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Newsletter - Summer Term 2025
Welcome to the Summer Term edition of the Saffron Teaching School Hub newsletter.
The summer term is always a time for reflection, some years more than others. This year, Caroline Derbyshire, Saffron Academy Trust CEO, is retiring. She loves the craft of the classroom and will be greatly missed by all of us at Saffron Teaching School Hub and colleagues across Essex. Caroline has provided a brief reflection below. Our new CEO, Mark Guest, starts in post this September.
In this newsletter there are details of how to register ECTs starting in September 2025 for the ECTE training programme and Appropriate Body; these are separate steps so please read this information carefully.
If you have questions, you can visit the Saffron Teaching School Hub website or contact us – we love to hear from you with your questions and feedback.
Have a lovely summer.
Doug Brechin, Director, Saffron Teaching School Hub
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A message from Caroline Derbyshire, CEO of Saffron Academy Trust
 Saffron Teaching School Hub is now in its 5th year of operation and is a piece of work I am very proud to have been a part of. We were first designated as a ‘Test and Learn’ Hub in 2020 and we managed to secure the confidence of the DfE during this period so that Hubs were rolled out nationally a year later. They now play a key strategic role in signposting ways to get into teaching and deliver crucial training via the Early Career Programme and National Professional Qualifications. Our Hub is also an Appropriate Body assuring the quality of such provision in schools across our region.
Saffron Academy Trust’s mantra that ‘Every Child Deserves to go to a Great School’ can only be realised if high quality teaching is at the heart of everything we do. The fact that the Teaching School Hub delivers on this promise in partnership with over 260 schools in Essex shows a commitment to making a difference to children in every school regardless of the structure or organisation they work within. There is a moral mission to this that delights me. As I step away from my CEO role this September, I wish Saffron Teaching School Hub the very best and hope that it can continue with its excellent work for many years to come.
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Registering ECTs for September 2025
Registration for ECTs starting in September 2025 will soon be open on the DfE Manage Training for Early Career Teachers portal. DfE will contact schools about ECT registration by the end of w/c 30 June.
As well as registering with the DfE, schools must also register their ECTs with an Appropriate Body and for an Early Career Training Programme.
Guidance on how to register ECTs:
Further information can be found on the Early Career Programme and Appropriate Body pages of our website.
Read about ECT Induction and the Early Career Teacher Entitlement
If you have any questions, please contact Paula Downes, our AB Lead & EC Programme Lead, at pauladownes@saffron.academy, or Kerry Walpole, our AB Administrator, at kerrywalpole@saffron.academy.
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National Professional Qualifications
Take your next step with Saffron - register for our next NPQ cohort
 Ongoing professional development is not only a central tenet of the Teacher Standards, it’s the critical source of information and inspiration that keeps us life-long learners at the top of our game!
Whether you’re a class teacher who’s looking to take the leap into Subject or Senior Leadership, or a Subject Expert seeking to supplement your substantive knowledge with the latest research and evidence-based approaches, an NPQ is the perfect platform for your progression.
With five Specialist and five Leadership programmes, there is scope for you to explore your passions – from Leading Behaviour and Culture or Leading Teacher Development to Executive Leadership.
Explore our suite of NPQs
Find out how our NPQ programmes have impacted teachers and leaders
Expressions of Interest for our 2025-26 NPQ programmes are open now!
Talk to us about your professional development plans – contact Kerrie McGivern kerriemcgivern@saffron.academy or Erica Carver ecarver@saffron.academy.
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Initial Teacher Training
Get into Teaching: strategic collaboration to inspire a generation
 Saffron Teaching School Hub has been leading a project to inspire the next generation of teachers.
Working alongside the Greater Essex Careers Hub, and our regional Hub partners Chafford Hundred TSH and Unity TSH, we’ve developed a guide for 14-18-year-olds designed to showcase the exciting rewards and benefits of this extraordinary profession, and map out the range of routes young people can follow on their pathway into teaching.
The BBC Bitesize Careers Survey 2025 – a survey of more than 4,000 13-16-year-olds from across the UK – placed teaching within the top three jobs young people want – so we saw it as a strategic imperative to share advice and information about making this aspiration a reality.
Find out more about the Get into Teaching guide here
For Initial Teacher Training enquiries, contact Kerrie McGivern kerriemcgivern@saffron.academy
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16 Jun 2025
As the 2024–25 academic year draws to a close, Saffron Teaching School Hub's Early Career Programme community has much to celebrate. Through training sessions, mentoring conversations, and reflective practice, ECTs and their mentors have shared a journey filled with insight, inspirati...
