Teaching Schools are outstanding schools that play an important role in a school-led system, working with others to provide high-quality training and support for school improvement in their local area.

They co-ordinate and deliver high-quality, school-based initial teacher training (ITT), spread excellent practice by supporting other schools, particularly those that need it the most, and provide professional and leadership development for teachers and leaders across their network. This compliments the Local Authority offer and provides a comprehensive package of support.

All teaching schools form alliances between themselves, their partners and the schools they support. Partner organisations vary, but often include a higher education institution, other schools and local authorities. In Lambeth, we are unique in ensuring that we provide a coordinated, integrated approach through the Lambeth School Partnership website.

In Lambeth, we are fortunate to have three teaching schools and London’s only Research School; you can find out about them below:

Lambeth Teaching Schools’ Alliance

The Lambeth Teaching Schools’ Alliance members have a shared moral purpose to work together to improve the learning and achievement of all the young people in their schools, and to support other schools in the region to do the same. 

This is achieved by pursuing excellence in teaching and learning across Lambeth by offering training, support, research and development that is “by schools for schools”.

We firmly believe that we are “stronger together” and that partnership and collaboration between practising teachers in different schools is the only way to continually develop and improve teaching and learning for the benefit of students, parents and the communities in which we work.

The LTSA is led jointly by Vauxhall Primary School and Lilian Baylis Technology School. Along with 17 Lambeth Primary and Seconardy schools our strategic partners are the Institute of Education (IOE) University College of London (UCL), King’s College London, Roehampton University and The London Leadership Strategy.

Initial Teacher Training:

The Lambeth Teaching Schools’ Alliance offers both salaried and non-salaried School Direct programmes at primary and secondary level, we work with over 15 schools each year to provide up to 30 places for high quality ambitious trainees looking to start their teaching careers within our diverse dynamic central London borough.  Our programmes are accredited by Roehampton University and our trainees have access to their world class training and facilities.

Continuing Professional Development:

We offer a range of professional learning opportunities.  The list below is not exhaustive, please check our website for more information:

The Sharing Excellence Partnership

The Sharing Excellence Partnership is a group of schools who share the same aim - to provide an outstanding education for the pupils and students with whom we work. We offer a range of opportunities for the development of teaching and support staff.  We wish to make a meaningful difference to the educational experience of the children in our own and our partners’ schools.

The LTSA is led by Dunraven School. Along with 10 Lambeth Primary and Secondary schools, our strategic partners are the Institute of School Business Leadership, E-qualitas, the Institute of Education (IOE), University College of London (UCL), The Schools, Students and Teachers Network, King’s College London, Roehampton University and schools in Croydon, Greenwich and Southwark.

Initial Teacher Training:

We aim to recruit trainees with the potential to become outstanding teachers through employment based training. We offer tuition fee-funded and salaried positions in primary and most secondary subjects, leading to QTS with PGCE in most cases, in addition to enhanced employment opportunities within the partnership.

We support ITT programmes across PGCE, School Direct and Teach First routes.  We have well established and successful practice in ensuring that trainees develop a full understanding of the knowledge and skills required to become an effective teacher whether in the primary or secondary phase.

Continuing Professional Development:

We have a range of training available for teaching and support staff, as well as for Governors, as part of established programmes as well as the option to provide a more bespoke approach according to specific requirements.

We offer:

Gipsy Hill Federation

Gipsy Hill Federation is a group of high-performing primary schools in South London. Our schools are characterised by sustained outstanding practice in challenging urban contexts. Our teachers and leaders are committed to supporting other schools to raise standards of teaching and improve the achievement of pupils.



The Teaching School operates from the Leadership Centre at Kingswood Primary School (Upper Site). The Centre hosts a range of national and international visitors each year and provides courses and workshops that develop subject knowledge, pedagogy and leadership. Our programmes emphasise practical solutions to the problems that teachers and leaders grapple with on the ground in their schools.

They are created and facilitated by practitioners who have sustained track records of excellence in overcoming the challenges that front-line educators face.

Initial Teacher Training:

The School Direct route at GHF works in partnership with London South Bank University (LSBU).  You will receive the same input from the University as PGCE students and at the end of the year-long course receive Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a PGCE, which includes Masters Level modules.  Students spend a minimum of 1 day per week at University and the rest of their time in our family of schools.

Continuing Professional Development:

Our programmes are quite simply informed by what has worked for us and have been developed by our teachers and leaders. We believe our offer and strategies will:

work for your teachers, because they work for our diverse body of outstanding staff;
work for your pupils, because they have helped all our children achieve outstanding outcomes;
work for your school, because they have worked for our range of school settings.

We offer a range of courses including: