The PTI

Our New Teacher Subject Days have been running since 2011 👩🏫 They work like this: New and early career teachers spend four days across the year with The PTI, learning alongside subject experts and experienced teachers. They’re supported by fresh subject knowledge and a community. Their wellbeing is improved and their students inspired. We’re half way through the course. Last week, New Teacher Subject Days ran in Leeds and Manchester. They also took place in London at the end of January. We’ve been honoured to have so many subject experts join us for the days. Professor Martin Zebracki spoke in Leeds. His talk was titled LGBTQ+ Monuments: Geographical Questions about Inclusive Urban Public Space. Dr Isabel Story spoke in London about Cuba, Food, Revolution and Heritage. Professor Alicia Hidalgo also joined us in London and spoke about Looking into the brain of a fly Dr Rosamund Oates from Manchester Metropolitan University spoke about Tudor and Stuart Upheaval: New Developments in Early Modern History. ... And so many more. We were also honoured to have lots of new teachers join us. We’re looking forward to the next days in London, Manchester, and Leeds! 

This week at The PTI ✨ Since the start of last week, we've run a storm of Primary Hubs. Our staff have been to Greenwich, Tees Valley, Cumbria, Stockport, and Manchester to develop subject knowledge with primary teachers. For example, our Greenwich Hub focused on Science, learning about space from an expert at the Royal Observatory, then exploring experiments to bring the subject alive for primary-age pupils. Other events have included: 📝 The launch of our 2025 Teacher Leader Certificate, where we met a new cohort brimming with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. 🏉 An online Q+A with our ambassador Rosie Galligan, who shared her wisdom about sport and overcoming challenge with PE teachers. 💻 Our Spring English Virtual Primary Hub – which had 70 participants! 🌍 A session in our conflict series exploring the roots of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. 📚 An in-person CPD day exploring the American Dream in literature. Last Friday, we were at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business for Day 2 of our Leadership Programme. The theme was Leading Diversity through Curriculum — how effective leadership can shape an inclusive curriculum. Attendees told us, 'It was so useful to hear from researchers in such a way that could be easily related to practice in schools... I am leaving with so many practical ideas sparked by theory.' 'The thought that has gone into planning this session on diversity was impressive. Fascinating and thought-provoking stuff. Looking forward to sharing what I have learnt with colleagues in school.' ⏳ This weekend, we’re running two New Teacher Subject Days in Leeds and Manchester – we can't wait to share more soon!

The importance of an art education 🎨 We know that creative education is important. It’s proven: high-quality art and music teaching encourages confidence, self-expression and a sense of identity in students. It opens the door to a range of careers in the creative industries. Our Subject Enrichment Residential provides teachers with three whole days to think and talk about their subject with experts and colleagues, developing that all-important curriculum and love of their subject. For the first time since 2023, it will include Art and Music. We have a number of themes to steer discussion and thinking: Inclusive and equitable education, Embracing digital technology, and Being courageous and accepting the challenge of raising expectations. A number of excellent Music and Art subject experts will also be speaking, including Lizzie Lovejoy and Craig Antony Lees. You can find out more information and book your place on our website now. 📸 Teachers drawing on our 2019 Residential

Spot The PTI Mark out and about across the country! Crest Infant School are part of our Fortis Medway & Kent Primary Hub - our next day with them is in February, all about Literacy, getting children spelling. We're looking forward to it! 📖

Inspiring and Assessing Composition with Howard Goodall 🎼 Our CPD Subject Day, Inspiring and Assessing Composition, is about how to spark students’ enthusiasm for composition in the classroom, then guide them through the process to make excellent music. Our subject experts for this course are Howard Goodall and Christopher Sparkhall. We’ve worked with Howard Goodall since 2014. He’s one of Britain's most distinguished and versatile composers; in January 2011 he was appointed a CBE for services to music education. He’s the perfect person to lend his subject expertise to this course about composition. We’re also delighted to be hearing from Christopher Sparkhall, a highly experienced examiner. He was on the panel for ABRSM for 20 years, and has had significant involvement at both GCSE and A level, working across composition and listening units. The day will led by our practicing teacher Ruth Partington, a musician who performed with the Halle, BBC Philharmonic and Royal Shakespeare Company before becoming Director of Music at Queen Elizabeth’s School. If you’re a music teacher and you’d like to spend a day learning from these speakers in-person, you can book your place here: https://bit.ly/40NgVLT 