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13 Jun 2025
ECT Induction is a statutory two-year support and training programme for newly qualified teachers in England. It ensures early career teachers (ECTs) receive structured development, mentoring, and assessment during their first two years in the profession.
From September 2025, the Early Care...
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12 Jun 2025
Ceri Jones, Inspires MAT CEO, shares his reflections with Kerrie McGivern, Saffron TSH Deputy Director.
At Inspires Multi-Academy Trust, the commitment to “fulfilling potential, fostering belief, and seeking excellence” is more than a vision - it’s a lived reality. With a growin...
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12 Jun 2025
Saffron Teaching School Hub is delighted to announce that Forest Independent Primary Collegiate (FIPC), an established and respected provider with over 30 years of experience delivering Initial Teacher Training, has been re-accredited by the DfE. Their programme, led by Dr. Helen Tyle...
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11 Jun 2025
As the 2024–2025 academic year draws to a close, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the remarkable work of our three Lead Partners for Initial Teacher Training - CTSN SCITT, Mid Essex ITT and West Essex SCITT. Each has made significant strides in shaping the next generation of educa...
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10 Jun 2025
Across the Greater Essex Music Hub we work in partnership with schools and arts organisations to provide Continuing Professional Development to fulfil the aims of the National Plan for Music Education. From early years, primary and secondary right through to post 16 we work together with s...
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06 Jun 2025
Essex Research School continues with their professional development (PD) leadership series focusing on strategies for leaders in designing and implementing effective PD to improve outcomes for all learners.
The series aims to provide practical guidance and evidence-based strategies for schoo...
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09 May 2025
In May, Saffron Teaching School Hub hosted launch events for our new cohort of National Professional Qualifications.
The purpose of these events is 3-fold: to connect committed colleagues from across our Hub region, introduce our team of fantastic facilitators and share our collective inten...
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11 Jun 2025
We all know that school budgets are feeling squeezed at the moment and the moment and in many cases this is having an impact on the availability of support from Teaching Assistants in our classrooms – a situation compounded by the rise in SEN which means that what TA capacity is available...
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11 Jun 2025
'Curriculums are often overloaded with activities that do not focus on helping children to build fluency in foundational knowledge and skills' (GOV.UK, October 2024)
I doubt any educator would question that ‘high quality education establishes the foundations for later success...
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Wider Professional Development
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 Greater Essex Music Hub
2025 Music Curriculum Conference
- Tuesday 8 July 2025, 09:00-15:30
- Hylands House, Chelmsford
Music networking and CPD day for all Greater Essex Education Settings
All schools who partner with the Greater Essex Music Hub are invited to join us on 8 July for a day exploring how all young people can receive the music education they so richly deserve.
We have some exciting visiting speakers joining us for the day. There will be a chance to meet our Music Hub partners in the marketplace, gain practical music ideas, with designated SEND, primary and secondary sessions and a chance to network and meet colleagues across the county and nearer to home.
£60 for teachers in Essex, Thurrock and Southend DfE-funded schools, £140 for all others.
BOOK HERE
Please see our website for a full list of all upcoming CPD events, including training from our partners and music teacher networks for you to meet with other colleagues across the county.
Essex Music Service Schools Brochure 2025-26
Website: www.essexmusichub.org.uk
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 New Vision English Hub
2025-26 Reading Leader Workshops
 New Vision English Hub invites schools in North East London and Essex to join our free Reading Leader Workshops.
These sessions focus on the fundamentals of running and teaching a phonic programme effectively.
Training will be delivered via Zoom, from 14:45-16:30, on dates from September 2025 to June 2026.
For full details, including course aims and session dates and topics, and a booking link, see the Reading Leader Workshops flyer.
2025-26 Supporting Early Language Development
 New Vision English Hub is delighted to offer the free Supporting Early Language Development CPD programme.
This training has been co-developed with a group of English Hubs in collaboration with Speech and Language UK.
Starting in October 2025, this six-session programme is for experienced teachers, EYFS Leads and Senior Leads. Those who commit will be expected to attend all six sessions.
For full details, including course aims and session dates, and a booking link, see the Supporting Early Language Development flyer.
