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| Teacher Development Trust | |
|---|---|
| Name | Teacher Development Trust |
| Formation | 2011 |
| Type | Charity |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Leader title | CEO |
| Leader name | Michael Marland |
Teacher Development Trust
Teacher Development Trust is a United Kingdom-based charitable organisation focused on teacher professional development. Founded in 2011, it operates across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to support schools, headteachers and local authorities through training, research and accreditation programs. The organisation works alongside a range of educational bodies, academies and inspection agencies to promote continuous improvement in classroom practice.
The organisation was established in 2011 amid policy shifts following the Education Act 2011, the rise of academy schools programme expansion and debates involving the Department for Education (United Kingdom), Ofsted inspection frameworks and National College for Teaching and Leadership. Early collaborations included partnerships with multi-academy trusts such as the Ark (charity), the United Learning group and the E-ACT network, and it engaged with research from the Institute of Education, University College London and the National Foundation for Educational Research. Leadership changes reflected wider sector trends influenced by figures linked to Teach First, Royal Society initiatives and the RSA.
The organisation's mission emphasizes improving teacher practice, pupil outcomes and school leadership through high-quality professional development aligned with standards set by Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998-era reforms and contemporary expectations from Ofsted. Objectives include establishing evidence-informed CPD models that connect with accreditation mechanisms from the Chartered College of Teaching, supporting headteachers across Local education authorities and influencing policy debates with think tanks such as the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Education Policy Institute. The Trust positions its work in relation to research from centres like the Centre for Economic Performance and the UCL Institute of Education.
Activities have included school reviews, CPD accreditation, teacher training workshops and national conferences featuring speakers from institutions like the British Educational Research Association, the Wellcome Trust, and universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Manchester and University of Birmingham. Programs have targeted subject networks spanning mathematics, science and literacy, with links to subject associations such as the Mathematical Association, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the National Literacy Trust and the Royal Society. The Trust has run pilot projects in partnership with city councils including London Borough of Tower Hamlets and regional school improvement services formerly run by Local authorities in England. It has offered accreditation aligned with standards discussed by the Education Select Committee and the Education Endowment Foundation.
Governance has involved a trustee board drawn from figures associated with institutions such as the British Council, the Welsh Government education teams, and the Scottish Qualifications Authority on occasion. Funding sources have included charitable grants from bodies like the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, project contracts with multi-academy trusts including Outwood Grange Academies Trust, and consultancies commissioned by local authorities and inspectorates such as Ofsted. The Trust has also secured funding through collaborations with philanthropic actors such as the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and corporate partnerships with education suppliers and publishers linked to Pearson plc and Oxford University Press.
Evaluations have referenced outcomes measured against performance indicators used by the Education Endowment Foundation and inspection criteria from Ofsted. Impact reports have cited improvements in pupil attainment metrics comparable with findings from studies at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and case studies reported by headteachers in trusts like Central South Consortium. External evaluations have been undertaken by research teams at the Institute of Education, University College London and commissioning bodies such as the National Foundation for Educational Research, with mixed findings echoed in commentary from the Education Policy Institute and debates in publications like the TES (magazine).
The Trust has partnered with universities including University College London, King's College London, University of Exeter and University of Warwick, as well as national organisations such as the National Association of Head Teachers, the Association of School and College Leaders and the National Governance Association. International links have involved exchanges with authorities in systems like the Finnish National Agency for Education and comparative research with teams from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Commission education directorates. Collaborations have extended to subject bodies including the Association for Science Education and community organisations such as Barnardo's.
Critiques have focused on perceived alignment with marketised reform agendas associated with the academy schools programme and concerns raised by trade unions such as the National Education Union and the National Union of Teachers regarding workload impacts. Academic commentators from institutions like the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics have debated the evidence base for some CPD models promoted by the Trust, referencing methodology discussions prominent at the British Educational Research Association annual conference. Questions about transparency in consultancy contracts with multi-academy trusts and procurement by local authorities have been highlighted in sector debates involving the Public Accounts Committee and reporting in outlets including the Guardian and the Times Educational Supplement.
Category:Educational charities based in the United Kingdom