Apply to become an Expert Visiting Fellow for the Teaching School Hub
The role of Expert Facilitator is a recognition of some of the leading expert teachers and leaders in their field. These colleagues will possess the expertise and capacity to support their peers within and beyond their own school.
We want to provide opportunities for expert teachers and leaders to facilitate our national teacher development programmes: the National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) and Early Career Teaching Programme. Successful applicants will join our pool of teacher educators that we will draw upon for the delivery of the programmes that we lead in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT).
Programmes of delivery
We deliver eight NPQ programmes, a coaching offer for Heads in the first five years of headship and the Early Career Teachers Programme. The number of Expert Facilitators we deploy to deliver these programmes depends on the number of aspiring and established leaders that register for our NPQs in the autumn and spring terms and the number of ECTs and Mentors that access our ECF-based training offer. At present, the priority programmes we are seek to designate Expert Facilitators for are:
- The Early Career Teacher Programme
- National Professional Qualification Leadership Suite (NPQH, NPQSL, NPQEYL)
- National Professional Qualification Specialist Suite (NPQLTD, NPQLT, NPQLBC, NPQLL, NPQLPM)
- Early Headship Coaching Offer (EHCO)
The teacher educators that are successful in their application will be the team that we turn to when we have the opportunity to deploy them. We cannot guarantee every Expert Facilitator will be deployed due to the nature of programmes only running if there is sufficient demand.
Funding, training and support
Clearly, the opportunity for an expert teacher or leader to deliver on a national programme is both desirable as a positive professional experience and a privilege as the role supports the career development of peers. Subsequently, the Facilitator's school or Trust is funded for the time given to prepare and deliver events. This may be a full-day face-to-face conference, a series of 1 to 2-hour clinics delivered via Zoom, and/or 1:1 coaching.
Expert Facilitators will need to complete training with the NIoT (online) to confirm their designation. This training is not funded (i.e. training is free, but the applicant would need to be released by their school/Trust). Facilitators are provided with all the resources they need, although they will need to enhance delivery by drawing upon their own professional experience to share with programme participants. They will need to maintain the fidelity of the programme.
Training dates will be confirmed ahead of delivery of the programmes.
Our Facilitation community is well supported, with regular network meetings, reflective discussions and developmental feedback. Facilitators will also be able to access a national network through the NIoT.
How to apply
Applications are welcomed from expert teachers and leaders employed in local and partner schools and trusts with significant teacher educator experience from school and trusts that access NPQs and/or the ECF-based training via DRET Teaching School Hub.
The applicant should be familiar with the programme for which they are applying to be an Expert Facilitator. This includes the associated framework, the principles of the NIoT designed programme, and associated research and practice. We particularly welcome applications from in-service school and system leaders who have experience or accredited qualifications in coaching.
Applicants need to secure the support of their headteacher (or similar) - the most senior person in their organisation - before applying. We will confirm this following applications with a written endorsement.
An online application form MUST BE completed by the applicant. We recommend you draft your answers in Microsoft Word (or similar) before copying them to our form:
Applications will not be considered until we receive the application form and reference.
Short-listed applicants will be invited to a short, informal meeting to discuss their application (20 minutes).
The outcome will be communicated to the participant within a week of their application. A successful outcome does not guarantee deployment, for the reasons set out above. The outcome of the application is final.
DRET Teaching School Hub fully understand the principles of the Equality Act 2010 and the work needed to ensure that those with protected characteristics are not discriminated against and are given equal opportunities.
Thank you for your interest and we wish you the very best of luck in your application.