role properly that September, and I was immediately struck by the quality of the CPD on offer. What also stood out was the way that the organisation really focuses in on the requirements of teachers in each specific subject, a welcome change from some of the more generic pedagogical training we receive in our profession. I know that this is a view that is very much shared by my colleagues in other departments.
At Gordon’s, we take great pride in being (as of 2024-25) the only school in the country to be awarded The PTI Mark in all of the available areas, including Leadership. Our staff actively engage with the CPD on offer, both in person and online, and we particularly appreciate the high quality of the speakers and the attention to detail at the events. It is no exaggeration to say that The PTI gives our teachers access to world-leading experts in their subject on a regular basis, as well as valuable insight from organisations like exam boards and Ofsted. As a state boarding school, we are a busy and intense operation, with high expectations and a commitment to a well rounded education for students that goes beyond exam results. Engagement with The PTI plays a huge role in helping us deliver this high quality provision throughout students’ time with us. Our involvement is substantial; all eligible departments have a nominated representative (usually the Head of Department) who sets targets that form part of their team’s project for the year, and attends the subject enrichment days and residentials. Beyond this, teachers at all levels engage with courses that meet their needs, and in some cases we have been able to extend our CPD offer to students as well, an example being a talk by the economist Tim Harford that was livestreamed to all A Level Maths and Economics students in an after school session. We organise regular meetings between PTI representatives in school, and the opportunity to share our experiences is something we all value. All of our colleagues feel genuinely fortunate to be involved with The PTI, and we look forward to continuing our work with the organisation for many years to come."
Mark Eaden, Assistant Headteacher (Staff Development)
“Having just attended a fantastic geology course with Iain Stewart, I will be looking to integrate higher level geological thinking into my broader geography curriculum. The PTI has, more broadly, offered an excellent platform for development and discussion of pedagogy and departmental improvement.” – Paul Schofield, Head of Geography
“Quite simply, the best CPD I have ever had. The residentials in particular are great, as you get to meet inspirational speakers from your subject who you ordinarily would never be able to get close to, and you are treated brilliantly in terms of the quality of the venues and the catering. Being able to speak to high level professionals is invaluable, for example the subject representative from our exam board AQA, or subject advisors from Ofsted.” – Rachel Brazendale, Head of Music