Transparency data

Teaching schools and system leadership: March 2021

Updated 2 July 2021

Applies to England

Overview

The purpose of this publication is to provide updated figures on the number of system leaders currently working within the school system in England. There is variation between reports due to the natural churn of the system, including designation processes, changes to eligibility and staff turnover.

Designation rounds for national leaders of education (NLEs) and teaching schools closed in May 2018, and designation rounds for national leaders of governance (NLGs) closed in May 2017. There will be no further NLE designation rounds until the Department for Education (DfE) has implemented the NLE advisory group recommendations (published in February 2020). The teaching schools programme will end in August 2021 and there will be no further designations to this programme.

We recently confirmed that 87 schools have been selected as teaching school hubs (TSH), forming centres of excellence for teacher and leadership training and development, focusing mainly on the Department’s ‘golden thread’ of Initial Teacher Training (ITT), the Early Career Framework (ECF) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).

DfE is implementing recommendations for NLG reform, published in September 2020, and there will be no further NLG designation rounds until this work is concluded. The number of system leaders that are currently designated is actively managed and the Department keeps these matters under review.

This information is correct as of 1 March 2021.

As at 1 March 2021, across England there were:

• 87 Teaching School Hubs – an increase of 81 from 1 December 2020
• 601 Teaching School Alliances - a decrease of 3 from 1 December 2020
• 733 Teaching Schools - a decrease of 2 from 1 December 2020
• 987 National Leaders of Education - a decrease of 4 from 1 December 2020
• 318 National Leaders of Governance - a decrease of 12 from 1 December 2020

Teaching School Hubs

Following a pilot scheme in 6 areas, there have now been an additional 81 schools appointed to lead Teaching School Hubs (TSH), giving full coverage across England in the 87 Teaching school hub areas. The difference in number of TSH across regions is due to designing each area to include similar numbers of schools and as such low numbers of TSH in an area does not equate to low coverage or support available for those schools.

RSC area	Number of TSH
East of England and North East London	10
East Midlands and the Humber	12
Lancashire and West Yorkshire	14
North	6
North West London and South Central England	10
South East and South London	13
South West	11
West Midlands	11
Total	87

(Source: DfE Management Information)

Teaching schools and teaching school alliances

As at 1 March 2021, there were 601 teaching school alliances across England and 733 teaching schools. The number of teaching school alliances decreased by 3 and the number of teaching schools decreased by 2 from December 2020. Around 84% of teaching school alliances had one teaching school although a few had as many as 5 or 6.

Teaching schools were present in all 8 English RSC areas, and in 147 out of 150 local authorities: City of London and Isles of Scilly are excluded from the analysis as each has only one maintained school.

Lancashire & West Yorkshire had the highest number of teaching schools with 123 (16.8%). The North had the fewest with 62 (8.5%).

Number of teaching schools by RSC area

RSC area	Number of TS	Change from December 2020	Percentage of all TS
East Midlands & Humber	82	0	11.2%
East of England & North East London	94	0	12.8%
Lancashire & West Yorkshire	123	0	16.8%
North	62	-1	8.5%
South Central & North West London	88	-1	12.0%
South East & South London	111	0	15.1%
South West	80	0	10.9%
West Midlands	93	0	12.7%
Total	733	-2	-

(Source: DfE Management Information. Please note that as the percentages are rounded, the total value will not always be 100%).

National leaders of education (NLEs)

As at 1 March 2021, there were 987 National Leaders of Education, a decrease of 4 from 1 December 2020.

The majority of NLEs belong to different schools and only 29 schools have 2 or more NLEs. NLEs were present in 148 of 150 local authorities.

Lancashire & West Yorkshire have the highest number of NLEs with 186 (18.8%). The East of England & North East London has the fewest with 83 (8.4%).

Number of NLEs by RSC area

RSC area	Number of NLEs	Change from December 2020	Percentage of all NLEs
East Midlands & Humber	141	-3	14.3%
East of England & North East London	83	1	8.4%
Lancashire & West Yorkshire	186	0	18.8%
North	87	-1	8.8%
South Central & North West London	110	-1	11.1%
South East & South London	150	0	15.2%
South West	96	0	9.7%
West Midlands	133	0	13.5%
Not applicable	1	0	0.1%
Total	987	-4	-

(Source: DfE Management Information. Please note that as the percentages are rounded, the total value will not always be 100%)

Not applicable refers to NLEs who are currently in between schools or alternatively have a BFPO address.

National leaders of governance (NLGs)

There were 318 NLGs as at 1 March 2021. This was a decrease of 12 from December 2020. A total of 116 local authorities had at least one NLG.

Lancashire & West Yorkshire had the highest number of NLGs with 62 (19.5%). The North had the fewest with 22 (6.9%).

Number of NLGs by RSC area

RSC area	Number of NLGs	Change from December 2020	Percentage of all NLGs
East Midlands & Humber	60	-2	18.9%
East of England & North East London	27	-3	8.5%
Lancashire & West Yorkshire	62	-1	19.5%
North	22	-2	6.9%
South Central & North West London	41	0	12.9%
South East & South London	53	0	16.7%
South West	29	-2	9.1%
West Midlands	24	-2	7.5%
Not applicable	0	0	0.0%
Total	318	-12	-

(Source: DfE Management Information. Please note that as the percentages are rounded, the total value will not always be 100%)

Not applicable refers to NLGs who are currently in between schools or alternatively have a BFPO address.