Celebrating 25 years of NASBTT: milestone anniversary programme for voice of ITT gets underway
The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) has officially launched its 25th anniversary celebrations, a milestone that reflects a quarter of a century of dedication to championing school-based teacher training.
Established in 2000, NASBTT has been at the forefront of shaping the landscape of Initial Teacher Training (ITT), advocating for policies that empower educators, and enhancing support for providers, mentors, and trainees alike. Over the years, and through many sector transformations, its initiatives have adapted to the evolving needs of the education system, with a focus on innovation, inclusivity and collaboration.
To mark this occasion, NASBTT is running a programme of celebratory activities, events, and opportunities to engage its members, which include 100% of School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers, as well as Teaching School Hubs, Higher Education Institutions involved in schools-led teacher training, and a range of other organisations engaged in the education and professional development of teachers.
Emma Hollis, NASBTT Chief Executive, said: “NASBTT has been prominent throughout the key events and policy changes that have shaped ITT in England over the past 25 years. Throughout that time, we have sought to ensure that new teachers are better prepared to meet the demands of the profession. This has been delivered through a combination of support, advice, guidance, sector representation, policy influence, and training and professional development.
“This anniversary is not only an opportunity to celebrate our achievements as an organisation and as a sector, but also to look ahead with ambitious plans to continue driving excellence in teacher training and professional development, including progressing the asks in our manifesto, The Future of Initial Teacher Training, around how we can attract more people to the teaching profession and support school-based ITT providers to deliver high-quality training. To achieve these aims, support and investment is critical in shaping the next generation of educators.
“Thank you to all our members, past and present. Together, let’s make 2025 a year to remember as we reaffirm our commitment to being the representative voice for school-based ITT providers and to supporting the sector for the next 25 years and beyond.”
Anna Richards, NASBTT Chair and Executive Director of NESTT – Norfolk, Essex and Suffolk Teacher Training, added: “Over the past quarter-century, NASBTT has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving teacher education, advocating for policies that support teachers, and ensuring that every SCITT has a champion. In fact, commitment and dedication are the words that spring to mind to describe the NASBTT team as a whole. Everyone who has worked for the organisation over its 25 years has embodied those characteristics as they have grown and driven the organisation to support our sector.”
Martin Thompson, who was involved in the early days of NASBTT and served initially as Chair, a role later rebranded as Executive Director, until 2017, reflected on the evolution of the organisation into the voice of schools-led ITT. “Essentially we set out to identify how we could become the ears as well as the voice of schools-led ITT, and ensure that we were represented at national strategy level,” he explained. “We worked to acquire support and the management architecture so we could become the nationally-recognised professional association for school-based teacher training and be proactive in taking forward the issues that concerned us in our day-to-day activities. What started as a fledgling organisation now holds its head up high in the sector, and is such an integral part of the ITT landscape.”
Amongst the highlights over the next 12 months, NASBTT will be holding its Annual Conference 2025 in person at BMA House, London, on Thursday 6th November. This will be followed by a 25th Anniversary Celebration Evening. Members, including those many providers who have shared the 25-year journey with NASBTT, are invited to attend and encouraged to share their experiences, reflections, and thoughts. Further information will follow in due course.
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