Senior appointments made by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Teaching School Hub

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Teaching School Hub, which offers high-quality training and professional development to support teachers and leaders at every stage of their career, has bolstered its senior team with two key appointments.

Paul Barraclough, who until April was Executive Headteacher and Director of Education at Enfield Learning Trust, joins the Hub as Engagement Lead. With a teaching career spanning 37 years, Paul held Headships at four primary schools including three in Cambridgeshire, where he was also a primary and secondary governor. He was also formerly an additional inspector with Ofsted, and local authority school improvement adviser in Lambeth.

Paul’s role is to help widen participation in the Hub’s Early Career Framework (ECF), National Professional Qualifications (NPQ), Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes among schools and trusts in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. “I’m delighted to be joining the Hub as Engagement Lead, to help raise awareness of all that the Hub has to offer, and how it can support school leaders and teachers make a difference to the children in their schools,” said Paul, who is also an NPQ facilitator for the Leading Teacher Development and Leading Behaviour and Culture programmes offered by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Teaching School Hub, and a Senior Tutor for the SCITT programme in the Hub’s partnership with CTSN.

“With the roll-out of the new ITT, ECT and NPQ programmes, incorporating evolving research into the learning sciences and what effective leadership looks like, this is an exciting time to be involved in supporting school leaders and teachers through the work of the Hub,” he explained. “What is unique about the Hub is its role in supporting Cambridge and Peterborough schools through its local strategic partners, connections and delivery. I’m very pleased to be working in this part of the world again.”

Meanwhile, Laura King has arrived as ECF Lead to support delivery of the Early Career Framework and quality assurance. As well as her new role at Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Teaching School Hub, Laura is Secondary Course Lead for CTSN SCITT with responsibility for ITT programme delivery to secondary trainees. She is also a PGCE Tutor, Subject Tutor and Mentor Development Tutor for CTSN SCITT, Associate Tutor – ECF Facilitator for the University of East Anglia, and online English Literature Tutor for Norfolk County Council.

“Throughout my career I’ve designed and delivered bespoke staff development, training and ongoing support for colleagues,” said Laura, who formerly held the position of EAL Advisory Teacher and English teaching roles in Bury St Edmunds and Norwich, including additionally as a Lead Practitioner with responsibility for design and delivery of high-quality whole school CPD and coaching at Thurston Community College.

“I’ve gained a good understanding in how the ECF works and, from my direct involvement with trainees, am able to comprehend and appreciate the journey that teachers who are new to the profession are on. Teacher development is my passion, and within that everything from research and practice to delivering content and wellbeing support. Every stage of a teacher’s career is important – if we get it right, then we get it right for children and young people in the classroom. I’m really looking forward to getting to know all schools and trusts in our region and supporting them with the ECF induction period.”

Lynne Birch, Hub Lead at Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Teaching School Hub, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul and Laura to our team. We have already supported around 1,130 staff in approximately 200 schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in our first year of operation, and we now expect to double the number of leaders and teachers engaged in the 2022-23 school year. To achieve that goal we need excellent people who are committed to helping us extend the reach of the Hub, and to make the programmes we offer the best they can possibly be.”