A TEACHING schools alliance which provides training and support for staff in more than six secondary schools and 30 primary schools across York, North and East Yorkshire now has a new look.

The Ebor Teaching Schools Alliance has relaunched as EborHope Teaching Schools Alliance and the two multi-academy trusts who founded it – Ebor Academy Trust and Hope Learning Trust York say they will continue to provide first class professional development for teachers and school leaders, initial teacher training and school to school support across York and beyond.

In a joint statement, Richard Ludlow and Brian Crosby, chief executives of both trusts said: “Our original teaching schools alliance was set up in 2012 and since then the rise of multi-academy trusts has transformed an ever-changing education landscape.

“It’s appropriate to think again about how the specialist expertise in primary and secondary phases and settings can be best utilised in a teaching schools alliance so it’s more relevant to our communities.

“Collaboration is key to make the most of a child’s or young person’s experience of education.

"By working together we can strengthen the aspirations of our individual academy trusts at the same time as harnessing collective expertise centrally for the greater good.”

Both Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy in Strensall, led by Ebor, and Manor CE Academy, in Poppleton led by Hope, are designated by the Department for Education as teaching schools.

Woldgate School and Sixth Form College, Pocklington as well as Huntington Research School and York St John University in York are partners in the alliance.

Teaching schools identify, develop and co-ordinate expertise for the benefit of pupils across a network of schools, making for better results, fewer poorly performing schools, more good and better schools and a self-improving and sustainable system.