New Vision English Hub showcase - 11 November 2025
New Vision English Hub self referral form
Website: https://newvisionenglishhub.co.uk/
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 Matrix Maths Hub
2025-26 Primary SKTM programmes - register your interest now
 Applications will be opening soon for our 2025-26 SKTM (Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics) programmes - please see this flyer for details.
These include our very popular SKTM for Primary Early Career Teachers, a really well-established programme for teachers in their first or second year of teaching. This particular SKTM fills up quickly so please CLICK HERE to register your interest now and we'll contact you as soon as bookings are live.
You can also register your interest now for the following 2025-26 SKTMs (please select a link below and complete the short form at the bottom of the page):
2025-26 Secondary 11-18 CPD opportunities
Applications for our 2025-26 Secondary Work Groups will also be opening soon! Here are just a few of the fully funded CPD opportunities you can choose from:
Secondary ECT programme: this maths-specific project is available to support secondary Early Career Teachers (ECTs). The programme offers high-quality subject knowledge and pedagogy maths support for ECTs, recognising the requirements of the ECF.
Cross-Phase: Supporting Students to Achieve a L2 Qualification in Maths: This is aimed at teachers of low-attaining GCSE students in years 10 and 11, through to teachers of Post 16 GCSE resit. The Work Group includes teachers from both schools and FE colleges and will employ Mastery approaches to teaching students who are currently struggling to achieve a grade 4 in Maths.
New to Teaching Core Maths: this Subject Knowledge programme is aimed at teachers in their first 2 years of teaching Core Maths. It will be delivered online through a series of six half-day workshops.
For more information and to register your interest for 2025-26, please follow the links above and complete the Expression of Interest form at the bottom of the page.
Visit matrixmathshub.co.uk for our full range of Early Years to Post-16 CPD opportunities.
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 REACHout Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs provide advice, share good practice and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners. The REACHout Early Years Stronger Practice Hub covers Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.
We work in partnership with the DfE, The National Children’s Bureau, The Education Endowment Foundation and other Stronger Practice Hubs to improve outcomes for children across the EY sector.
Join our network to:
- Access fully-funded training opportunities
- Connect with experts to share strong, evidence-based practice
- Have access to bespoke training and support based on your setting's needs
- Participate in events and webinars to keep up to date with news and the latest developments/research in early years
- Be able to visit a range of settings to enhance practice and develop new approaches
Summer Term 2025 webinars
For details of our summer term webinars, click here.
Website: https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/ee/reachout-eysph-ee
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 The MaternityTeacher PaternityTeacher Project
Cradle to Classroom programme 2025-26
 As part of a regional partnership in the East of England, Saffron Teaching School Hub is proud to be supporting The MTPT Project’s Cradle to Classroom programme of parental transition support throughout the academic year 2025-26.
The programme allows teachers, leaders and support staff working in state schools to access fully-funded group coaching and workshop support from the start of their parental leave all the way up to when their youngest child is 5 years old.
Read a case study here.
Website: https://www.mtpt.org.uk/
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 Venn Essex Maths Hub
Securing Foundations at Year 7
Discover ways to help students who need additional support to make good progress in KS3 and beyond.
Participants will gain access to high-quality resources designed by experts in the pedagogy and expectations of maths at both KS2 and KS3. This opportunity aims to provide professorial development and resources for secondary maths teachers so they are better equipped to support students with gaps in understanding from previous Key Stages. Teachers will develop their understanding of KS1 and KS2 maths curriculum domain-specific knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in order to better enable these students to access the KS3 curriculum.
This project is for teachers working with those Year 7 students who have not met age-related expectations in maths, particularly students whose attainment is in the bottom 20-30% of the national cohort at the end ofKS2. It is suitable for experienced or novice teachers.
This Work Group is fully funded by the Maths Hubs programme, so is free to participating schools.
Complete the Securing Foundations at Year 7 application form
For more details of this Work Group, download the flyer here.
Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics - Secondary Non-specialist Teachers Programme application
There are significant numbers of people teaching maths in secondary schools without specialist initial teacher training. This programme supports non-specialist teachers in developing the specialist knowledge (the blend of subject and pedagogical knowledge) required for teaching maths. It is designed to take place over the equivalent of six days.
For full details, see this flyer.
SKTM Secondary Non-specialist Teachers Programme Application
Website: https://vennessexmathshub.co.uk/
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Find out more about Saffron Teaching School Hub
Visit our website www.saffronteachingschoolhub.net
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Contact us
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