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Newsletter - Autumn Term 2025
Welcome to the Autumn Term edition of the Saffron Teaching School Hub newsletter.
There are only a few days left before the NPQ application window closes. In contrast to previous years, there is only now one cohort each academic year. Our first article details how you can apply. In this newsletter you will also find information on how to register January ECTs, details of our ITT Mentor Conference in February, and the latest Essex Research School update.
I am also delighted to welcome Mark Guest, the new CEO of Saffron Academy Trust. It is an exciting time for the Trust and for Saffron Teaching School Hub.
If you have questions, you can visit the Saffron Teaching School Hub website or contact us – we always love to hear your questions and feedback.
I hope the rest of the term goes well.
Doug Brechin, Director, Saffron Teaching School Hub
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A message from Mark Guest, CEO of Saffron Academy Trust
 I should like to thank everyone connected to the Saffron Teaching School Hub for the warmth of their welcome since taking up my post as CEO of Saffron Academy Trust in September.
As I continue to find out more about the work of the Teaching School Hub, I am greatly impressed by the range and the quality of the work it undertakes across our region. From the delivery of high-quality training through the Early Career Training Programme and National Professional Qualifications, through to being an Appropriate Body quality assuring ECT induction across a diverse range of schools and contexts, it is making a significant and hugely positive impact on our local educational landscape.
I am also impressed by the collaboration which lies at the heart of the Hub, with the strong relationships we maintain with a range of Teacher Training providers in our local area.
As the term progresses, I am looking forward to supporting the work of the Saffron Teaching School Hub as it continues to go from strength to strength.
Best Wishes,
Mark Guest
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National Professional Qualifications
Apply now to join our next NPQ cohort
 The application deadline for our next NPQ cohort has been extended to 23 November, with programmes launching in December 2025.
APPLY NOW: NPQ Applications - Cohort 5
Key Messages for Leaders and Teachers:
- Single cohort for this academic year
- NPQH and NPQ SENCO are fully funded for all schools
- Top 50% Pupil Premium schools have access to scholarship funding for ALL programmes
- Places are limited nationally - apply now to secure funding
With five Specialist and five Leadership programmes, there is scope for you to explore your passions – from Leading Behaviour & Culture or Leading Teacher Development to Executive Leadership.
Talk to us about your professional development plans – contact Kerrie McGivern kerriemcgivern@saffron.academy or Erica Carver ecarver@saffron.academy.
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Saffron Appropriate Body
Welcome to the new academic year
A warm welcome to both our new and returning schools working with Saffron Appropriate Body this academic year.
Registering ECTs starting in January 2026
If you have ECTs starting at your school in January 2026 and you would like to register them with Saffron Appropriate Body, find out how to do this at our AB page here.
Important:
- An ECT cannot start their induction until they are registered with an Appropriate Body.
- As well as registering with an Appropriate Body, you must also register your ECTs on an Early Career Training Programme.
AB briefings and training sessions 2025-26
Saffron Appropriate Body is hosting a number of briefings and training sessions for Induction Tutors. For details of upcoming sessions and how to book, see here.
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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ITT Mentor Conference - 3 February 2026
Save the date! On Tuesday 3 February 2026, the Eastern Region Teaching School Hubs will host their annual online conference for ITT mentors. The theme of this conference will be AI in Education: Ethics, Tools and Best Practice.
Information on how to register for this online conference will be available early in the Spring Term. If you would like to be sent registration details for this conference when they become available, please complete this form.
Resources from previous ITT mentor conferences can be found here.