Speaker announcement 🗣️ Our next MFL course is about Making Learning Fun through the use of Francophone Culture and Traditions. Language learning is deeply connected to cultural heritage. By introducing students to the cultural practices that make France unique, teachers can make learning French in a classroom relevant and engaging. Our teacher leader for this course is Frances Suc-Diamond, who has been teaching Modern Foreign Languages for 25 years and is now Head of MFL at St Angela's Ursuline School in Newham. We also have a guest speaker to announce. Sophie Maddison is a Teaching Associate in French and Francophone Studies at the University of Sheffield, where she works on gender, the history and culture of modern France, Francophone literature, and advanced translation. Her main research interests are literature and the environment, urban narratives, and Franco-Italian cultural connections. If you’d like to hear what Sophie and Frances have to say about Francophone culture, the day is running in February in our Hintze Rooms in Victoria. You can book your place here: https://bit.ly/4anWM1Y

This week at The PTI ⭐ We ran our first Primary Hubs of 2025, and we ran a lot of them. This week, The PTI travelled to: 🗺️ Bury, Greater Manchester for a day dedicated to Geography and Computing with Chris Horridge, the Hub Lead, Helen Cotton, Computing Consultant and Emma Brigg from the Field Studies Council. 💬 South London for a day on Modern Foreign Languages with Dr Alison Porter and Simon Depoix, from Gordon's School. 🧘♀️ Loughborough to learn about health and relationships with Jon Bishop, the Hub Teacher Lead, Rebecca Jennings, RAISE education, and Lisa Handy, from Coram Life Education. 🛠️ Harlow for a day about D&T with Daniel Charny MBE from Fixperts and Suzi Lombardelli from Ricards Lodge High School Wimbledon. In the office, almost thirty teachers gathered for a massive CPD planning day for the Subject Enrichment Residential happening this summer, 5-7 July 2025. The conversations that took place will result in a weekend for teachers to explore and develop their own specialist subject knowledge, to extend and enthuse their pupils. Our Primary, Secondary and Leadership Academic Working Groups have also met this week to discuss education and strategy at The PTI - and we’re packing for London New Teacher Subject Day 2 at Pimlico Academy tomorrow. Lastly, we are now on Bluesky, as well as Twitter/X and Instagram! You can follow along with our news there if you’d like. 

Bringing Geography alive in the Primary classroom 🌳 Last week, we held a Primary Hub Day in Bury, Greater Manchester. Together, teachers select a subject that they want their Hub day to focus on. One teacher told us that they chose Geography because they wanted to get their students out into their local area, to help them understand where they live and to bring their learning alive. Our Subject Expert was Emma from the Field Studies Council. Together, teachers discussed the importance of field work and participated in activities, using googly eyes to make geography playful and natural resources to create a map – an activity which works across all primary key stages! 100% of teachers who attended agreed that the course was a valuable experience. 100% felt they gained knowledge and skills to be a better teacher. 100% felt that attending would have an impact on their pupils. One teacher told us, ‘What an amazing day, reigniting my passion for geography. I’ve left with loads of wonderful ideas and support for me to lead Geography & Field Studies in school. As a first experience of The PTI I am thoroughly impressed and will encourage all staff to take the opportunity to attend.’ 📸 All our photos are from the classroom!

Teamwork, resilience, and inspiring students 🏉 We are running an online talk and Q+A with Rosie Galligan. She’s a world-class rugby player representing England at the highest level. Her journey covers the importance of sport, resilience in the face of injuries and illness, and commitment in the name of striving for sporting excellence. It’s an opportunity for teachers to think about how to make it to the highest level in sport, how to motivate excellence, and to talk about the value of perseverance, sport and movement. It's running on Wednesday 29th January - all teachers can attend for free. 👉 Book your place here: https://bit.ly/3ZNwQs3 📸 PE teachers on our Cambridge Residential in 2024

If you’re looking for something to listen to over the January weekend, try this podcast from The Guardian about Parallel Histories. Parallel histories are a frequent collaborator with The PTI. Most recently, we worked with them on a course exploring sources and the historical roots of complex modern conflicts with teachers, providing them with a framework to initiate discussions with their students. The process of learning that Parallel Histories employs is interesting and innovative, going straight to the sources and encouraging learning by structured discussions. It’s great to hear from students who have attended their events and what their perspectives are on learning about these complex issues. Find it here: https://lnkd.in/emfCFNww