March 30, 2012 8.00 am This story is over 144 months old

Lincoln academy becomes first Teaching School in county

First of a kind: An infant school in Lincoln is the first to be awarded Teaching School status in the county.

An infant school in Lincoln will be joining forces with organisations such as Bishop Grosseteste University College to become the county’s first Teaching School.

Mount Street Academy hopes that the Teaching School status from the National College for School Leadership will help raise teaching standards in education.

Alongside the likes of BG, the school now has a key role in staff training and development within the county.

Mount Street Academy is one of 100 schools across the country to be granted the status.

Other organisations the academy will work with are CfBT, Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School, St Francis School, Kibworth Primary School in Leicestershire, Monks Abbey Primary School and St Peter in Eastgate School.

Executive Headteacher Catherine Paine said: “We have been on the edge of our seats since applying in October and are delighted by this honour.

“We are privileged to be working with a superb range of strategic partners in this exciting venture and I know that our school and our partners have the capacity to rise to the challenge.”

The Teaching Schools scheme started last year, to bring more training and development into the classroom.

The scheme allows chosen schools to lead a group of schools alongside partners (such as universities) to deliver high quality support for teachers at various levels.

The National College is aiming to have 500 Teaching Schools by the end of 2014.

Dean of Teacher Development at BG, Nigel Appleton, said: “We have been working closely together for over a year in preparation for this.

“It’s exciting to have a Teaching School on the doorstep – the first in Lincolnshire – and we’re really looking forward to making a difference to schools, pupils and teachers together.”