For Initial Teacher Training enquiries, contact Kerrie McGivern kerriemcgivern@saffron.academy
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.jpg) | 17 Nov 2025 High-quality professional development is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for driving sustained improvement in schools. Research consistently shows that effective CPD enhances teaching quality, strengthens leadership, and ultimately improves pupil outcomes. National Professional Qualifications... |
 | 14 Nov 2025 Across the Greater Essex Music Hub, we provide Continuing Professional Development for all educational settings and their teachers. We offer networking and training for education professionals and music specialists and work in partnership with schools to... |
%2011.11.25.png) | 12 Nov 2025 Since their launch in 2021, Teaching School Hubs (TSHs) have become a driving force behind teacher development and school improvement across England. With 87 hubs now working in partnership with schools, trusts, and local authorities, the vision is clear: to ensure every teacher and leader receives... |
.jpeg) | 11 Nov 2025 As the new academic year gets underway, our Early Career Teacher and Mentor training sessions have set a positive and purposeful tone across the region. With a blend of in-person and online events, participants have praised the sessions for being well-organised, relevant, and inspiring. |
 | 10 Nov 2025 We’re pleased to share that last year saw a high success rate for ECTs registered with Saffron Appropriate Body in their summer term assessments, with 99.6% of Year 1 ECTs on track with their induction, and 99.5% of Year 2 ECTs successfully completing their induction. One of the key... |
 | 05 Nov 2025 Latest updates from the Essex Research School - including Lead PD Like a Pro, Clips from the Classroom and details of an Early Years webinar on Parent Partnerships for Early Literacy Success in partnership with the REACHout Stronger Practice Hub. |
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12 Nov 2025
DfE statistics on pupils with SEN document the year-on-year increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs. Meeting the needs of these pupils presents a significant, and increasing, challenge for schools. It is not surprising, therefore, that the EEF Special Education...
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10 Nov 2025
Best Start in Life is one in a series of curriculum research reviews carried out by Ofsted in recent years. This report focuses on the pre-school age phase, from birth to 4 years. It has been produced with the aim of supporting Early Years practitioners to raise the quality of Early Years educa...
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Wider Professional Development
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 Essex Research School
Upcoming CPD opportunities from the Essex Research School.
 Effective Modelling - 3 February 2026
Join Vanessa Sullivan, Deputy Headteacher and Evidence Lead in Education (ELE), for an inspiring professional development session hosted by Essex Research School.
Discover practical strategies to embed modelling in your classroom and accelerate pupil progress.
🔗 Sign up here
🔗 Download the flyer here for more details
 Traits of Effective PD - 5 February 2026
Join Darryl Crawley, Primary Headteacher and Evidence Lead in Education (ELE), for an engaging professional development session hosted by Essex Research School.
Discover practical, evidence-informed strategies to enhance your teaching and leadership practice.
🔗 Sign up here
🔗 Download the flyer here for more details
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 Greater Essex Music Hub
Greater Essex Music Hub is a partnership of organisations which support and provide access to high quality music making for young people across Essex. We are funded by the Department of Education; our grant is administered by Arts Council England to create more opportunities for children and young people to get involved in music.
Essex Music Service (the Lead Organisation in Greater Essex Music Hub) promotes high quality music education across Essex schools both within the curriculum and through instrument and vocal teaching. We offer a range of services supporting schools to deliver high quality teaching and learning.
Stay in touch with the latest news and support via our newsletters and our termly online music network meetings
Schools’ Music Curriculum Conference - 9 July 2026
All schools in Essex, Southend and Thurrock are invited to join the Greater Essex Music Hub on 9 July 2026 at Hylands House for a day exploring how all young people can receive the music education they so richly deserve.
- There will be keynote speakers and designated Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND), primary and secondary sessions.
- Opportunity to meet with Greater Essex Music Hub delivery partners and discuss your needs with your specific music service.
- Delegates can choose from a selection of different sessions throughout the day, including workshops on composing, singing and music technology.
For more details and to book, click here.
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 Saffron Music Live!
Schools Concerts across Essex - Spring 2026
In Spring 2026, Saffron Music Live presents concerts for Key Stage One and Key Stage Two in venues across Essex. Booking is now open for these inspirational performances in Basildon, Clacton, Harlow, Chelmsford, Braintree, Southend and Saffron Walden.
Book now to secure tickets for your students to experience world class music in their local venue for only £3 per student (accompanying adults go free) - details are in the flyer here.
About Saffron Music Live!
As a key partner in the Greater Essex Music Hub, we are responsible for a programme of live music for schools, with the aim of enabling all young people to experience inspirational high quality performance, and to support music in schools more generally. There are two strands - find out more and book through the links below:
- In School: the opportunity for schools to have artists visiting their school to give interactive performances in the school building.
- Near You: performances in local arts venues.
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 New Vision English Hub
Who are the New Vision English Hub?
 New Vision English Hub is based at Elmhurst Primary School in Newham. We are one of 34 English Hubs nationwide, funded by the Department for Education to support schools in achieving excellence in teaching reading and early language development.
We are passionate about reading and teaching all children to read fluently and for enjoyment.
