Welcome to SWAN Training School Alliance

The SWAN Training School Alliance (SWAN TSA), led by Sponne School, (formerly a teaching school) provides high quality professional staff development. As a strategic partner of the Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub the SWAN TSA aims to be actively involved in leading Early Career Teacher and National professional Qualification training, supporting school improvement or developing the quality of teaching and learning at whole school or department level, both nationally and locally. For more information about the Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualification changes please click here.

SWAN Training School Alliance’s vision is to meet the needs of the local area by creating a genuine collaborative partnership between schools; drawing on the vast expertise across the alliance and utilising this to promote effective, coherent school to school support which will create a self-improving school system.

The SWAN Training School Alliance supports teachers throughout their careers, even before a prospective trainee teacher applies for teacher training we are here to provide guidance and support on the best route into teaching. With over twenty years of training teachers we are proud to say we have trained over five hundred secondary school teachers and, since 2014, over fifty primary teachers, most of whom have gone on to be employed locally, many in our partnership schools. Our Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme has been supported by the University of Leicester for twenty three years, during which time we have developed a close working relationship, not just for ITT, but also Master level opportunities for post Early Career Teachers.

This is just the start of the career pathway support we offer, having completed teacher training, the Training School offers teachers a comprehensive programme of support through subject networks covering all stages from Early Years, through all key stages to sixth form and early career training for Early Career and Recently Qualified teachers. For Primary we run subject specific networks (three times a year), including Designated Safeguarding Lead, Maths, Literacy, Science and Early Years. For secondary we run subject specific network meetings (minimum 2 per year) with Subject Leader Expert specialist input and support from exam board representatives. Secondary networks include KS 3/4/5 subjects, Pastoral Leaders, Pupil Premium, Behaviour Partners, Head of Sixth, SENCo, PSHE and Curriculum.

We work collaboratively with other nationally recognised training deliverers, like Olevi, to deliver the Outstanding Teacher programme and Outstanding Teacher plus programme. In conjunction with the Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub and Ambition Institute we deliver National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)  offering Senior Leadership (NPQSL) and the Specialist NPQs.

Our training alliance recognises that every school has a great support staff network. Our training programme is built to develop support staff as well as teaching staff and includes training for;

• Teaching assistants in the form of the Outstanding Teaching Assistants programme,
• Cover supervisors
• Networks for Data Managers
• Early years teaching assistants and training for Site supervisors.

Our close relationships with exam boards and the local Maths, Literacy and Computing hubs ensure our schools have access to the latest curriculum innovations and teaching and learning.

At the heart of our programme is meeting the professional training needs of all school staff throughout their careers ensuring they have the skills to ensure their students achieve the best outcomes.