A Birmingham teaching education provider has committed to increase training opportunities for teachers in Birmingham, as a result of a new partnership with a national training organisation.

Birmingham-based Services For Education (SFE) has announced a new partnership with Best Practice Network (BPN) to deliver primary initial teacher training across the city. The partnership will help increase the numbers entering teaching and relieve the pressure on staffing issues affecting some Birmingham schools.

The collaboration brings together two leading education providers to offer high-quality teacher training to aspiring primary school teachers. Working in partnership, BPN and Services For Education are able to provide initial teacher training, early career framework and national professional qualifications supporting the Department for Education’s ‘golden thread’ approach that advocates high-quality support, training and development throughout a teacher’s career.

BPN and Services For Education will offer a comprehensive and flexible primary initial teacher training programme to trainee teachers across Birmingham. The programme will provide a blend of online learning, face-to-face training and school placements, ensuring that trainees receive the best possible support and guidance throughout.

Services For Education has a long track record of delivering teacher training and already works closely with nearly 600 local schools providing development programmes to teaching and support staff.

BPN, a leading provider of initial teacher training, has extensive experience delivering teacher training and qualifications across the UK. Their initial teacher training programme is designed to help trainees develop the skills and knowledge required to become effective teachers.

Kirsty Jones, Head of School Support at Services For Education, said: “Services For Education has developed an excellent reputation for our evidence-based training in schools in Birmingham and beyond. Our partnership with Best Practice Network to deliver initial teacher training to aspiring teachers in Birmingham provides the perfect route into teaching with in-depth school experience and learning from expert teachers and mentors.

“By working together, we will offer a programme that meets the needs of both trainees and local schools, ultimately improving outcomes for students across the city. This complements and reinforces the Department for Education’s emphasis on the professional development of teachers.”

Chris Ludlow, Head of Partnerships at Best Practice Network, said: “We are excited to be working with Services For Education to offer our primary initial teacher training programme in Birmingham. This partnership will enable us to combine our expertise and resources to deliver a first-class training programme to trainee teachers across the city.”

The primary initial teacher training programme will be available from September 2023, with applications now open. For more information and how to apply, please visit https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/initial-teacher-training/

https://www.bestpracticenet.co.uk/initial-teacher-training

ENDS

Images of Chris Ludlow and Kirsty Jones, below

About Services For Education:

An education and training charity based in Birmingham, Services For Education brings music and learning to life.

Services For Education employs more than 200 staff delivering music tuition to children, and expert training and development to teaching and school support staff. It has annual income of £6.9m (Y/E August 2020). Part-funded by the Arts Council, England it also has its own fund-raising and subsidised commercial operations.

• Services For Education’s School Support Service provides expert training and development to teaching and support staff in nearly 600 schools in the West Midlands and increasingly across England, to improve practice and ensure teachers are best equipped to respond to developments in curriculum and policy. As a leading provider of safeguarding education, Services For Education works with 400 schools delivering training in-person and on-line. It also delivers innovative programmes to support the physical and emotional health of children and young people through Health for Life and other community-based activity.
• Services For Education’s Music Service, one of the largest in the country, works with 93% of Birmingham schools and each year teaches music to nearly 32,000 children – as well as running 97 free ensembles. It provides 27,000 musical instruments free-of-charge so all children have access to playing and enjoying music together and its Youth Proms at Symphony Hall give 4,000 young musicians the opportunity to perform to an audience of more than 10,000. It also runs music schools, has a world music department, provides private music tuition to all ages as well as working with partners to deliver music and choral opportunities to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Its award-winning Online Music Educational Resource was completed and launched free to schools in 2021 to appeal to a young IT-connected audience attracted to learning online and to complement traditional tuition.

 

Awards  Services For Education has been recognised regionally and nationally for its work:

Asian Business Chamber of Commerce Awards:

• 2022: Outstanding Charity of the Year (winner)

Bett Awards:

• 2022: Transformational Impact (finalist)

Birmingham Awards:

• 2021: Excellence in Education (finalist)
• 2018: Contribution to Education (winner)

Birmingham Post Business Awards:

• 2018: Not-For-Profit Organisation of the Year (finalist)

The Charity Awards:

• 2022: Arts, culture and heritage (winner)

Education Awards:

• 2021/22: Transforming lives through partnerships (finalist)
• 2019: Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community (winner)

Educational Resources Awards:

• 2019: The Educational Book Award (finalist)

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Annual Awards:

• 2021: Excellence in Contribution to the community (finalist)
• 2021: Excellence in Training and Education (winner)
• 2020: Excellence in Sales & Marketing (finalist)
• 2019: Excellence in Training & Education (winner)
• 2018: Excellence in Training & Education (finalist)

Music & Drama Education Awards:

• 2022: Excellence in Primary/Early Years (Highly Commended)
• 2021: Outstanding Music Education Resource (winner)
• 2021: #Goldstars Awards
• 2020: Excellence in SEND (finalist)

West Midlands Tech Awards:

• 2021: Innovation in Education (winner)

Services For Education’s Annual Review for 2022 is available here: https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/annual-review-2022/

 

About Best Practice Network:

Best Practice Network is one of the UK’s leading providers of training, development and support for education professionals.

We share the desire of every practitioner that every child, regardless of their background, should benefit from an excellent education.

We do this by working in close partnership with practising education professionals to develop and deliver high-quality CPD and qualifications that help school leaders, teachers, early years practitioners, business managers, support staff and SENCOs be the best they can be and transform the lives of children and young people.

Our comprehensive range of programmes includes the government-approved National Professional Qualifications for school leaders, our Early Career Development Programme for early career teachers, apprenticeships, Primary Initial Teacher Training, Early Years Initial Teacher Training and the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO).

Find out more about Best Practice Network at https://www.bestpracticenet.co.uk/

 

Issued on behalf of:

Services For Education Unit 3 Holt Court Holt Street Birmingham Science Park Aston Birmingham B7 4AX

Best Practice Network, Newminster House 27-29 Baldwin St Bristol BS1 1LT

 

For further information on Services For Education:

David Clarke, Clarke Associates, (Public and media relations, Services For Education)

E: david-c@clarke-associates.co.uk;

M: 07808 735255

 

For further information on Best Practice Network:

Thomas Bullock

E: thomasbullock@bestpracticenet.co.uk

T: 0117 920 9208