We provide up to £6,000 of free funding and support to schools in North East London and Essex. View our flyer here to see which areas we cover and to complete a self-referral form.
English Hub Showcase - 3 February 2026
Join us at Elmhurst Primary School for a free morning focused on:
- Phonics observation
- Early language development
- Strategic action planning
Discover how the New Vision English Hub can support your school with up to £6,000 of free funding and bespoke support to help raise standards in early reading and language development.
See the showcase flyer here to find out more and book your place.
Website: https://newvisionenglishhub.co.uk/
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 Matrix Maths Hub
Maths + Science - Better Together!
Ever wondered why your students can handle data in science but freeze when it appears in maths? Or found yourself in the staffroom debating whether it’s y = mx + c or v = u + at that’s tripping pupils up?
Join our Maths and Science Collaboration Work Group – a chance for secondary teachers from both subjects to come together, compare notes, and explore where our worlds overlap (and occasionally collide!).
We’ll dig into how the language, context, and teaching approaches in each subject shape students’ understanding, and how we can make those connections clearer. Expect lively discussion, hands-on experiments, and a few “aha!” moments as we see how maths can bring science to life – and how science can make maths click.
Come along with a colleague from your school (one from Maths, one from Science) and help build a more joined-up experience for your pupils – and maybe even learn a new equation or two yourself!
For full details and to sign up, please click here.
 Four-Day Primary Maths Work Groups
Our very popular, fully funded maths workshops for Teaching Assistants, ECTs, Early Years staff and Primary teachers are now open for booking!
Spaces are limited so selection will be on a first come, first served basis.
Click on the links below for details of each Work Group and to book your place.
If you have any queries or questions regarding our Primary Maths Work Groups, get in touch with our Primary Lead, Zoe Akers, at zoe.akers@matrixmathshub.co.uk.
 Understanding Secondary Teaching for Mastery
Please see our flyer for an overview of this fabulous programme for schools that have embarked on the Teaching for Mastery journey.
For full details and a booking form, please click here.
Visit matrixmathshub.co.uk for our full range of Early Years to Post-16 CPD opportunities.
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 Venn Essex Maths Hub
Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics - Secondary Early Career Teachers
 ECTs will explore two main themes:
- High expectations in maths
- Adaptive teaching in maths
ECTs will engage in three distinct processes of professional development underpinned by these two themes:
- Observing learning
- Task design/analysis
- Lesson design/analysis
ECTs will develop their specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics by also considering subject content knowledge.
Session dates: 26 November, 15 December, 6 March, 11 May, 3 July
How to apply:
Subject Leadership 2025-26
 Subject leaders play a vital role in shaping departmental practice and driving improvements in student outcomes. This project provides an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of effective teaching approaches, their wider leadership responsibilities, and their capacity to work with colleagues to transform secondary maths learning. Participants will collaborate with other subject leaders, explore research and new developments, and use these insights to inform and strengthen their leadership of maths education in schools.
This project is for secondary heads of department/subject leaders in both schools that are already involved with the Maths Hub and schools that aren’t. In the first year of engagement, participants will be in a Work Group. In subsequent years, they will be part of a Maths Hub-led subject leadership community.
How to apply:
Save the date - Venn Essex Maths Hub Summer Conference
Our summer conference will take place on 30 June 2026 at the University of Essex (CO4 3SQ), with keynote speakers Tom Rocks, Maths No Problem! and Oxford University Press.
Tickets will be released soon - keep an eye on our website for details.
Website: https://vennessexmathshub.co.uk/
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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.
 Webinars/events in November and December
Click on the image for a full list of our webinars and events in November and December, along with booking links.
24 November - Parent Partnerships for Early Literacy Success webinar: join us on 24 November to learn from experts Eleanor Little (EYFS Lead) and Amelia Hudson (EYFS Teacher) from Essex Research School and Lyons Hall Primary School, as they share their top tips and real-world experience.
 Become a Maths Champion!
Join the Maths Champions programme - a fully funded, evidence-based professional development package designed by the National Day Nurseries Association.
Maths Champions is a 12-month online professional development programme with nine flexible steps, helping practitioners build confidence in and skills to support early maths in fun, meaningful ways.
Click on the image for full details of the programme and express your interest 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.
Upcoming Cradle to Classroom programme events:
Website: https://www.mtpt.org.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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